Podcasts about azusa street

What is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)? And what does it have to do with conservative political power in the United States and abroad? Leah Payne and Caleb Maskell join Mark Labberton for a deep dive into the emergence and impact of the New Apostolic Reformation—a loosely affiliated global network blending Pentecostal Christian spirituality, charismatic authority, and political ambition. With their combined pastoral experience and scholarly expertise, Payne and Maskell chart the historical, theological, and sociopolitical roots of this Pentecostal movement—from Azusa Street and Latter Rain revivals to modern dominion theology and global evangelicalism. They distinguish the New Apostolic Reformation from the broader Pentecostal and charismatic traditions, and explore the popular appeal, theological complexity, and political volatility of the New Apostolic Reformation. Episode Highlights “Isn't this just conservative political activism with tongues and prophecy and dominion?” “At no point in time in the history of these United States … have Protestants not been interested in having a great deal of influence over public life.” “You can be super nationalistic in Guatemala, in Brazil, in India, and in the United States. … It is a portable form of nationalism.” “They are not moved by appeals to American democracy or American exceptionalism because they have in their mind the end times and the nation of Israel.” “Charismatics and Pentecostals, unlike other forms of American Protestantism … do not have a theological value for democracy.” Main Themes Pentecostalism's history and global influence Charismatic Christianity versus Pentecostalism Defining and explaining the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) C. Peter Wagner, Lance Hall, and Seven Mountain Mandate Dominion theology, Christian nationalism, and the religious Right Pentecostals and Trump politics Zionism in charismatic theology Vineyard movement, worship music, and intimacy with God Linked Media References About Vineyard USA God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music by Leah Payne The New Apostolic Churches by C. Peter Wagner This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti Atlantic Article: “The Army of God Comes Out of the Shadows” by Stephanie McCrummen Bonhoeffer's America: A Land Without Reformation, by Joel Looper Another Gospel: Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of Evangelical Identity, by Joel Looper Show Notes Leah Payne defines Pentecostalism as “a form of American revivalism” William J. Seymour Marked by interracial desegregated worship and spiritual “fireworks” like tongues and prophecy Mystical experiences of God Desegregation and physically touching one another in acts of miraculous healing The Azusa Street Revival (1906) identified as a global catalyst for Assemblies of God denomination There is no founding theological figure, unlike Luther or Calvin Caleb Maskell emphasizes Pentecostalism's roots in “a founding set of experiences,” not a founding theological figure “Limits to what makes a church” Lack of ecclesiological clarity leaves Pentecostalism open to both renewal and fragmentation Leah highlights Pentecostalism as “a shared experience … a shared series of practices.” “Holy Rollers” and being “slain in the Spirit” “A different way of knowing” “Christians are made through an encounter with Jesus.” The global “charismatic movement” and how it has had cross-denominational Influence “Charismatic” was a mid-twentieth-century term for Spirit-led practices arising within mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions Charismatic means “gifted” or “being given gifts” “‘Charismatic' has typically been a more inclusive word than ‘Pentecostal.'” Emphasis on personal spiritual gifts and intimate worship styles “They are not respecters of institutions.” Figures like Oral Roberts and Amy Semple McPherson were “too big” for denominational constraints “Too-bigness” as driven by both an over-inflated ego and spiritual mysticism Frederick Buechner: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” Spellbound, by Molly Worthen (see Conversing episode 212) What are the origins and key ideas of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)? New Apostolic Reformation: “a form of institutionalized charismatic identity that builds on grassroots consensus.” “NAR” coined by C. Peter Wagner at Fuller Seminary in the 1990s Wagner promoted post-denominationalism and “reality-based” church governance centred on individual charismatic gifts Emerged from a “larger soup” of charismatic ideas—often practiced before being systematized. Closely tied to the “Seven Mountain Mandate”: that Christians should influence key societal sectors—family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government The role of dominion theology and political alignment “The convergence of egos, the convergence of ethos … is a natural thing to see emerging.” “Dominion is really just two or three logical steps from an obsession with cultural relevance.” Payne sees dominionism as a Pentecostal-flavoured version of a broader conservative political strategy. “Charismatics and Pentecostals are everywhere … so we should expect them on the far right.” Many deny the NAR label even as they operate in its mode. ”When Bob Dylan's in your church, suddenly your church is relevant, whether you like it or not.” Defining “Dominionism” “Dominion is really just two or three logical steps from an obsession with cultural relevance. Cultural relevance says church should fit—not prophetically, but should fit all but seamlessly—into modes of culture that people are already in.” What are the “Seven Mountains of Culture”?  Family, religion, education, media, entertainment, business, and government—”the world would go better if Christians were in charge of each of those arenas.” “At no point in time in the history of these United States and the history of European settlers in the new world have Protestants not been interested in having a great deal of influence over public life.” Trump, Zionism, and global Pentecostal nationalism Christian nationalism versus religious Right “They are not moved by appeals to American democracy. … They think the nation of Israel is the nation of all nations.” “Isn't this just conservative political activism with tongues and prophecy and dominion?” Anti-institutional and anti-structural How Trump seeks power and ego affirmation Christian theocratic rule? ”It may simply be a part of what it is to be a Christian is to say, at some level, within the spheres that I'm given authority in, I ought to have the right kind of influence, whatever it is.” “ I think what's scary about the moment that we're in right now is in fact the chaos.” A book about Donald Trump—God's Chaos Candidate, by Lance Wall ”The beliefs in divine prophecy are so widespread that they transcend partisanship.” Black Pentecostalism: immune to the charms of Trump and populist conservatives Trump's Zionist overtures strategically captured charismatic loyalty The rise of global Pentecostal nationalism in countries like India, Brazil, and Guatemala parallels US patterns. “They don't actually care long-term about American democracy.” “They are not moved by appeals to American democracy or American exceptionalism because they have in their mind the end times and the nation of Israel.” Prosperity gospel Dominionism and the Roman Catholic “doctrine of discovery” The gospel of Christ as “sorting power” “It is a portable form of nationalism.” Concerns about power, order, and eschatology Mark Labberton reflects on Fuller Seminary's controversial role in NAR's intellectual development. Payne critiques the equation of widespread Pentecostal practices with far-right dominionism. “What's scary … is the chaos. And a number of people associated with NAR have celebrated that.” NAR theology often prioritizes divine chaos over institutional order. Warnings against super-biblical apostolic authority and spiritual authoritarianism. Pentecostalism beyond politics “There's a vivid essentialism—make everything great and all the nations will gather.” Vineyard worship as a counterweight to dominionism—emphasizing intimacy and mystical union with Christ. “That emphasis on Jesus as a friend … is a really beautiful image of God.” Vineyard music helped export a gentle, intimate charismatic spirituality. About Leah Payne Leah Payne is associate professor of American religious history at Portland Seminary and a 2023–2024 public fellow at the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). She holds a PhD from Vanderbilt University, and her research explores the intersection of religion, politics, and popular culture. Payne is author of God Gave Rock and Roll to You: a History of Contemporary Christian Music (Oxford University Press, 2024), and co-host of Rock That Doesn't Roll, a Public Radio Exchange (PRX) podcast about Christian rock and its listeners, and Weird Religion, a religion and pop culture podcast. Her writing and research has appeared in The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service, and Christianity Today. About Caleb Maskell Caleb Maskell is the associate national director of theology and education for Vineyard USA. Born in London, he immigrated with his family to New Jersey in 1986, at the age of nine. Caleb has been involved in leadership in the Vineyard movement for twenty-five years. After spending a gap year at the Toronto Airport Vineyard School of Ministry in 1995, he went to the University of Chicago to study theology, philosophy, and literature in the interdisciplinary undergraduate Fundamentals program. While there, he joined the core planting team of the Hyde Park Vineyard Church, where he served as a worship leader, a small group leader, a setter-up of chairs, and whatever else Rand Tucker asked him to do. After college, full of questions that had emerged from the beautiful collision of serious academic study and the practical realities of church planting, Caleb enrolled in the MDiv program at Yale Divinity School. For four years, he immersed himself in the study of theology, church history, and Scripture, while also leading worship and working with middle school and high school youth groups. After graduating in 2004, he worked for three years as the associate director of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. In 2007, along with his wife Kathy and their friends Matt and Hannah Croasmun, Caleb planted Elm City Vineyard Church in New Haven, Connecticut. That year, he also began a PhD program at Princeton University, focusing on the history of American religion, with an additional emphasis in African American studies. After moving to Manhattan for four years while Kathy went to seminary, the Maskells ended up in suburban Philadelphia, where Caleb completed his PhD while teaching regularly at Princeton Theological Seminary, and serving as the worship pastor at Blue Route Vineyard Church. Since 2010, Caleb has led the Society of Vineyard Scholars, which exists to foster and sustain a community of theological discourse in and for the Vineyard movement. Caleb is passionate about developing leaders and institutions that will help to produce a healthy, courageous, and hospitable future for the church in the twenty-first century. Caleb and Kathy now live with their two kids, Josiah and Emmanuelle, in the heart of Denver, where Kathy pastors East Denver Vineyard Church. Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

We have a Problem. We are content. In this message, Pastor Cynthia Bryan stirs us to become desperate rather than content.Our problem with contentment is that we are content with the wrong things.We are content with occasionally praying, occasionally reading our bibles, and gathering as believers when we feel like it.We are apathetic and distracted about the things of God.Once I heard the stories, I couldn't be content anymore. Have you heard about the Welsh national revival of 1904-05? 150,000 people came to Christ in the first 6 months. Azusa Street 1906: For more than 3 years the cloud of God's glory rested on a humble building call the Azusa Street Mission. 100's of 1,000's of people came from around the world and were filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Hebrides Islands of Scotland, in 1949, the power of God fell. This Outpouring of the Holy Spirit spread through the islands and within weeks every church was filled to capacity. Are we aware of the desperate situation we and our community are in?This is a desperate time that we live in:Wars and rumors of wars, News of the threat of terrorism and war.Uncertainty, Polarization, hate, Anger, rage and Accusation1 Peter 5:8 NLT  2 Cor 4:18 NIVWe are in desperate times among desperate people who don't know where to turn. But you cannot be desperate FOR something until you know it exists.When you hear the stories, you realize that the Holy Spirit still moves today like He did in the book of Acts.Let's look at Acts chapter 2:2-6,38,41Desperate people were told to wait in the city to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But, can God do it again? Can the Holy Spirit move in a way to yield another spiritual awakening and transform culture?Here is the good news:A Desperate Time is the perfect time for the Holy Spirit to move; We are in a time now just like other times prior to great outpourings of the Spirit.When Christians recognize they are in desperate times, they take desperate measures.Seek (implies desperation, commitment, earnestness) the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near; Isaiah 55:6 ESVWhy do we need awakening?                For our families, for our neighbors, for our community, for our nation. For the young person contemplating suicide, for the lost and depressed, for the hopeless, for those who are dying without hope.“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.” Isaiah 44:3 NKJV Desperate Measures:                Feed the sense of desperation:                Repentance: Clean hands and a pure heart.               Prayer, crying out to God for our families, our region, our nation.               Fasting – humble yourself               Be a bold witness. What desperate measure is the Lord asking of you?

