In the Acts 6 where the seven deacons are to be picked, one of the criteria used for their selection is that they are to be "full of the Holy Spirit" (v.3).
These deacons were ostensibly picked to wait on tables but two of them at least did more than that. Stephen, one of the seven, is described as being "full of faith and of the Holy Spirit". Why the two things I wonder? Why isn't full of faith enough?
That designation reminds us that it's important not only to have faith but also to be full of the Holy Spirit even if it's only to wait on tables!!!
This man so full of God, so full of the Spirit performs "great signs and wonders among the people" (v.8). His opponents not able to withstand "the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke" (v.10) have him falsely accused dragged before the Jewish council to defend himself.
In Acts 7, the angelic Stephen (6.15) castigates those hearing his defence as those who resist the Holy Spirit (v.51) and then being "full of the Holy Spirit" sees the glory of God and Jesus at his right hand (v.55-56).
The next time we are chosen to be a "table waiter" we need to ask, am I full of faith AND full of the Holy Spirit?
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Distinguishing Initiation From Empowerment
Along with a number of writers, it is easy to agree that baptism with the Holy Spirit (Spirit-Baptism) is an experience of entry into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12.13).
That's why, so it is said, that Spirit-Baptism is closely connected to water-baptism (e.g., Acts 2.38; 9.17-19) and with repentance and trust in Christ (Acts 19.4,5) which is based on a 'receiving of the Word' Acts 8.4 & 14,15) because each in its way is part of the same spiritual reality.
Reception of the Word about Christ moves one towards the initiating waters of baptism (Acts 8.35-38) and the filling of the Spirit seals that covenant with God (Eph 1.13).
The very fact that Jesus is heralded by John the Baptist (in all 4 gospels) as the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit is evidence that Spirit-Baptism is mightily important. John believed Spirit-Baptism defined Jesus' ministry as contrasted with his (Jn 1.26; 33). In John 7, Jesus cries out at the Feast of Tabernacles re the Spirit flowing out of the hearts of thirsty Jesus believers (v. 38-39). (But the account mentions that only after Jesus' glorification is the Spirit to be given in this sense.)
Nonetheless, although believing the Spirit Baptism is tied to initiation into the body of Christ, is not to say that it is identical with initiation. In this respect, the Pentecostals are correct. The cases in the Acts (particularly ch 8 and 19) distinguish between initiation and Spirit-Baptism although a distinction does not mean a separation (Acts 2:38).
That's why, so it is said, that Spirit-Baptism is closely connected to water-baptism (e.g., Acts 2.38; 9.17-19) and with repentance and trust in Christ (Acts 19.4,5) which is based on a 'receiving of the Word' Acts 8.4 & 14,15) because each in its way is part of the same spiritual reality.
Reception of the Word about Christ moves one towards the initiating waters of baptism (Acts 8.35-38) and the filling of the Spirit seals that covenant with God (Eph 1.13).
The very fact that Jesus is heralded by John the Baptist (in all 4 gospels) as the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit is evidence that Spirit-Baptism is mightily important. John believed Spirit-Baptism defined Jesus' ministry as contrasted with his (Jn 1.26; 33). In John 7, Jesus cries out at the Feast of Tabernacles re the Spirit flowing out of the hearts of thirsty Jesus believers (v. 38-39). (But the account mentions that only after Jesus' glorification is the Spirit to be given in this sense.)
Nonetheless, although believing the Spirit Baptism is tied to initiation into the body of Christ, is not to say that it is identical with initiation. In this respect, the Pentecostals are correct. The cases in the Acts (particularly ch 8 and 19) distinguish between initiation and Spirit-Baptism although a distinction does not mean a separation (Acts 2:38).
Did You Receive When You Believed?
Being a former Pentecostal (third-generation) but now longing for my present denomination (the Anglican Church of Australia) to experience the wind of the Spirit in new ways, this post reflects on the account of John the Baptist's disciples found by St Paul in Acts 19.1-7.
