New Book is Available!
An Undeconstructed Pentecostal: Reflections, Articles, & Sermons – is now available at Amazon.com.
Softcover @ $14.95 Kindle Edition @ $7.49
This book is a collection of essays, articles and sermons that I have written over the last decade (2011-2021). Includes reflections on Pentecostal spirituality, biblical and theological issues, cultural and political issues, and ministry leadership issues.
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The Virgin Mary: A Pentecostal Reflection
…the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin… and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you… Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High… and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:26-35).
Several years ago (1999), during my first trip to Bulgaria, I visited the Rila Monastery. The monastery is settled in the midst of the beautiful forests near Rila Mountain. I was overwhelmed by the iconic art that covered the buildings. I quickly noticed that the great majority of the art represented the Virgin and Child.
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A revised edition of Pentecostal Sacraments is available!
Click here to order Softcover for $17.95. Or, click here to order the Print Replica Kindle edition for $9.99.
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Is Pentecostalism Becoming an Exercise in Liberalism?
In the Garden of Eden, God provided two trees – the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree of Life is the knowledge of God. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is life without the knowledge of God. To eat of the Tree of Life is to acknowledge that humans need God to flourish. To eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is to suggest that we can find our own way. This ancient narrative offers an appropriate way of understanding the affinity for liberal theology.
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A Review – A Pentecostal Political Theology for American Renewal
Since the beginning of the 2016 presidential race Christians in America have anointed their candidate with a prophetic mantle. Christians on the right and left have espoused their peculiar blends of Christian faith and American politics, and of course since both are inspired of God, both must be right. But the division, which borders on ecclesiastical schizophrenia, has left the church with a confused voice. In the midst of the confusion, Steven M. Studebaker has offered A Pentecostal Political Theology for American Renewal: Spirit of the Kingdoms, Citizens of the Cities.
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The Centrality of the Pentecostal Altar
Pentecostalism is a Spirit-movement; therefore, Pentecostals favor worship in which the Spirit moves. For Pentecostals, worship means experiencing the Holy Spirit in the fellowship of the church. While anointed singing and preaching are highly valued, they are not the goals of worship; they are a means to the desired end—an encounter with God at the altar. It is at the altar that souls are “gloriously saved,” converts are sanctified, the sick are healed, and seekers are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Whether these altar calls are noisy and dynamic, or somber and tearful, those who witness and participate in this spiritual worship walk away from the altar deeply moved and inwardly transformed. Pentecostal worship is not simply enthusiasm, neither is it entertainment—it is an evangelistic encounter with God’s holy presence.
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