I’ll never forget the phone call I received from a friend at church. A week earlier, she had privately told me about a mass that doctors had discovered. Considering me a “prayer warrior”, she asked me to pray for her healing. I did not hesitate to pray a zealous prayer over her that day, asking … Continue reading My Rediscovery of Biblical Healing Out of the Word of Faith Movement
In my last article, I described my journey of rediscovering God’s sovereignty while I was immersed in a full time pastoral position at a Word of Faith church. As I discussed, the two primary ingredients to the Word of Faith formula are promises and profession. Adherents search the scriptures vigorously for promises, latch onto those … Continue reading My Rediscovery of Context Out of the Word of Faith Movement
My next few posts will revolve around the Word of Faith movement, also called the faith healing, health and wealth, positive confession, and prosperity movement. This is a movement within charismatic circles which teaches that Christians are guaranteed physical healing and financial prosperity by faith expressed in spoken commands and decrees. This teaching was popularized … Continue reading My Rediscovery Of Sovereignty Out of the Word of Faith Movement
Dear Jehovah Witness Neighbor, I enjoyed speaking with you the other day during your door to door outreach. I commend your zeal for the Lord. As I explained, we do have several things in common, such as the belief in the one God Who created the universe, Who sent His Son to die on the … Continue reading A Letter To My Jehovah’s Witness Neighbor
I'll never forget my baptism. I was fourteen years old. Both my mother and I were baptized on the same day in a pond right next to our church. Many other church members, both newer and more mature believers, were baptized at this bi-annual baptism service. Before each baptism, the person being baptized got to … Continue reading Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Uniting Restorationist and Evangelical Views of Baptism (Part 1)
After a hard week of work, many of us fill our weekends with recreation -- camping, hiking, travel and other recreation. These activities are often our great escape from the daily routine. While we are enjoying our weekends, there are others who have to work -- the pilot, the mail delivery person, the utility repair … Continue reading Are Christians Supposed to Keep the Sabbath?
It was the year 1806. Five Williams College students, inspired by the Second Great Awakening, gathered for prayer. While they were meeting, a thunderstorm broke out, causing them to seek shelter under a haystack. It was there, through the fervent prayers of five youth, that the first official U.S. foreign missions organization was formed, an organization which … Continue reading Are We a Haystack?
I was recently asked by a friend (who is also a pastor) about my view of women in ministry. He has a vested interest in this topic because he has daughters who could eventually become quite involved in ministry, as he is. I don't have daughters, but I do have a very smart and able … Continue reading An Egalitarian Friendly Complementarian View of Women in Ministry
Genesis 1 is the beginning of the Gospel, the beginning of God’s revealed will for humanity. It reflects His heartbeat; His desire to pour out love on something and someone other than Himself. It reflects His attributes; His immense power, creativity, and providence. We should therefore approach it, not just academically, but devotionally. We should … Continue reading The Metaphysical Eden View: A Young Earth Friendly Old Earth Creationism
The Holy Spirit’s role in the life of the believer has been a subject of much controversy particularly since the onset of Pentecostalism in the early 20th Century. This movement, spring-boarding from the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, has since spread throughout the entire world, giving birth to the Assemblies of God, the Churches … Continue reading The Baptism and Gifts of the Spirit: An Open But Cautious Position
The Middle Ground 