Unlock the mystery of a global spiritual awakening prophesied by legendary figures like William Seymour and Charles Parham. Imagine a worldwide revival that surpasses the historical significance of events like Azusa Street. This episode promises to help you discern between actions that are merely good and those that are divinely inspired. Align with a prophetic vision for a transformative movement involving billions, emphasizing the need for faith, vision, and collective involvement in these pivotal times.Discover the transformative power of collaborative kingdom work as we underscore the necessity of mutual respect, humility, and celebrating the strengths within ministries. True collaboration isn't just about working together; it's about fostering environments that inspire creativity and multiplication. Addressing the detrimental culture of ridiculing preachers, we advocate for unity, trust, and accountability to fulfill the prophetic visions of church growth and unity, all while grounding our insights in biblical teachings.Join special guest Brother Daniel from Germany as he leads us in a powerful prayer, illustrating the international reach and unity of the global church. This session is not just an invitation but a clarion call for collective prayer and collaboration among evangelists, pastors, missionaries, and churches worldwide. The profound impact of global unity and collaboration in faith is emphasized, setting the stage for a spiritual awakening that transcends borders. Experience the gratitude and inspiration from our shared journey in Apostolic Mentoring, and be prepared to witness and be part of this remarkable revival.We love to hear from our listeners! Thank you! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639030158?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_VZBSV9T4GT4AMRWEWXJE&skipTwisterOG=1 The Living in Clarity Podcast, with Fish & Coach Do you want to live an awesome life and to also inspire others? Fish is a world...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show https://www.youtube.com/@charlesgrobinette https://www.instagram.com/charles.g.robinette/ https://author.amazon.com/books https://radicallyapostolic-merch.com www.charlesgrobinette.com

What is the Shekinah glory of God and how does His presence impact our lives today?   In this message, Lead Pastor John unpacks the power and beauty of God's Shekinah glory—His manifest presence that filled the tabernacle, led His people, and brought revival at Azusa Street. Through fire, cloud, and miraculous moments, we're reminded that God desires to dwell with His people and reveal His glory today.

What is the Shekinah glory of God and how does His presence impact our lives today?   In this message, Lead Pastor John unpacks the power and beauty of God's Shekinah glory—His manifest presence that filled the tabernacle, led His people, and brought revival at Azusa Street. Through fire, cloud, and miraculous moments, we're reminded that God desires to dwell with His people and reveal His glory today.

Rick Joyner, bestselling author, prophet and founder of MorningStar Ministries, and author and associate pastor of MorningStar Ministries, Jeff Oliver, are our guests today! The two have co-authored the book: Keys to Experiencing Azusa Fire: Lessons from the Revival that Changed the Landscape of Global Christianity. Hear them share the history of the Revival including the roles of women, the leadership of William J. Seymour, and much more. Is there going to be another revival on the scale of Azusa Street? What will the End Time Harvest look like? Don't miss it!

“Pentecostal historians have always acknowledged the miraculous stories accompanying the Azusa Street revival as an integral part of the Pentecostal experience,” writes Ruthie Edgerly Oberg. “However, the pressing question is whether the dubious and exaggerated claims of [author Tommy] Welchel will overshadow the genuine stories of ordinary men and women transformed by the Spirit, who carried the Pentecostal message into towns, cities, and nations, sparking a global movement.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Oberg about numerous problems with the histories of the Azusa Street Revival authored by Tommy Welchel. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. Ruthie Edgerly Oberg is an ordained Assemblies of God minister and a conference speaker for the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, Missouri. Our conversation is based on an academic paper Oberg presented at the 53rdAnnual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, which was titled, “The Mythologizing of Pentecostal History.” ————— This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Creator's Wheel by Rick DuBose, coming out from Chosen Books on February 11. Our world demands faster speeds, quicker deliveries. We want change now, transformation in a moment. But God, who spoke galaxies into existence with a single word, took seven days to bring about His full and magnificent creation — and He takes His time with us. In The Creator's Wheel, Rick DuBose shows how, just as God reached into that dark and chaotic mess to form space and time, He reaches into the mess of our lives, initiating a process that transforms us into masterpieces. Visit MyHealthyChurch.com to pre-order your copy of The Creator's Wheel.

Today, CFN's Production Manager and Editor Murray Rundus interviews Kennedy Hall on the history of the CCR (Catholic Charismatic Renewal).Kennedy's Book:https://www.amazon.com/Charismania-Truth-About-Charismatic-Renewal/dp/B0DQ95CVD3/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.guUZWf4lmMj9Ogx7APwU2mIfhf07exO4QGrjQvNpZD_i8Mdiz7eL3KWubKOEl0QOVZLlGV_BTLCCESI1wmnFs6HTOpDq_kauzWFvw96hbH_B3fLv8N2if1HGLqNRfk1HsDRSvoiyj41rOBxGNwNgGa9Nbk2kjcHtO8pndY7nwY008kcr2Ty_luCZXSCzVRAXeTZI08Sr20rGPh3tgJk-qPczQ8tn84dPo-bikZv7NlY.QGvmldgFY2Dmjm6iboK3hT-Lo53hPi4koUWchB1oZhU&dib_tag=se&keywords=charismania&qid=1737060923&sr=8-1Substack:https://substack.com/@MereTradition YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKennedyReport/videosTIMESTAMPS:00:00 - 06:00 Intro, Montanism and Phrygian Heresy06:00 - 09:17 Other Heresies09:17 - 15:15 The Holiness Movement15:15 - 25:08 Charles Parham, Azusa Street, and William Seymoure25:08 - 32:42 Duquesne, Ralph Martin and the Mansfields32:42 - 40:55 Cardinal Suenens40:55 - 44:15 Dissenting Charismatics44:15 - 46:35 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit'46:35 - 47:12 'Speaking in Tongues'47:12 - 56:30 Psychological Roots of the Movement56:30 - 01:04:28 1 Corinthians 1401:04:28 - 01:11:14 Did the Church approve the CCR?01:11:14 - 01:16:07 ConclusionRecommendations:John Vennari's article series: https://catholicfamilynews.com/blog/2025/01/16/the-charismatic-cardinal-suenens-part-1/"Speaking in Tongues" Three Volume Set by Blosser & Sullivan"Signs and Wonders" by Father Monden, S.J.March 2025 Florida Conference: https://cfn-florida.eventbrite.com/Subscribe to the paper: https://simplecirc.com/subscribe/17820213Follow us on Rumble! https://rumble.com/c/c-390435#Catholic #Christian #CatholicismCreate Harmony This is a podcast about setting an intentional rhythm, savoring life's blessings and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

The Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in the early 20th century gave birth to the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. Dr. David K. Bernard explains what happened at Azusa Street and how those events have shaped the current religious landscape.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Search "A History of Christian Doctrine" at PentecostalPublishing.com to access Dr. Bernard's three-volume set on that topic. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

413 Azusa Street by A history podcast from professor Stu Tully

WHAT LABEL DO YOU LIVE UNDER?   What's wrong with this picture? The Protestant Reformation happened around 1500 years ago. It was a separation from the Catholic Church based on Martin Luther's revelation that the "just shall live by faith" and not by the rule of a church or under the control of a pope. Today, 30,000+ different labels of groups of people are trying to express what a Protestant is.  That's a lot of heavy bondage on the body of Christ. Unfortunately, human nature was still in control, and it wasn't long until the protestants wanted to kill the suspected heretics just like the Catholics had done. It was the same Spirit that Jesus contented with when the disciples came to him in Mark 9:38 and complained that someone outside their camp was casting out devils. They're anxious question to Jesus was we've got to do something about that. Jesus had quite a simple rule about unity. He answered them and said well, fellas, if they're not against us, they must be for us, so leave them alone. In 1906, there was an outbreak of the Holy Spirit in Los Angeles, California, on Azusa Street. A black man named William Seymour received the Holy Spirit while he listened to reports of it in a Bible school in Texas.  Coming to Los Angeles, the Spirit of God fell on them, and a prayer meeting in their home, eventually moving into an old Mission on Azusa Street. It was like the shot that was heard around the world. The outpouring of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with speaking in tongues and all the gifts of the Spirit that were manifested, literally went around the world from that humble mission house. Unfortunately, human nature took over again, and the first separation happened in the Pentecostal movement when the black brothers and sisters were shoved aside. They started a fellowship called the church of God in Christ. From that point in time, it seemed that labels began to be important to the Spirit-filled folks. What started with one outpouring to describe Pentecostalism has splintered into literally hundreds, if not more, of labels that people live under. At some point, if we're going to see the kingdom of God advance, we must have one label: Jesus Christ and him alone. True fellowship is with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Everything else is secondary.   YOU CAN GIVE HERE: http://www.georgewatkinsministries.co...   WEBSITE= http://www.georgewatkinsministries.co...   FACEBOOK=https://www.facebook.com/FaithProduce...   Faith Producers address: PO Bx 1006 Mt Vernon, WA 98273   FAITH PRODUCES AN INTERNATIONAL PODCAST https://faithproducers.podbean.com/   You can 'WALK' with George Watkins daily @ youtube.com/faithproducers  faithproducers.com  twitter.com/faithproducers  Facebook.com/faithproducerstv   faithproducers.com    