These Ephesian disciples prompt St Paul to ask, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And the question for us must be, 'What was it about the behaviour or demeanour of these disciples that led St Paul to ask that question?' I say that because I cannot imagine Anglican or Reformed or Baptist believers being asked this question by one of their leaders!
Surely today we would answer: 'Why do you ask such a strange question? Of course I have received the Holy Spirit otherwise I wouldn't be a Christian believer at all.' And Paul's own writings would seem to support that position for he does say in Romans 8.9 that any who do not have the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Christ. So, being a Christian and having the Spirit are concurrent.
However, we are still left with Paul's question to these Ephesian disciples.
We can only infer from that question that when people received the Holy Spirit, things happened. Those around saw something occur (and consequences followed). As John Piper (staunch Calvinist in the tradition of Jonathan Edwards) has said, the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the Acts is "experiential".
That leaves open the problem as to why many Christian believers today do not know of any experience of the Holy Spirit's having "fallen on them" (Acts 8.16).
We will address this issue in the next post.
These Ephesian disciples prompt St Paul to ask, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And the question for us must be, 'What was it about the behaviour or demeanour of these disciples that led St Paul to ask that question?' I say that because I cannot imagine Anglican or Reformed or Baptist believers being asked this question by one of their leaders!
Surely today we would answer: 'Why do you ask such a strange question? Of course I have received the Holy Spirit otherwise I wouldn't be a Christian believer at all.' And Paul's own writings would seem to support that position for he does say in Romans 8.9 that any who do not have the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Christ. So, being a Christian and having the Spirit are concurrent.
However, we are still left with Paul's question to these Ephesian disciples.
We can only infer from that question that when people received the Holy Spirit, things happened. Those around saw something occur (and consequences followed). As John Piper (staunch Calvinist in the tradition of Jonathan Edwards) has said, the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the Acts is "experiential".
That leaves open the problem as to why many Christian believers today do not know of any experience of the Holy Spirit's having "fallen on them" (Acts 8.16).
We will address this issue in the next post.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Early Australian Pentecostalism
I grew up from the age of 10 to around 29 years of age, at the Pentecostal Church at Richmond Temple, 343 Bridge Rd Richmond, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. During most of that time, Pastor Charles Lewis Greenwood (1891-1969) led the Temple as its minister.
There I committed and re-committed my life to Christ at many altar calls, was filled with the Spirit and spoke with other tongues, was baptised in water, and had my marriage to Elizabeth solemnised by C.L. (as he was affectionately known) in 1968. Recently, I have read The C.L. Greenwood Story by George Forbes and been inspired again by the message of the Australian Pentecostal Movement.
My family has had a profound association with the Pentecostal movement. My paternal grandfather/grandmother were associated with Good News Hall (GNH) in North Melbourne, along with their 11 children, with my father (number 6 child) remaining strongly influenced by GNH until his death in 2005.
GNH, the first Pentecostal group in Australia, was established in 1909 by Janet Lancaster. GNH wanted to be founded on the words of scripture alone and rejected the orthodox creeds of the early
church. This stand led them to heterodox views re the Trinity, the soul's existence after death and the eternal punishment of the wicked. Nevertheless, the group was very charitable to others who believed differently (Chant, Heart of Fire, p. 54) and to those who sought to disparage them.
Their doctrinal position drew the ire of other Pentecostal groups, chiefly the Sunshine Revival group (1916, C.L.Greenwood and A.C.Valdez) and the Southern Evangelical Mission (1911, Robert Horne, Caulfield) and also overseas speakers that GNH invited to Australia such as Smith Wigglesworth and Aimee Semple McPherson. By the late 1930s the group, by then The Apostolic Faith Mission (name changed 1927), had completely collapsed. Nevertheless, much of present Australian Pentecostalism owes a debt to Janet Lancaster and her church's work.
My maternal grandfather who was saved through The Brethren later came "into Pentecost" at Richmond Temple, to where the Sunshine Revival group had finally come, through the invitation of a good work-mate whose son would years later become the pastor of Richmond Temple for over 20 years, Philip Hills!
