Samson's Jawbone

Many charismatic acknowledge that the gift of tongues they experience is different from the first century Pentecostal experience. They claim they are a language through which God speaks to the believer in prayer (a false teaching we will address later). They see the continuation of Pentecost in various "signs and wonders," that have reappeared in the life of the church evidence by a more robust wave of Spiritual phenomena predicted to rise in the end times. Does the resurgence of signs and wonders evince a more robust Spiritual life, a continuation of Pentecost, at the end of the age?  The argument is that the prophet Joel predicted that the first century Pentecost would usher in a new age of miracles and signs and wonders: [28] “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. [29] Even on the male and female serv...

Many coninuationists, like Dr Wayne Garden referenced in the prior post, would affirm the completion of the Canon, the sufficiency of Scripture. But they, would argue, that cessationist's failure to recognize the present charismata shows a faulty understanding of pneumatology, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and a diminished appreciation of the Spirit. Does a proper understanding of the Spirit require an openness to experience Pentecostal phenomena? This post will attempt to survey certain aspect of pneumatology: W hy did the Holy Spirit come; How is his work realized in a believer's life?  From the middle of the 1st Century until the 1901 Azusa Street Revivals (1850 years) the charismata, tongues, prophecy knowledge, healings and miracles were nearly absent from the life of the church. Was the church blind to the accurate and full understanding of the Spirit; was there some reason God was withholding the Spirit's power; or was there a fuller experience of the Spirit that ...

Recently I had a friend call me for counsel about a problem at their work. A few days later they called me to tell me that God had told them how to handle the matter, which was different from my biblically based counsel. I said to them, "Oh really, tell me about that." The person then described a restless night full of dreams, through which they said that God had redirected them. This is an experience all too common in pastoral counseling. People believe that God directs them through an encounter  rather than through conforming their lives to God's Word. How do we hear the voice of God? Does God speak to us today? The scripture is clear that God directs and often redirects our experience:           [3] He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness. for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3ESV) [9] The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9ESV) [7] “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, a...