Today we look at a topic that gets all kinds of Christians fired up. Is speaking in tongues biblical? If you were raised in a Pentecostal church, your answer is “yes”! If you were raised in a cessationist church, your answer is “no”! In this episode we'll see what the Bible has to say. --The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --First, let's define terms. Pentecostalism: Pentecostalism is a Christian movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily within the United States. It places a strong emphasis on the direct experience of the Holy Spirit, particularly through practices such as speaking in tongues, divine healing, and prophecy. The movement takes its name from the biblical event of Pentecost, as described in the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Jesus, empowering them to speak in other languages and to proclaim the gospel.The Azusa Street Revival - Los Angeles, California, from 1906 to 1909, at the Apostolic Faith Mission located on Azusa Street.Pentecostal vs. CharismaticAoG, Church of God, Foursquare, Calvary Chapel, Hillsong, Bethel Church, etc.Cessationism: Cessationism is a theological position within certain Christian circles that holds that certain spiritual gifts, particularly those described in the New Testament such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and miracles, ceased or ceased to be normative after the apostolic age or the completion of the New Testament canon.Historical Perspective: Cessationists may point to historical evidence suggesting that the frequency of miraculous gifts decreased after the apostolic era, leading them to conclude that these gifts ceased to be normative in the life of the church.Completion of Scripture: Cessationists often argue that the purpose of miraculous gifts was to authenticate the message of the apostles and to establish the early church. With the completion of the New Testament canon, they believe that the need for such miraculous gifts diminished.Cessationism is a theological perspective rather than a denominational affiliation, so it can be found within various Christian denominations to varying degrees. However, there are certain denominations or theological traditions that tend to emphasize cessationist beliefs more strongly than others. Many Reformed churches, particularly those influenced by the teachings of John Calvin and the Westminster Confession of Faith; Some Baptist churches, etc.Next, let's look at ActsIn the Bible, speaking in tongues is primarily discussed in the New Testament, particularly in the book of Acts and in the letters of the Apostle Paul. Here are some key passages often cited as a biblical defense of speaking in tongues:1. Acts 2:1-4: This passage describes the event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Jesus, and they began speaking

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Have you noticed revival fizzling out before REAL change happens? You're not crazy - there's a demonic spirit at work!

The spread of world missions started with the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, as His power worked through the church. By the end of the first century, the Gospel had been proclaimed throughout the entire Roman Empire. Another significant surge in the spread of the Gospel occurred after the Azusa Street revival, which resulted in its reach expanding to the entire world. To fulfill Jesus's prophecy in Matthew 24:14, the Church needs to undergo a renewal and receive a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit's baptism and His refining fire.Dennis Balcombe received Jesus Christ as his personal saviour in 1961. Also, he received the call of God on his life at a young age and traveled to China at the age of 24.  He has lived in Hong Kong for the past 54 years. God has greatly used him to bless and strengthen the Chinese church; a church that now has well over one hundred million believers.  He speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese.  He continues to minister to the Chinese and many others throughout Asia and the world.  As the founder of Revival Chinese Ministries International, he is a sought-after speaker globally. Dennis lives with his wife Kathy, daughter Sharon and Samuel Lau (son-in-law) in HK and serving the Churches.    We hope that this teaching left you more encouraged and equipped today. Ministers Fellowship International exists to help leaders build healthy, strong, impacting churches and to do so in a way that makes for a healthy leader.

This week, Julian Adams shares about the Azusa Street Revival, referencing the book of Haggai.

On this episode of ‘Rightly Dividing', the clowns in charge of entertaining the goats have come up with a new twist on an old Charismatic favorite, demon casting. If you had been alive in 1906, and wandered into the smelly, old church located on 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles, you would have seen something that would have made your blood run cold if you were saved. I am talking, of course, about the infamous Azusa Street Revival. Newspapers of the time reported on the all-consuming chaos those meetings generated, an atmosphere of spiritual frenzy that was the exact opposite of the ‘fruits of the Spirit' listed in Galatians 5:22-26. On this episode of ‘Rightly Dividing', we will open up our King James Bibles and look at deliverance ministries in light of God's preserved word. Riding close on the heels of the Asbury Revival and the ‘Jesus Revolution' movie comes something called ‘deliverance ministries', and if you haven't heard of what that is, you will be hearing it everywhere quite soon. Deliverance ministries are found in Christian churches where they perform exorcisms live on stage. As it turns out, a generation of “christians” raised on watching horror movies, slasher films, and listening to death metal music while playing Dungeons & Dragons are eating this slop up. Is anyone surprised?

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​Jody Keck shares an end-time vision told to her by the last living link to the Azusa Street Revival...

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​Jody Keck shares an end-time vision told to her by the last living link to the Azusa Street Revival...

Day 6 The Address: 312 Azusa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90011 The Story: Have you ever heard someone speak in tongues? If you don't know exactly what I mean, tune in today. If you know…you know. Goosebumps. This emoji

Sunday, 25 September 2022   “Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?” Acts 10:29   Peter, having gone into the house of Cornelius, said to those inside, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” With that, he next says, “Therefore I came without objection.”   Here is a word found only once in Scripture, anantirrétós. It is an adverb meaning without hesitation or promptly, but it carries with it the sense of without opposition or objection. The matter was set forth and Peter immediately agreed to return based on Cornelius' request. This was obviously initiated by the trance in which he heard the voice and saw the vision. Based on that, and based on the words of the messengers of verse 10:22, he knew that this was a matter that God had determined to come about. And so, he says, that he came “as soon as I was sent for.”   They left on the next day, obviously meaning that the day was expired enough that a stay at the house of Simon the tanner was necessary before actually departing. On the next day, they left and started the journey to Caesarea. Now that he had arrived, he immediately asks for clarification of the summons with the words, “I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”   Verse 10:22 explained the reason sufficiently for Peter to depart with the messengers. If there was anything else that they knew, it is certain that they talked about it on the way to Caesarea. And so, what Peter is asking for is a more detailed explanation directly from the mouth of Cornelius. This will allow the entire event, from the first moments until the present, to be brought out in front of all of those gathered with him. Whatever God had wanted to occur would be completely expressed in the presence of all, thus providing an entire house filled with witnesses.   Life application: There are times in recorded Christian history, even in recent history, where a multitude of people have gathered together and claimed Spirit-led revelation. In fact, it happens in many churches every Sunday. Visiting one of those churches, it is obvious that what occurs does not match what is prescribed in the Bible. As such, the events cannot be of the Spirit.   One could then say, “Well then, how can you say that what is recorded in the Bible is any different? Where is the proof?” Obviously, there is no proof. However, there is sufficient evidence within Scripture to establish that what is recorded there is reliable. Anyone who truly determines to find out if Scripture is telling the truth will find out that it is. The finest minds of the last two thousand years have studied this book and found it reliable. And more, those who have vehemently tried to oppose it in order to have it proven false have failed to do so.   There will naturally be an element of faith required in accepting the message of the Bible and the reliability of accounts like the one recorded in Acts 10, but this is not a blind step of faith into the unknown. Rather, it is a step of faith into God's revealed light that has been carefully recorded and upheld throughout the millennia.   On the other hand, those gatherings mentioned above that do not match with Scripture cannot be reliably trusted, no matter how many people are involved. Mass psychosis occurs among people all the time. It happens among secular populations, among adherents to various religions and cults around the world, and it happens within uninformed or purposefully manipulated bodies of those gathered under the umbrella of Christianity.   There must be a standard by which those things are based, and that standard must be the basis of the faith. As Jesus is the basis of the faith, and as the word of God is the instrument by which God explains Jesus, then such events must be based upon an accurate analysis of the word of God in order to be true.   A simple example of this is the speaking of tongues. Scripture defines what tongues are, meaning a known language. Scripture says –   “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.” 1 Corinthians 14:27, 28   If a gathering does not match these parameters where tongues are spoken, then it is not led by the Spirit. That is perfectly simple to determine. Determining whether something is of God or not is to be conducted in this manner.   The modern Pentecostal movement, which was spawned by the Azusa Street revival, was filled with speaking in tongues by the entire audience. As this does not conform to what Paul said as he was led by the Spirit to write Scripture, and as Pentecostal gatherings to this day continue to not match what Scripture says, then it is obvious that this is a false movement based on something other than the Spirit of God.   Be wise, be discerning, and learn your Bible – in context.   Glorious God Almighty, thank You for Your word. By knowing it and applying it to our lives, we can be kept from false teachers and false gatherings of people who claim special powers and gifts. We have a record of how the church was established and of the miracles that took place when it was. What more do we need? We can now live by faith in what You have done. Thank You that Your word is sufficient for our lives, doctrine, and the practice of our faith. Amen.