I know growing up in a heterodox family I got to know the bible fairly well. At least I got to know some parts of the bible from a heterodox point of view at least!! But the Pentecostal (and Brethren) Sunday schools I attended over many years taught me well. We were taught to memorise scripture and I would now argue that memorisation of scripture is extremely important for building a solid life of faith.
Much in present-day Pentecostal churches has changed since the time I was brought up in it. Change is of course inevitable; but whether it is change for the better needs careful examination. One of the greatest differences I think between then and now is that then much was made of the second coming of Christ, that Jesus was coming soon! Our hymns and songs testified to it; whereas now, the greater emphasis is on temporal lives.
The notion of being prosperous would have been virtually incomprehensible to the early Pentecostals who struggled through WW1 and then an economic depression. ((In fact, GNH ran a soup kitchen during the 1920s (Chant, Heart of Fire, p. 48-51)). Their great hope was the wealth of heaven with Christ that awaited them, not the trinkets this world offers.
But now I am an Anglican; but an Anglican that appreciates the lessons I learned in early Pentecostal circles. An Anglican who yearns to experience the reviving of my present church in the joy of the Spirit so that many others outside may come to know the present, transforming power of God in their lives for the glory of God.
There I committed and re-committed my life to Christ at many altar calls, was filled with the Spirit and spoke with other tongues, was baptised in water, and had my marriage to Elizabeth solemnised by C.L. (as he was affectionately known) in 1968. Recently, I have read The C.L. Greenwood Story by George Forbes and been inspired again by the message of the Australian Pentecostal Movement.
My family has had a profound association with the Pentecostal movement. My paternal grandfather/grandmother were associated with Good News Hall (GNH) in North Melbourne, along with their 11 children, with my father (number 6 child) remaining strongly influenced by GNH until his death in 2005.
GNH, the first Pentecostal group in Australia, was established in 1909 by Janet Lancaster. GNH wanted to be founded on the words of scripture alone and rejected the orthodox creeds of the early
church. This stand led them to heterodox views re the Trinity, the soul's existence after death and the eternal punishment of the wicked. Nevertheless, the group was very charitable to others who believed differently (Chant, Heart of Fire, p. 54) and to those who sought to disparage them.Their doctrinal position drew the ire of other Pentecostal groups, chiefly the Sunshine Revival group (1916, C.L.Greenwood and A.C.Valdez) and the Southern Evangelical Mission (1911, Robert Horne, Caulfield) and also overseas speakers that GNH invited to Australia such as Smith Wigglesworth and Aimee Semple McPherson. By the late 1930s the group, by then The Apostolic Faith Mission (name changed 1927), had completely collapsed. Nevertheless, much of present Australian Pentecostalism owes a debt to Janet Lancaster and her church's work.
My maternal grandfather who was saved through The Brethren later came "into Pentecost" at Richmond Temple, to where the Sunshine Revival group had finally come, through the invitation of a good work-mate whose son would years later become the pastor of Richmond Temple for over 20 years, Philip Hills!
I know growing up in a heterodox family I got to know the bible fairly well. At least I got to know some parts of the bible from a heterodox point of view at least!! But the Pentecostal (and Brethren) Sunday schools I attended over many years taught me well. We were taught to memorise scripture and I would now argue that memorisation of scripture is extremely important for building a solid life of faith.
Much in present-day Pentecostal churches has changed since the time I was brought up in it. Change is of course inevitable; but whether it is change for the better needs careful examination. One of the greatest differences I think between then and now is that then much was made of the second coming of Christ, that Jesus was coming soon! Our hymns and songs testified to it; whereas now, the greater emphasis is on temporal lives.
The notion of being prosperous would have been virtually incomprehensible to the early Pentecostals who struggled through WW1 and then an economic depression. ((In fact, GNH ran a soup kitchen during the 1920s (Chant, Heart of Fire, p. 48-51)). Their great hope was the wealth of heaven with Christ that awaited them, not the trinkets this world offers.
