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In the Beginning There Was a Theology: The Precedence of Theology over Experience in the Pentecostal Movement
In the Beginning There Was a Theology: The Precedence of Theology over Experience in the Pentecostal Movement[1] Lee, Chang-Soung I. Introduction Did the Pentecostal movement start with experience, or with theology? Some people have erroneously insisted that Pentecostalism started with experience, and then theology followed. This “experience first” or “experience priority theory” has produced revisionist […]
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Acts 2:17-21: A Paradigm for Pentecostal Mission
By Robert Menzies Originally published in the Journal of Pentecostal Theology 17 (2008), 200-218 Not long ago I had one of those epiphany moments. A moment when, in a flash, previous perceptions are challenged and a new paradigm, a new way of looking at a particular issue, comes into focus. It happened during a beautiful […]
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One for the Road – “Capacity”
Capacity. That’s an important measurement. Containers have capacity…as do elevators – airplanes – trains…to name a few. But…here’s the question. What is your capacity? To forgive. Do you stand ready always to dismiss offenses? Or…do you hang on to wrongs? To love. Are you protective of your rights? Or…do you think […]
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One for the Road – “We are the Clay”
When the clay forms the Potter. That’s when man forms God into his own image. This is idolatry at its worst. Here are some examples. The God of accommodation…when people imagine a God who adjusts his requirements to fit their desires. The God of convenience…when people give God the time and […]
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One for the Road – “Stain Resistors”
Stain resistors. They’re used to prevent soiling. How about your soul? Remember Lot? “…that righteous man…was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard…” So it was in Sodom and Gomorrah. And…so it is with you. The mockery of righteousness. The ridicule of divine authority. And…the blasphemy […]
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One for the Road – “Downward Spiral”
Sometimes…things spin out of control. What starts as an insignificant difference of opinion…escalates into an all-out battle. And people get hurt. This downward spiral is illustrated in Samson’s statement: “I merely did to them what they did to me.” Back and forth…each argument more heated than the former. What is […]
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A Lukan Paradigm of Witness: Community as a Form of Witness (Part I), AJPS
[AJPS 20.1 (2017), 7-18] A Lukan Paradigm of Witness: Community as a Form of Witness Part I by Lora Angeline B. Embudo Introduction This paper on a Lukan paradigm of witness is divided into two parts. Part I will first present a survey on modern scholarship. Following the survey, there will be a discussion of […]
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Luke’s Understanding of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A Pentecostal Perspective
By Robert Menzies – Not long ago a Chinese house church leader commented, “When Chinese believers read the book of Acts, we see in it our own experience; when foreign Christians read the book of Acts, they see in it inspiring stories.” My Chinese friend’s point was clear: their experience of opposition and persecution impacts […]
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One for the Road – “As Things Wax Worse and Worse”
As things wax worse and worse. And…the Bible says they will. How then should the people of God respond? Fight we must. But…how? Paul tells us: “…we do not wage war as the world does.” And further…“the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” Yes…fight we must. […]
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One for the Road – “Spiritual Deafness”
Spiritual deafness. It’s a persistent problem – people refusing to hear the word of the Lord. Jeremiah speaks for mankind…in all times: “…though he has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid attention.” So it is in our day. Many people refuse to […]
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