Elizabeth Vaughhan Ministries P.O. Box 454, Argyle, Texas 78226

Growing In God Podcast GIG #105 The Acts 2 Revival I have a deep burden for the Body of Christ because we need to see the world touched right now. The world is in need. But the Church today is so divided and so devoid of the power that was released by the resurrection of Christ that we seem to have no ability to change anything. We must cry out to God for an Acts 2 revival that sees the Church truly manifested as the fullness of Him who fills all in all and change this earth by the power of His resurrection in us. Show Notes: Read the second chapter of Acts and study the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that created the Church on the Day of Pentecost. Then ask yourself, is the Church today the same Church? Does the Church today have the same signs and wonders? Is the Church today speaking the Word of God with boldness and seeing thousands at a time being saved? If we believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then we must acknowledge that what we have of God, of Yeshua (Jesus), and of the Holy Spirit in our personal lives and in the Church falls very short of what the Scriptures promise us.   We have to look at revivals of the past such as the Azusa Street revival to see the Church operating with any power like the Church of Acts 2. Yet Ephesians tells us that the power of Christ's resurrection is focused on us as believers and that the Body of Christ is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. The same power we see in Acts 2 and in the great revivals of the past is available to us today. So why are we satisfied with the limited measure we are walking in?   The disciples had been satisfied walking with Yeshua, but after His resurrection and ascension they were thrown into a crisis. They were thrown into seeking God together, overcoming the things that divided them, waiting on the Lord to be endued with power. And Acts 2 records the great revival that occurred. Are we not aware that the Church is in crisis today? The Body of Christ should be praying like never before, overcoming our divisions about the Scriptures by letting the Holy Spirit give us understanding and waiting on the Lord to be endued with power so that the world has the revival it needs. People need the signs and wonders. They need the voice of the Spirit of Truth. They need the power of Christ's resurrection. Let us seek the Lord with all our hearts.   Key Verses:   Ephesians 1:18-23. “… what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 4:11-13. “He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” Acts 1:13-15. “They went up to the upper room … a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons.” 2 Peter 1:3. “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” Luke 24:36-38. “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” John 14:25-26. “The Holy Spirit … will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 17:22. “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.” John 3:34. “He gives the Spirit without measure.” John 1:32-33. “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining …” Acts 2:14. “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven …” Isaiah 28:17. “Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies.” Luke 6:12. “He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” John 14:10-11. “Otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” Acts 1:3. “He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs.” Acts 4:31. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 2:41. “That day there were added about three thousand souls.” Matthew 7:7. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Hebrews 10:23. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”   Quotes:   “It's going to take an outpouring of the Spirit of God into the world, into the Body of Christ, to fix what is terribly, terribly broken.” “We as the Body of Christ right now need to learn to pray like we've never prayed before. We need a prayer life. We need an individual prayer life. We need a corporate prayer life that is going to be freighted with the power to change the world that we live in.” “Let there be something in our hearts that begins to contend for another outpouring of the Spirit, as we see in the book of Acts, that is the nexus of what we are as the Church, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”   Takeaways:   We need to get out of this idea that it is fine for the Church to be powerless, that it is fine for us not to move as the prophets of God, as the apostles in the New Testament. We need to go back to the biblical outpost, back to the Acts 2 revival, back to the revivals of the past, and realize that it is for us as believers today. Until they received the Holy Spirit, the disciples did not really understand what Yeshua was teaching them. They were also divided. Today we have the Scriptures, but all the different understandings of the Scriptures have only led to division. We need an outpouring of the Spirit to give us the understanding and the oneness we are to have as His Body. By the Holy Spirit, the apostles stood up as a united force to speak the Word of God and that is what touched the hearts of people. We can no longer afford to be the divided powerless Church. The lie is overtaking everything, and the world needs to hear the Spirit of Truth from us. The world needs to witness the miraculous movings of God and believe in Him.  

In this second episode, Dr. David Brown continues telling the amazing story of Lucy Farrow, Mother of Pentecostalism. There may have never been a William Seymour, or the Azusa Street revival without Lucy Farrow. A black woman, Lucy Farrow was accepted by multi-ethnic religious groups during a time when the United States was deeply segregated across racial lines.  She was a powerful woman of God who used her influence to unite people who were still torn apart by the emotions left over from the Civil War, and Jim Crow.

In this episode, Dr. Corral uses the supernatural secrets of revival at Azusa Street and compares them to the miraculous manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.  This teaching will re-awaken the personal promises and prophecies God spoke over your life. Like Jacob in his Bethel experience. You will be challenged to return to your Bethel.

In this episode, we dive into the well-known event of the Azusa Street Revival.  We chat about how this historical event may have been slightly misrepresented to us in times past and how the preacher would sit around with an actual box on his head. Who does that? This is episode three of a six part series. 

Pastor Zack Strong Are You Ready?   Text: Ecclesiastes 3.1, 1 Chronicles 12.32, 1 Thessalonians 5.1-2-4 The more we talk about what Jesus is doing, the greater the manifestation. We should have a knowing of the times and seasons; we should not be caught off guard. Moves of God Through History -1926 through baseball player Billy Sunday in Cape Girardeau; built an auditorium on the corner of Bellevue and Middle Street that would hold 5,000 people; 250,000 people costed within 5 weeks; that wood is now part of Houck Stadium Field House: also went to Paducah where 100,00 people came to Jesus. -1906 Azusa Street, the Second Blessing; marked by interracial crowds from around the world; daily meetings for three years; spurred the Assembly of God and Apostolic movements -Great Healing movement; Oral Robert's, A.A. Allen, Jack Cole; ambulances would bring people for healing off of their stretchers -Latter Rain movement; gifts of the spirit, women in ministry, Joel 2.28 prophecies -Billy Graham, college movements -TV evangelism -The Jesus Movement/Charismatic Movement; turning from drugs and radical politics, taking the Bible at face value -Introduction of scripture songs and moving away from hymns; dancing -Full Gospel Businessmen -Discipleship/Shepherding Movement; family life, church growth, mega churches -Faith and Prosperity Movements; send and harvest time, positive living, speak the word -Prophecy Movements; prophetic ministry and worship, personal prophecy -Pensacola revivals; 4 million people over 5 years -Promise Keeper; 5 million men over 100 conferences -Kingdom Theology Movement; kingdom dominions instead of escaping from here 10 Marks of Great Revivals -timing during spiritual and moral decay -great times of prayer -word preached without compromise -great emphasis on the leading of the Holy Spirit -great conviction -glory to God only -reformation and renewal -manifestations of the power of God -brings controversy -has a cycle We are in a movement that is a culmination of all the movements God has already released into the earth for us to use. What happens here won't look like anywhere else. This is a no-name movement; there is an emphasis on the body of God.

Baptist Pastors Who Helped Azusa: With Dr. Doug WeaverWhen I think of the Azusa Street revival I often think of the persecution/ridicule that the classical Pentecostals endured under the mainline denominations. However, there are some unsung heroes of the Azusa Street revival, And you guessed it, they were baptist pastors. In fact, it was the baptist trained pastors who were instrumental in purging the modalist out of the pentecostal movement. Had it not been for these great men,  pentecostal and charismatic history might have unfolded in a more heretical way. In this episode of The Remnant Radio we interview Dr. Doug Weaver. Doug is coming back on the show to discuss the Baptist pastors who helped guide the theological aftermath of the Azusa street revival.  Donate (Paypal)https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GC2Z86XHHG4X6___________________________________________________________________________________Exclusive Content (Patreon)https://www.patreon.com/TheRemnantRadio__________________________________________________________________________________We're social! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRemnantRadioInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theremnantradio/___________________________________________________________________________________Our Favorite Bookshttps://www.amazon.com/shop/theremnantradio___________________________________________________________________________________Michael Rowntree's Church Bridgewayhttps://www.bridgewaychurch.com/___________________________________________________________________________________Michael Miller's Church Reclamation Churchhttps://reclamationdenver.com/___________________________________________________________________________________Kairos Classroom: Use Promo Code Remnant for 10% offhttps://kairosclassroom.com/classes__________________________________________________________________________________The Gospel Of Mark Group Packets https://the-remnant-radio.creator-spring.com/listing/the-gospel-of-mark-workbooks__________________________________________________________________________________Download Free Ebookhttp://eepurl.com/hSCQRvKairos Classroom: Use Promo Code "Remnant" for 10% offhttps://kairosclassroom.com/classes Kairos Classroom: Use Promo Code Remnant for 10% offhttps://kairosclassroom.com/classesSupport the show

Over the past year, the Parrishes have been crying out to God for more of Him. They have realized that the Body of Christ simply can't survive on dead religion.David and Kelsey met at Highlands School, where they were both high school teachers. David wasn't a christian at the time, but after Kelsey told him she didn't date non-believers, he decided to take a closer look into what being a “Christian” meant. With the help of some great mentors, the Holy Bible, and the encouragement of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, David leapt into faith. The Parrishes were married shortly after David's salvation in 2017. Early marriage and hardships put a toll on their relationship with Christ, as many families can relate to. They were going through the motions, doing all the right “things” that they knew they “should”, and ultimately were falling short of any real intimacy with their Creator. Compromise in the faith and worldly living were common in their household, as is typical of many in the American church. Where did the church in Acts go? Why does the church look and act so differently today- often times turning people away in hypocrisy?They found themselves crying out to God… “There has to be more!” The journey toward intimacy with Jesus led the Parrishes to begin to trust Him for everything, including the miraculous healing of their son, Pax Gideon Parrish. It didn't stop with Pax, however, as God begin to heal their entire family from the inside out. Watch and be encouraged as you go deeper into your relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Find full blog post and resource links here:https://us14.campaign-archive.com/?u=81427a6eb9f5c1094baa8b1c3&id=d93ea2e5d5Resources:Grace Life International Christian Counseling CenterLocated in Asheville and Charlotte, NC as well as Online: https://www.gracelifeinternational.com/GRIPPED Podcast by Corey Russell and Billy HumphreyAvailable on Apple Podcasts and SpotifySubscribe on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrippedPodcastChrist Fellowship Church - Dawsonville, Georgia and the North Georgia RevivalBaptismal and revival services every Sunday night starting at 5pmYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristFellowshipChurchBooks Recommended By the Parrishes:Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (Great for those seeking Christianity or new to faith)Come Alive Dry Bones by Todd SmithThe Altar: Preparing for the Return of Christ by Jeremiah JohnsonFountains in the Midst by Cynthia Shomaker  (Local Author!)Azusa Street by Frank BartlemanHoly Spirit: Are We Flammable or Fireproof? by Reinhard BonnkeSlaying Dragons: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Warfare by Daniel Kolenda—----Connect with our ministry:https://linktr.ee/buildthesparkWe are available anywhere you get your podcasts. Support us and follow along by joining our mailing list and following our Instagram. Click the link above. ____For questions, to share a testimony, or to speak to someone about becoming a believer in Christ, please contact us via our email.contact@buildthesparkministry.comFor immediate, 24 hour phone calls for prayer and salvation, call the Billy Graham Prayer Line at 888-388-2683.

The Azusa Street outpouring was one of America's most powerful revivals in the 20th century but could God be about to do it again? Discover the signs you need to be watching for in these last days. Connect with Alan DiDio at EncounterToday.com. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Armed for Victory: Prayer Strategies That Unlock the End-Time Armory of God Watch Shaun's new TV show Engaging the Supernatural: DestinyImage.TV PTL TV Network The Shaun Tabatt Show is part of the Destiny Image Podcast Network.