But now I am an Anglican; but an Anglican that appreciates the lessons I learned in early Pentecostal circles. An Anglican who yearns to experience the reviving of my present church in the joy of the Spirit so that many others outside may come to know the present, transforming power of God in their lives for the glory of God.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Song, Spirit and Joy
I have just finished reading John Pollock's biographies of John Wesley and John Newton (Kingsway Publications), an inspiring read but I was particularly touched, among other things, by the hymns in these accounts. Others have made the valid point that some contemporary hymns/songs lack the doctrinal weight of these old hymns.
However, my object is to draw attention to the importance of singing in church. While singing is not all there is to worship, singing is notable as it sets Christians apart -interestingly, our society loves being entertained by singers but is not so keen on singing itself. This fact has been attributed to present Western joylessness- because singing is an expression of Holy Spirit joy. The Spirit and singing are strongly related in Eph 5:18-20 and the undercurrent of joy is not hard to detect in this same passage.
Once I went with a group of Christians to a Anglican service/church influenced by the Toronto Blessing. Although I had been raised in the Pentecostal tradition, I was in a bad state emotionally/spiritually that evening and somewhat resistant about attending the service. However, being an Anglican setting, the service was quiet and dignified which suited me.
Then during the singing I felt my spirit gently touched and lifted up. A burden rolled away during the singing. I was also prayed for later but "nothing" else happened as such; it had already happened!
Joyfully, I walked free for 2-1/2 weeks following that service of the besetting depression and anxiety that I had been suffering from.
Although my condition is now under the control of medication, depression and anxiety still afflict me from time to time. Yet, again and again, I have experienced that lifting up of my Spirit when the people of God sing the songs of Zion. Doubtless, praising God in song is something from which the demons harassing us flee.
However, my object is to draw attention to the importance of singing in church. While singing is not all there is to worship, singing is notable as it sets Christians apart -interestingly, our society loves being entertained by singers but is not so keen on singing itself. This fact has been attributed to present Western joylessness- because singing is an expression of Holy Spirit joy. The Spirit and singing are strongly related in Eph 5:18-20 and the undercurrent of joy is not hard to detect in this same passage.
Once I went with a group of Christians to a Anglican service/church influenced by the Toronto Blessing. Although I had been raised in the Pentecostal tradition, I was in a bad state emotionally/spiritually that evening and somewhat resistant about attending the service. However, being an Anglican setting, the service was quiet and dignified which suited me.
Then during the singing I felt my spirit gently touched and lifted up. A burden rolled away during the singing. I was also prayed for later but "nothing" else happened as such; it had already happened!
Joyfully, I walked free for 2-1/2 weeks following that service of the besetting depression and anxiety that I had been suffering from.
Although my condition is now under the control of medication, depression and anxiety still afflict me from time to time. Yet, again and again, I have experienced that lifting up of my Spirit when the people of God sing the songs of Zion. Doubtless, praising God in song is something from which the demons harassing us flee.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Fight The Good Fight
| Send "Fight the good fight with all thy might" Ringtone to your Cell Fight the good fight with all thy might! Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right; Lay hold on life, and it shall be Thy joy and crown eternally. Run the straight race through God's good grace, Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face; Life with its way before us lies, Christ is the path, and Christ the prize. Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide; His boundless mercy will provide; Trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove Christ is its life, and Christ its love. Faint not nor fear, His arms are near, He changeth not, and thou art dear; Only believe, and thou shalt see That Christ is all in all to thee.end "Fight the good fight with all thy might" Ringtone to your Cell This old hymn was used at the Sunday morning service on June 28th as one of the readings came from St Paul's stirring farewell to Timothy summed up in his testimony that Paul had "fought the good fight". (It was a St Peter's day being celebrated but St Paul provided an appropriate companion-saint while bearing in mind that all the redeemed in Christ are saints.) The old hymns are quick to remind us that life is a fight, a struggle against "the world, the flesh and the devil". We often forget this today and when trouble afflicts us we wonder why when we have done this faithfully and that industriously, why it is that we are afflicted. However, it has always been so with Christians. The old saints knew that nothing we can do acts as a talisman or charm to ward off evil. All the evil that befalls urges us to flee to Christ as in the third and fourth stanzas above (which almost brought me to tears on Sunday). |
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