Prayer is the most vital part of our relationship with God. We must get it right! • Music from Pixabay.com •Audio from NAYC 2019, St. Louis, MO. Rev. Jack Cunningham- “Gen Z/ Apostolic to the core” (Taken from YouTube channel: Azusa Street 1906)

The two largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States—the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ—have had little interaction throughout their histories, yet both emerged in part from the interracial Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles (1906-1909). Despite this common origin, the two churches developed along largely separate trajectories. They have similar beliefs and have both witnessed strong growth since their inceptions, but their interaction has been limited until recent decades, separated apparently by race. Assemblies of God members in the United States, until recently, had been overwhelmingly white, while the Church of God in Christ is mostly African-American. This week, the widow of the late Church of God in Christ Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. and the Assemblies of God joined hands in an effort to bridge the denominational and racial divides. The Assemblies of God hosted the Bishop J.O. Patterson Sr. Symposium on Sept. 17-18 in Springfield, Mo. During the two-day event, the bishop's life and ministry were heralded and his widow, "Mother" Mary Patterson, was honored for donating her husband's personal papers to the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC), which is located in the Assemblies of God national offices. Bishop J.O. Patterson Sr., who was the presiding bishop (similar to the AG general superintendent) for the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) from 1968-1989, was one of the most influential men in COGIC history. His papers are considered a treasure by the FPHC director Darrin Rodgers. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kingjivesshow/support

This week, we steer away from the history of Azusa Street and take a look at the psychology behind the movement and how this sort of thing is actually typical in many areas of life. The Bandwagon Effect has strong influences over everything from religion to pop culture and even smart, free-thinking people are affected by it all the time. Learning its causes, its effects, and get some valuable advice about how not to get taken in by "every wind of doctrine" is the focus of this episode, along with three more tales of evangelical insanity in our Christians Behaving Badly segment. Like what you hear? Please consider becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/unboundpodcastnetwork

Take a walk with Spider and Shelle through the story of the birth of the modern pentecostal movement. Not needing proof of something being real has been a running thread through all religions, but in this instance, even we have to be amazed at how WIlliam Seymour managed to convince so many people that this thing called holy spirit baptism was real even before he "received" it himself. Offer some people just a little bit of power and they'll follow you anywhere. This plus an awesomely alliterative edition of Christians Behaving Badly, fortified with problematic Patheos policies, plants in paradise, and papal bull about  pets. Like what you hear? Please consider becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/unboundpodcastnetwork

BONUS EPISODE!Dr. Erica M. Ramirez is Auburn's Director of Applied Research. Before joining Auburn, she was the Richard B. Parker Assistant Professor of Wesleyan Thought and Heritage at Portland Seminary in Portland, Oregon. A rising star in the field of U.S. Latinx religion, and a scholar of Pentecostalism, she brings to the Auburn team a vital sociological imagination and a deep commitment to research and writing that troubles the waters and heals the world. Ramirez holds the Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion, having studied at Drew University under the late Otto Maduro, a leading sociologist of his generation. Her dissertation revisited the Azusa Street mission revival through the frame of the maternal divine, working with themes of revolution, disruption, and the carnivalesque. She holds the M.A. in the History of Christianity from Wheaton College and the B.A. in Counseling and Psychology from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. With broad interests in religion, contemporary politics, and culture, Ramirez is particularly interested in “how radical religious traditions present as a challenge to and resource against social oppression.” She is a fifth-generation Texan, with deep roots in San Antonio. Ramirez enjoys music, hiking, and all things pop culture. With her husband Chris, she has three children: Judah, Julia, and Camilla.Music by: @siryalibeatsVector Portrait by: Rafli

Join Pastor Gene Bailey as he revisits the Azusa Street Revival and shares the eyewitness accounts by two member who were present at the time of the interview they were in there seventies however at the time they were at the meeting they were just children. 02-19 This was a historic event that took place in Los Angeles, California in the United States. The prayer meeting was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher. The revival began on April 9, 1906 and continued for about 9 years until 1915. On the night of April 9, 1906, Seymour and seven men were waiting on God on Bonnie Brae Street, "when suddenly, as though hit by a bolt of lightning, they were knocked from their chairs to the floor," and the other seven men began to speak in tongues and shout out loud praising God. The news quickly spread; the city was stirred; crowds gathered; and a few days later Seymour himself received the Holy Spirit; services were moved outside to accommodate the crowds who came from all around; people fell down under the power of God as they approached; people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and the sick were healed and sinners received salvation. To further accommodate the crowds, an old dilapidated, two-story frame building at which was located at 312 Azusa Street in the industrial section of the city was secured. This building, originally built for an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, had more recently been used as a livery stable, storage building and tenement house. In this humble Azusa Street mission, a continuous three-year revival occurred and became known around the world. Stanley H. Frodsham, in his book, With Signs Following, quotes an eye-witness description of the scene: The revival was characterized by spiritual experiences accompanied with testimonies of physical healing miracles,[3] worship services, and speaking in tongues. The participants were criticized by some secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.

NYE @ Azusa Street w/ SEAN FEUCHT - Los Angeles

In this episode, Andy Davis finishes his survey of the two thousand years of church history by taking a look at the ongoing missionary effort through the 20th and 21st Centuries. Some of the specifics Andy covers are Hudson Taylor, William Cameron Townsend, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Donald McGavran, Billy Graham, Azusa Street, China, India, and Africa. The post Journeys from the Past, Ep.10: Reaching the Whole World appeared first on Two Journeys.

In this episode, Andy Davis finishes his survey of the two thousand years of church history by taking a look at the ongoing missionary effort through the 20th and 21st Centuries. Some of the specifics Andy covers are Hudson Taylor, William Cameron Townsend, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Donald McGavran, Billy Graham, Azusa Street, China, India, and Africa. Andy Davis referenced the following source in the production of this podcast: Bruce Shelley, Church History in Plain Language: Fourth Edition.

In this episode, Andy Davis finishes his survey of the two thousand years of church history by taking a look at the ongoing missionary effort through the 20th and 21st Centuries. Some of the specifics Andy covers are Hudson Taylor, William Cameron Townsend, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Donald McGavran, Billy Graham, Azusa Street, China, India, and Africa. The post Journeys from the Past, Ep.10: Reaching the Whole World appeared first on Two Journeys.

In this episode, Andy Davis finishes his survey of the two thousand years of church history by taking a look at the ongoing missionary effort through the 20th and 21st Centuries. Some of the specifics Andy covers are Hudson Taylor, William Cameron Townsend, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Donald McGavran, Billy Graham, Azusa Street, China, India, and Africa. The post Journeys from the Past, Ep.10: Reaching the Whole World appeared first on Two Journeys.

Join in this week as we discuss revival, what revival means and what it looks like! It can be as simple as telling someone about Jesus, and that can spark another Jesus Movement or Azusa Street

Zach and Graham start a new series on revival. They highlight the global impact of the Welsh revival and its influence on the Azusa Street revival. Zach breaks down what revival is and why we shouldn't let the term lose meaning. We are inspired by stories and people from both these great revivals and the generations of intercession they stand on.

The History of the Charismatic Movement Well, the night that Jesus was born, there was an angelic messenger to the shepherds, and they came, the heavens were opened and they saw a heavenly host, and they celebrated peace on earth, good will to men. And now as we look in our current age, we look in our generation, we know this has not come true yet, but we believe that when Christ is done with his redeeming work, we will be in a new heaven and a new earth. And we will be with brothers and sisters that have been redeemed from every tribe, language, people, and nation, very different backgrounds, different socio-economic backgrounds, different ethnic backgrounds, different linguistic backgrounds. But we are going to be in heaven perfectly one as the Father and Son are one. Isn't that incredible? What that means is we're not going to disagree about any theological topic. Not one. Now, some of you may be wondering why I'm introducing the sermon today, and others, you know exactly why I'm saying these words. That time has not come yet. We're not there yet. But we should yearn for it. We should yearn to totally agree with one another, and be as one with one another as the Father and the Son are one. That should be a goal that we have, that we would be brought, as the scripture says, to perfect unity. And the only way I know that that could ever happen is by the ministry of the Word and by the power of the Spirit. So this morning, we're going to begin to look at the issue of sign gifts, the charismatic issue, Pentecostal issue. We're going to try as best we can to understand these issues biblically. I guarantee that when I get done, you'll still have questions. I still have questions, but I think the best thing we can do as we make our way through 1 Corinthians is to address this head-on and try to understand it. And for, me this morning, it begins with a history lesson. In 1900, a woman named Agnes Ozman enrolled in a newly-established Bible College in Topeka, Kansas, the Bethel Bible college, and during that fall, the instructor, a Bible... A Methodist holiness pastor named Charles Fox Parham directed the students to catalog from the Book of Acts every mention of the Holy Spirit and his activities. And as they did this cataloguing, consensus emerged on two points. Outward manifestations always accompany the Spirit's activity, first. Secondly, speaking in tongues is the outward sign, the proof, of what they call the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Well, Professor Param then announced a watch night service for the transition from 1900-1901, and on January 1st, the early hours of January 1st, Param placed his hands at Agnes Ozman at her request, praying that she would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Witnesses then reported that for the next three days, Agnes spoke and wrote only in Chinese, just as in Acts 2, at the feast of Pentecost, the miraculous tongue reported in Topeka was a known existing human language, foreign to the speaker. Now, I told Daphne about this this morning, we're driving in, she said, "How do we know that she spoke Chinese? Were there any real Chinese speakers there?" I know that that kind of thing could never happen here in our church if it weren't true. We would immediately have some native speakers of Chinese that could find out if it's true, but I just don't know. I wasn't there. And you see, what this charismatic issue brings you into is start to question reports you hear from the field. This is intrinsic to the investigation. But at any rate, that's the testimony, and she never spoke Chinese again after those three days. A second pivotal event in this whole history occurred when African-American holiness turned Pentecostal, Pastor William J. Seymour established his ministry at Azusa Street in Los Angeles to preach. Seymour witnessed the outbreak of a revival on April 9th, 1906 that not cease for three years. And this included miraculous gifts that just erupted, especially speaking in tongues, and it began pumping out Pentecostal Evangelist missionaries and ministers, not just in the United States, but worldwide. So the defining theological distinctive of Pentecostalism was distilled at Topeka in 1900, the baptism of the Spirit manifested by speaking in tongues, and then the launching pad of what would become a worldwide movement, Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement, happened from Azusa Street. Now, the spread of Pentecostal Christians and charismatic Christians worldwide has been staggering, and in the 20th century, it's coming three waves on into the 21st century. First wave there at Azusa Street, second phase in the '60s and '70s, a charismatic renewal then, and the third wave in the mid-'80s, continuing through to today. Now, in 1985, Fuller Seminary Professor C. Peter Wagner, who is a church growth expert, showed that Pentecostal and charismatic churches up to that point, 1985, were experiencing a growth that had been unprecedented in the history of the church. This is what Wagner wrote: "While back in 1945, Pentecostals and charismatics who count only 16 million members worldwide, by 1975, they had grown to 96 million, and only 10 years later, 1985, they numbered an astounding 247 million worldwide." Wagner says, "I'm not aware of any non-political, non-militaristic, voluntary association which has grown at that rate in all of human history." In 1985, 247 million represented 5% of the world's population. By 2011, the Pew forum did a research on the Pentecostal and charismatic movement worldwide, they estimated that there were at that point, 2011, 279 million Pentecostal Christians and 305 million charismatic Christians in the world, a total of almost 600 million people. That represents 8% of the world population in 2011, and 27% of all those that self-designate as Christian. This is a very significant movement worldwide. However, the explosive spread of Pentecostals and charismatics has not been without controversy or opposition and serious questions within the Christian world. Many have spoken strongly against this movement as deficient theologically or practically. In 2007, for example, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention ruled that anyone who prayed in a private prayer language could not be appointed as a missionary of the SBC. That was extremely controversial, and that policy was removed in 2015, but it shows how divisive the charismatic issue has been. Now, let me say just because a movement is massive and numeric worldwide doesn't make it right. Honestly, a number of the churches, many of the churches and the Christians that are charismatic in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, are also infected with the prosperity gospel which is a false teaching. And that's spreading, it seems, almost as fast in some of those regions. So, we still have to evaluate it. Just because there's massive numbers doesn't make it right. But it's still something we need to address. So, as we walk through our study in 1 Corinthians 12, and we look at the topic of spiritual gifts, we come to very turbulent waters. But we must sail straight ahead, because you would notice if I skipped it, I'm sure. And so we're going to forge ahead and hope that the boat doesn't capsize, I trust that it won't, but we need to move ahead and do the best that we can to understand the scriptures as they're written, and our current context. And 1 Corinthians has already brought us through many controversial issues. The divisiveness within the Corinthian church, we see that today, there's still division in the church, it's sad. It will not happen in heaven, but it's still there today, and so this relates to even the things I've been talking about today. But we also have discussed the carnal Christian doctrine, we've talked about church discipline, sexual immorality, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, meat sacrifice to idols, controversies concerning women, the role of women, gender, head coverings, the Lord's supper, and now we come to charismatic gifts. And so, for me, it seems wise for any young pastor to wait on preaching expository sermons to 1 Corinthians until he's been at his church for a while. Just some advice to any of you that are listening by way of podcast or radio. It's good to be at a church for 20-plus years and for the church to be as wonderful as you folks are to be able to sail through turbulent waters. Have Some of the Gifts Ceased? Charismatics, Cessationists, and Others So we need to look at this. And so, the question that's in front of us simply is, Have some of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 ceased, or are they all still operating today? That's the simple question that's in front of us. So, Wayne Grudem puts it that way: "Are all the gifts mentioned in the New Testament valid for use in the church today?" So look again at 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10. It says, "To one, there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom; to another, the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit; to another, faith, by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing, by that one Spirit; to another, miraculous powers; to another, prophecy; to another, distinguishing between spirits; to another, speaking in different kinds of tongues; and to still another, the interpretation of tongues." So that's just right there in the text, as you read it. And then if you go to the end of the chapter, verse 28, it says, "And in the church, God has appointed, first of all, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then workers of miracles also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gift of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues." So any careful reader of that who's in probably a normal evangelical church would be led to ask this question: Are all these skill is still operating today? To many Christians, it seems that some of these gifts have ceased, specifically miracles, the gift of miracles, not miracles themselves, but the spiritual gift of working miracles; the spiritual gift of healing, not miraculous healings per se, but individuals that are able to heal people; speaking in tongues, that is foreign languages; the interpretation of tongues, being able to listen and to speak and translate that tongue, never having studied, each side of that equation, never having studied the language; and then prophecy. These are what are sometimes called the miraculous gifts or sign gifts, and they are a source of a great deal of controversy in the Christian world. Now, most Christians numerically, just simply, most Christians, have never experienced these sign gifts. They have gone through their whole Christian lives, they never experienced them, and that's actually true, for the most part, in Western church history as far as we know. It's not unheard of, and charismatic scholars are able to circle and find some moments along in the history. But for the most part, most Christians make it through their lives not experiencing these sign gifts. And so Evangelicals who read the Bible end up being divided. Inerrantists who believe all scriptures' God-breathed and want to deal properly with every scripture, they end up divided on this. Some evangelicals believe that all of the gifts listed here are still operating today, and they would be called charismatics or perhaps continuationists. We have to handle multi-syllable words today, okay? So continuationists are those that believe that gifts continue like they did back in those days in the 1st century. So maybe continuationists could be a subset of charismatics, or it may be the same, depends how you look at it. Some evangelicals would say, "Absolutely not. The gift have ceased," and so they're called cessationists. They believe that these sign gifts were only for the apostolic era, and they have absolutely ceased. Then there is a bunch of middle people, which probably includes a lot of you who, are in the middle and have never really studied this very much. You're aware of it, you've been a Christian long enough, you're aware of charismatic Christians, maybe even been to some of those churches or had some of those experiences. You would not consider yourself either one, and within that large kind of middle group of Evangelicals, you would have people that would characterize themselves, if they think about it, as open but cautious. So you're not ready to shut the whole thing down, but there are so many excesses, you don't necessarily want to just get swept along. Open but cautious. Then there would be in that middle group, others that would call themselves open but skeptical. So, there's your whole spectrum, dear friends: From charismatics/continuationists through open but cautious people, through open but skeptical people, all the way to cessationists. Now, let me just say, by way of my own personal journey and where I've been on this topic, two of my greatest, most impactful mentors in ministry disagree on this issue. What do you do then? Alright? John McArthur has been in the pulpit for 50 years. I learned sequential exposition, which is my basic pulpit strategy, from him. I think it's remarkable that anyone could be doing what he's done from the pulpit as long as he's done it, for 50 years. He is an ardent cessationist. As a matter of fact, in 2013, he wrote a book, and there was a conference connected with it, called Strange Fire, in which he likens the charismatic worship and charismatic gifts to the alien fire, the strange fire, offered by Nadab and Abihu. He focuses overwhelmingly on excesses and bizarre aspects of the charismatic movement and shows how harmful they are. In his book, Strange Fire, he does have, Chapter 12, a letter to continuationist friends that he has, who he respects their theology, but he tries to show that charismatic, it's hard to dabble in it, that the excesses are intrinsic to the movement. So that's an ardent, strong cessationist position. On the other side of the equation in terms of my mentors is John Piper, who wrote a book called Desiring God and who... I think it's the single most influential book in my life in terms of Christian motivation: Why it is we do what we do. And he is a tremendous Bible teacher. And let me just pause and say, if you know anything about John McArthur and John Piper, any issue on which they disagree, you're in trouble. That's hard. And so, you're a... What's a pastor like me to do? But John Piper believes... He's a continuationist and believes all the gifts are still operating, and along with him are many other names that are involved in Gospel Coalition and all that, whose views on scripture I respect, like Don Carson, D. A. Carson, and Wayne Grudem. So, there it is. So you're saying, "What are you, pastor?" Well, listen to the sermon, and then you'll know more of the level of confusion that I have on this topic. So, someone once said, "A mist in the pulpit is a fog in the pew," so, this is like a fog machine today. I don't know. I'm not trying for that. I would like a stronger, more clear word, but I'm going to do my best. I'll say that fundamentally, though, this is always my procedure. Romans 4:3. Romans 4:3. What does the scripture say? We have to start there. And here, I'm going to say it very plainly: I do not find cessationism in the scripture. If I'm going to find it, I have to find it other places. In other words, I'm not convinced by John McCarthy's arguments. But that doesn't make me a continuationist or a charismatic. It just means you have to do better than that, for me, biblically. And I'll show you why. Does Scripture Tell Us When the Miraculous Gifts Cease? The central text that cessationists point to is 1 Corinthians 13. So turn there, if you would, it's probably in the same page or further down, or maybe you have to turn one page, but not two, don't turn two pages. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. "Love never fails, but where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now, we see but a poor reflection, as in a mirror, then we shall see face-to-face. Now, I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Now, these three remain: Faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." Well, cessationists point to this passage as proof that the sign gifts cease. They say, "When the perfect comes, the imperfect passes away," and that refers to the New Testament canon. Now, this is a very strong and important issue for us. We have to be solid on this biblically and doctrinally. Tim Challies, who was writing about this, he said, "Here's the trouble: If the continuationists are right, then cessationists are calling good evil, and saying what God is doing is from Satan. And on the other hand, if the cessationists are right, then the continuists are calling evil good, and saying what is from Satan is from God." Well, those are extreme ways of looking at it, therefore, we have to be certain that we have scripture under our feet. And as I look at 1 Corinthians 13, I think it actually goes the other way from the cessationist position. I'll try to show you why. The cessationists are saying that the gifts ceased when the New Testament was completed, and that's what Paul means by "when the perfect comes." And so the Word of God is perfect, it's an inerrant, perfect record of prophecy, of apostolic ministry, and so that's the perfect, and when that comes, then the gifts cease. Tom Schreiner says, "This is the only, even close to clear, cessationist passage in the New Testament." So this is it. All the rest of this cessationist arguments are made more thematically, looking at when miracles come or what prophecy is, those kinds of themes. And parenthetically, I'm going to address prophecy next week. There's just too much work to do in one sermon, so, I'm just going to defer prophecy as a topic to next week. Please hear me clearly. I didn't say I'm prophesying next week; I said I'm going to address the topic of prophesying next week. Alright, so let's approach 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 properly. What is the context? What is the point of the passage? Well, it's set right in the middle of three chapters on spiritual gifts, so it's part of the spiritual gift topic. Just like meat sacrifice to idols, Paul doesn't hurry through it; he takes his time and gives three chapters on each. And so, as he unfolds the way spiritual gifts function in the body, 1 Corinthians 12, and then in chapter 14, he continues the spiritual gifts on special problems connected with tongues and prophecy, in the middle, we've got the love chapter. And I know that we hear it so often at weddings and all that, but it really is a very strong statement on the function of love in the body of Christ. But it's nestled in the language of spiritual gift. "If I speak with the tongues of men and of idols, but I have not love... If I have to give of prophecy, and if I can fathom all mysteries, and if I have a faith that can move mountains," those are all spiritual gifts. And so, 1 Corinthians 13 in this home setting is talking about spiritual gifts. And what's the point? What Is the Point of 1 Corinthians 13? Well, he's trying to adjust what's defective in the Corinthians' attitude and demeanor and approach as they use their spiritual gifts. What he's saying is love is much more important than the spiritual gifts, and turned it around, the spiritual gifts serve love, they're here to work love in the body of Christ, and they're here to work unity and the building up of the body of Christ to full maturity. And so if there's no love, then the gifts have no purpose, they're actually damaging the work. That's what he's saying. And one of the clinching arguments that he makes is that the gifts are temporary, but love is eternal. The gifts are temporary, but love is eternal. So it clearly says that the spiritual gifts will cease. The question is when. So, look at verses 8 through 10, "where there are prophecies, they will cease," couldn't be clearer. That's a cessationist statement. "Where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial," is a better translation, not imperfect but the partial, that which is of the part, "disappears," or passes away. So the spiritual gifts are for building up the body. Now, there's two different kind of images of the church of Christ, one of them is architectural, and the other is biological. A building, a body, both of them are helpful images. In Ephesians 2, we have the image of the structure, the architecture of the church rising. So, keep that more architectural image in your mind. So imagine a mansion being built out in that kind of a remote location. I picture it out in Wyoming, overlooking the Grand Teton. So fix that in your mind. And a river going through it, and the mountains snow-capped in the distance, and there it is. What a beautiful sight. But it's somewhat off the grid, or it's a little bit far from the grid, and so, in order for the workers to work there, they have to have gas-powered generators to run their power tools and their pneumatic devices, and to have lights in darker places in the building as it rises. And they need Porta-Potties. You know why, I don't need to say any more, alright? They might... The construction crew might need a food truck to come by. You see all these at construction sites. Look, the gas-powered generators and the Porta-Potties and the food trucks at construction sites are all temporary. You could add scaffolding, but I like the gas-powered generator as a picture of spiritual gifts. So they're temporary necessities, God uses them to build the body, but at some point, they are going to be done. They're going to finish. Paul, especially as he makes the argument that the gifts will cease, zeros in a knowledge, talks about knowing, knowing in part. Why does he do this? Well, it has to do with the essential aspect of salvation, being knowing God. Jesus said in John 17:3: "Now, this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou was sent." And so the idea here is that salvation at its core is a deep, rich, full, complete knowledge of God. And so that's why I think Paul zeros in on knowledge, in verse 9 and 10, "We know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, then the partial disappears." So, what he says, then, is our knowledge of God and of Christ is only partial and incomplete here in this life. That's what he's saying. Much is missing, but there will come a day that we will know God fully as He has known us fully and richly and completely. That's what he's saying. And so therefore, he actually makes an incredible statement here, if I could push the language a little bit. He says all of these gifts are like baby talk compared to how we're going to be talking in heaven. It's like baby talk. What do I mean by that? Look at verse 11. "When I was a child, I talk like a child, thought like a child, reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish things behind me." That's an interesting analogy. "Paul, what are you talking about?" He's saying, "What I'm saying is your knowledge of God is like that right now." It's really amazing, when you think about it. It's not disparaging the ministry of the Word, not at all, but this is what we have. This is what we've got now. You got exegesis and preaching and teaching and nouns and verbs and syntax and theology and all that. Someday, your knowledge of God is going to be infinitely greater than that, immeasurably greater than that. So this baby talk includes all of the gifts, but I think especially the word-based gifts, like I just said, speaking in tongues, prophesying. That's the only two he mentions here at the end of 1 Corinthians 13, but also, I would say teaching, preaching, all of those aspects, all of that contribute to our in-part knowledge. But then when the perfect comes, the imperfect goes away. Now, what is this perfect knowledge? What are we talking about? Verse 12: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face-to-face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." So, until the perfect comes, we need the gifts. Well, what is that perfect that's coming? Well, hear are your two options on today's topic: It's when the New Testament comes, or when Jesus comes. Those are basically your two options. When the New Testament's completed, then the imperfect knowledge passes away, and then we will be perfect in knowledge. Or when Jesus comes, then the imperfect passes away, and then we will be perfect in knowledge. Those are the two options. And it's clear that Paul links the passing away of the gift, it's not an option, they actually will pass away. And not just will they pass away, that's when they will pass away. You see, it ends up a double-edged sword. We'll talk about this, but this is not a cessationist passage for me; it's saying they will continue until this moment happens. When the perfect comes, then the partial disappears. That's when it passes away. So, Paul is, I think it should be clear to you, talking about the second coming of Christ, and not the completion of the New Testament. Why is that? Because of this face-to-face language. Remember how Moses wanted to see God face-to-face? And God on the mountain told him, "No man can see me and live." Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God." We can't handle that face-to-face, full revelation of the glory of God. No one John has ever seen God at any time. But we're told in 1 John 3 that when he returns, when he comes, we will become like him, we will be made like him for we shall see him as he is. This is what's known as the beatific vision, actually seeing God face-to-face. And at that moment, we will know him as he has known us. Now, don't misunderstand that. We will never know God completely and perfectly. Everything we know about God in heaven will be true and accurate, but there's always going to be more to learn. That's the book I'm writing on heaven, that's what I'm saying. You will be forever learning God. And that's pretty exciting, isn't it? I mean, just think about that, just think about what you're in store for forever. God is going to be pouring his glory unto you. And you'd be like, "God, do you have any more to show?" "I have infinitely more to show you." But what he is saying is that our knowledge of him will take a quantum leap when we see Him face-to-face. And that's at the second coming of Christ. An earlier verse, I think, confirms that this is what Paul is thinking. Don't turn there, but just listen. 1 Corinthians 1:7 says, "Therefore, you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly await for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed." Well, no one wonders what that's talking about; that's the second coming of Christ. In other words, you have the spiritual gifts until then. The Cessationists’ Use of this to Prove Cessationism Fails Therefore, I believe the cessationists used 1 Corinthians 13 to prove that the sign gifts have ended with the completion of the New Testament canon fails. They say that the perfect is the completement of the New Testament canon. I don't deny that the New Testament canon is a perfect revelation of the Word of God. I don't deny that. That's not the point. The point is is that the perfect or the complete knowledge of God that 1 Corinthians 13 is talking about, that's the issue. And I say it's not. The infinite upgrade that we Christians are going to get at the Second Coming when we see face-to-face, that's what Paul is talking about. And you won't need baby talk then. You won't need sermons. I'll be retired, long retired by then. And you won't need me, because like the Scripture says, We will all be taught by God. We will all be taught directly by God. Now, that's exciting, isn't it? In the meantime, we get spiritual gifts. Now, Martyn Lloyd Jones says this about that interpretation, cessationist interpretation: "What this means, then, is that you and I, who have the scriptures open to us, know much more than the Apostle Paul did of God's truth. It means that we are altogether superior even to the apostles themselves, including the Apostle Paul. It means that we are now in a position in which we know fully even as we are known fully by God. Indeed, there is only one word to describe such a view, and it is 'nonsense.'" Well, that's Lloyd Jones, he's just being strong, like he does. But I think that is just not... Let's put it more gently. It's not healthy exegesis on this passage. This is talking about the second coming of Christ, not about the ending of spiritual gifts. So, what this means, then, if you work it through logically, we have to look at the now-then language. Now-then. There's a strong now-then, now-then, now-then. So what that means is now, we have this; then, it ends, and we have that. And so it's actually pretty clear in the text. Now, we have the spiritual gifts; then, when Christ returns, they will cease. And so the logic would be, "And not until then." And not until then. So, it even culminates with that. It's remarkable, the wonderful, good things we have now, but then, everything becomes much better. Now, we have faith, hope, and love. But of those three, only one of them will go through into eternity. Faith, you don't need anymore when you see him with your own eyes. It will be done. Your faith will become sight. And you don't need to hope anymore, as Paul says in Romans 8, "Who hopes for what already has?" And when we have what he comes to give us, we won't need hope anymore. You'll be there. But you'll still have love forever in heaven. So that clinches Paul's arguments that the gifts are temporary, but then, the second coming to Christ, when faith and hope are fulfilled and Christ comes, you'll still have love. So make sure whatever you do with your spiritual gifts, do it in love. Does that make sense? So that's how I think 1 Corinthians 13 should be understood. Now, there are other cessationist arguments, thematic arguments. For example, one argument is that the temporary sign gifts, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation in tongues, had the unique purpose of identifying the apostles in their apostolic authority so that the surrounding people would know, New Testament, they would know who the apostles were and that they should listen to them. There's little doubt that that is true, that that happened, that the miracles vindicated the authority of the speaker. It's clear to prove that in the Book of Acts. But is that the only reason for these miracles? I would say not. I would say some... Let's just keep it simple. Sometimes a miracle just gave a display of God's compassion and mercy and tender love. Jesus frequently did that when, just out of compassion, he would heal someone. He moved with compassion. He said, "I'm willing, be healed." So we can't say that's the only reason for the gifts. Furthermore, and this is a key issue between cessationists and continuationists, is the cessationists tend to make everything all the same kind of thing, like Old Testament prophecy is exactly the same as New Testament, the New Testament gift of prophecy in the churches. Exactly the same, such that in the Old Testament days, if someone is proved to be a false prophet, they must be stoned to death. Conversely, though, if they're a true prophet, you must follow them, as though you're following the actual Word of God. Whereas continuationists say, "Yeah, but there seems to be a lower operating on the gift of prophecy in which prophets are evaluating each other, and if you don't make the evaluation, it doesn't make you a false prophet; it just means that particular utterance was not an excellent utterance," or something like that. So that's how the continuationists argue, we'll talk more about prophecy next week. Prophecy is a very difficult topic. But to say they're all the same, the same thing with the gift of healing, which is plural, gifts of healings, double plural. It's really interesting, we'll talk about that next week too. But to say that it's all at the Jesus level or the apostolic level, I don't know, necessarily always, what the Holy Spirit calls a gift of healing. I believe that miracles happened probably every day in answer to prayer. We've had numbers of people who have had very bad diagnoses from very reputable hospitals, who the people of God gathered and prayed, and within a short amount of time, much to the amazement of their doctors, the people are healed of that malady. It's happened multiple times. And I think it happens a lot. Would I call that a miracle? I would. But does that make it a gift of healing? I wouldn't say so. It seems like that traveled from place to place with the person. However, why couldn't it be that there would be a certain lower level of the gift of healing in which people just pray continually for sick people, and they've seen remarkable healings again and again? Who am I to say that's not the gift of healing intended in 1 Corinthians 12? What I'm saying is we lack knowledge to flatten everything out and say it's all the same. But again, that's another cessationist argument. Another is on fakes. Come on, let's be honest. We've heard of fakes. Ever heard of Benny Hinn? Alright, it's been proven that it's a scam. He actually puts armed guards around his stage, not to protect him from whackos that want to kill him, but to protect him from genuinely sick people who want to be healed. And he's not the only fraudulent worker of these kinds of things. The movement is rife with these kinds of things, like Kenneth Copeland and others. Worldwide; it's not just in the US. However, there is a logical problem with that as well. I think we need to be aware of these excesses and see how it works and think about it, et cetera, but it'd be like saying because there's false teaching, we should throw out the gift of teaching. It's maybe the quintessential example of throwing out a baby with the bath water. Just because there are excesses and bizarre things doesn't mean that the whole thing is not valid. You can't argue on that sense. What you have to do is separate the one from the other. Just an aside, theologically, a lot of those that are ardently against, that are cessationists, ardently against, are dispensational in their theology, and almost all of them believe in the ministry of the two witnesses. And the two witnesses, they all believe, and I do, too, that they will come during the rain of the anti-Christ at the end of the world. It's clearly stated in Revelation 11:3 that they prophesy and do miracles. But they would say they're a special case. If the Gifts Still Continue, Why Don’t We See Them Here? Alright, so, "What are you, pastor?" I'm almost to the end of my sermon, that's what I am. What I am is I don't believe that the cessationists' use of 1 Corinthians 13 is the best interpretation of that passage. Therefore, I believe they don't have scripture under their feet, and they have to make more anecdotal and historical arguments rather than biblical arguments. It doesn't mean they're wrong, because as in the head-covering passage, I think it's right to look at what happens in all the other churches. And so the fact that the overwhelming majority of us have never experienced these gifts, I think, is noteworthy. So we still have a lot of work in front of us. So, the question that maybe in your mind is, "Well, if the gifts do continue, why don't we see them here?" It depends what you mean by "here." If you mean like here at First Baptist Durham, that's one thing. I think in general, it just depends where you are. If you're in certain places, you have seen them. You may not even have participated in them, but you have seen them. I remember my Gordon-Conwell Church History professor, a godly man named William Nigel Kerr, I love that man, he's gone on to be with the Lord, he said, "You know, I actually do believe that these things happen, but I always seem to be in the other room when they occur." That's a gentle way to put it. So, two possible reasons, and I think we need to upload both of them. First is the spirit is sovereign and does whatever he wants with the spiritual gifts. So you could be a continuationist and still think that for his own reasons, the Spirit chooses to shut certain ministries down in certain areas for his own purposes and uses them in other places. Who are we to say he can't do that? So if you're an ardent cessationist, you will say, "I do not believe that anyone can legitimately speak a language that they haven't learned yet," that just goes so far beyond scripture. If you don't have a scripture under your feet to make that assertion, it's better to not make it. And then to say, "I know for a fact that can't happen." Well, why doesn't it happen? It may be that the Spirit is not choosing to do that kind of work in that geographic locality in that stretch of church history. Look at verse 11, it says, 1 Corinthians 12:11... Back in 1 Corinthians 12, sorry, verse 11. It says, "All of these," these spiritual gifts, "are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one as he determines." So who are we to say, even if you are a charismatic or a continuationist, that the spirit must do X, Y, and Z in every location? That's some of the problem with Pentecostal theology, where they say that when you receive the baptism in the Spirit, you will inevitably speak in tongues, which is not biblical, either. John 3:8, Jesus said, "The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you can't tell where it comes from or where it goes." So it is with everyone born in the Spirit, and so it is, I think, worldwide what about the Spirit chooses to do in different places. That's one of the two explanations of why we don't see these kinds of gifts here, wherever here is for you. The second is it's possible that we are quenching the Spirit, that through sinful unbelief, some things that the Spirit would work in our midst, he is not working, because we don't think he can or will or should, and so we don't seek them and we don't pursue them in prayer. We are shut to them, and so therefore, we, in some sense, have quenched the Spirit. Where does that come from? 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 says, "Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. But test everything, hold fast what is good and abstain from every form of evil." So that's where the "quenching the Spirit" concept comes from. So it's like dousing the Spirit's fire. So we, in the affluent and educated in scientific West, tend to be pretty closed to spiritual explanations for things. We tend to almost despise them with what's called the God of the gaps theory. Things we can't explain by science, we bring God in for that. But it's amazing how less and less can we not explain by science. We can explain pretty much everything. We probably might even get to the point of explaining why the wind blows where it wishes. And so there are no mysteries left: Science can explain everything. Well, we can see how unbelieving such an attitude would be. We don't want to come to it that way, telling God what he can and can't do, and so, we don't want to quench the Spirit. We tend to be too skeptical of the supernatural. And that especially comes when we hear stories from the mission field and we tend to doubt brothers and sisters, look them in the eye, and effectively say, "What you're telling me happened didn't happen." That's an awkward moment in the body of Christ. So that becomes difficult and challenging. Are There Dangers? So are there dangers to studying this? Well, I hope not. But anyway, I think there are. All I could do is continue going on in 1 Corinthians. But yes, there are dangers, there are dangers on each side. We should not imagine that the cessationists have no dangers or the continuationists have no dangers. Like Tim Challies said, the cessationists are saying, could be saying, that something that is actually from God is from the devil, and that would be wrong, to miss out on a blessing. The flip side is if we're not discerning, if we're not testing the spirits, we could be doing the exact opposite, saying that some things from the Lord... Something from Satan is actually from the Lord. So there are dangers no matter what. But we just have to be faithful to the scripture, to study, to ask God to lead us into all truth. Tim Challies said this: "Continuationists do not believe in a dead Bible. And cessationists do not believe in a dead spirit." So let's not lob grenades at each other. They're actually... You could be a cessationist and have an ardent doctrine and experience with the Holy Spirit, in the more what we call more normal ways, the normal ministries of the Spirit. And you pray in the Spirit, and you witness in the Spirit, you preach in the Spirit, and you do marriage in the Spirit. And I'm going to talk about that, God willing, in a couple of weeks, on the difference between the baptism of the Spirit and the filling with the Spirit. And so you can have a beautiful, Spirit-filled life, and be a cessationist. Conversely, just because you're a continuationist or charismatic doesn't mean that you have a defective view of scripture. So we have to be careful. Wayne Grudem says this in his theology: "It can be argued that those in the charismatic and Pentecostal camps and those in the cessationists camp, which is primarily reformed dispensational Christians, really need each other." Reformed and dispensational Christians, we need each other. "They would do well to appreciate each other more. The Pentecostals and charismatics tend to have more practical experience in the use of spiritual gifts and in the vitality of worship that cessationists could benefit from, if they're willing to learn and to listen. On the other hand, reformed and dispensational groups have traditionally been very strong in understanding Christian doctrine, and in deep accurate understanding of the teaching of scripture, charismatic and Pentecostal groups could learn much from them, if they're willing to listen and to learn. But it certainly is not helpful to the church as a whole for both sides to think they can learn nothing from the other and that they can gain no benefit from fellowship with each other." Applications Alright, so as I finish this sermon, for me, I just want to step back and do an application that has to with a bigger issue than just this. First and foremost, if you're a non-Christian and you're here today hearing this, this might be probably confusing to you, you might wonder, "What in the world is this even talking about?", or you might know exactly, but still the Lord brought you here for a different purpose. And the different purposes that you would hear that God sent his Son into the world, which we celebrate at Christmastime, he sent his Son into the world, God in the flesh, to live a sinless life and to die on the cross for your sins. And you may have come in here today wrestling with sin, maybe even feeling enslaved to sin, burning to be free, but don't know how to be set free from sin and guilt. Maybe you're afraid to die, afraid of judgment. Maybe you're not. But you know you're outside Christ. Well, I would say that you didn't come here to hear about charismatic gifts; you came here to hear the gospel, and this is it. Christ died for sinners, and he was raised from the dead on the third day. And all you need to do is believe in him, and you can walk out of here a free man or woman, a free boy or girl. Secondly, for you who are Christians and are here in this overall sermon series, this is an important detail, it's something we need to work through, but larger, the question is, Are you using your spiritual gifts that you do know you have? And if you don't know that you have spiritual gifts, then I would urge you to discover what they are. Get busy in practical ministries. Discover your gifts, and develop them, and then deploy them for the Glory of God. Close with me in prayer.