What and how did the doctrine of eschatology impacted or impassioned the Pentecostal movement in the past and the present?
The Pentecostal movement has always considered itself an end time movement. In his book "pentecostal spirituality", Steve Land says that: "Pentecostals have typically understood their entire life in Christ under the rubric of 'Last days ministry'."
I think one of the reasons why the Pentecostal movement thrives even till today and has spread worldwide despite its great but short years at Azusa Street is because of it's world-evangelism urgency. As Blumhoffer expressed: "Above all, Azusa Street was a missionary movement." However what fueled this urgency and movement is their view of Pentecostalism as an endtime event. Well expressed by Margaret M. Poloma when she said: "For most Pentecostals the future determines the present, their view of eschatology governs their view of current events." Pentecostals seems to have and hold on to the conscious understanding that Jesus had empowered his church in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy for one last great revival before the end was the power that energized them into mission. The Pentecostal view of eschatology birth forth an energy created with a clear consciousness of the end in mind. One way to understanding its impact is that if one considers the eschaton as something that is soon to be fulfilled, then the passion of the church for lost soul should also be affected. Hence even presently, Pentecostalism has been so moved in this area that it is one of the fastest growing movements in the world. After only one century, the Pentecostal/charismatic movement had grown at such an amazing pace that by the year 2000, they were second in size only to the Roman Catholic Church as a worldwide family of churches.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Pentecostal - spiritually healthy, vibrant, cutting edge?
Is Pentecostal spirituality healthy, vibrant and on the cutting edge today or is it dissipating? Evaluate, analyze and explain your conclusion.
Well, I think that since the Pentecostal movement is a worldwide movement, than it would be good to see it’s spirituality from a worldwide perspective. Pentecostalism seems to be thriving tremendously all around the world especially in countries that are experiencing revival, such as China, India, Korea, Latin America, Africa, Indonesia, etc. Is Pentecostal spiritually healthy? Healthy things grow in a positive way right, and Pentecostalism is doubtless growing worldwide, some instances more dramatic than others. Pentecostal and charismatic movements are gaining ground. According to one expert on global Pentecostalism, "at least a third" of Asia's Christian population is now charismatic or Pentecostal, and the proportion is 'steadily rising" (Anderson 2004: 123). Is it vibrant? The Korean Pentecostal phenomena, was and still is a phenomenal church growth in effects. Is it cutting edge? An article by Sung-Gun Kim cited that, “Christianity has become exceedingly influential in modern Korean particularly in its Pentecostal guise...... the Korean mega-churches, – numbering amongst the world’s twenty largest Congregations – are mostly Pentecostal. And I think that i can say Korea is just an example, the house churches and under-ground churches in China are another great example. I don’t think that Pentecostalism’s spirituality is dissipating, largely because of its missiological nature. Missions and evangelism is to Pentecostals what flour is to bread. So my personal interesting observation is that as long as there are places where the Gospel of Christ has not been reached, Pentecostalism is likely to fade away. It was effective in the past, even in the days of the apostles; it will be effective in the future where the gospel needs to be preached until the coming day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, I think that since the Pentecostal movement is a worldwide movement, than it would be good to see it’s spirituality from a worldwide perspective. Pentecostalism seems to be thriving tremendously all around the world especially in countries that are experiencing revival, such as China, India, Korea, Latin America, Africa, Indonesia, etc. Is Pentecostal spiritually healthy? Healthy things grow in a positive way right, and Pentecostalism is doubtless growing worldwide, some instances more dramatic than others. Pentecostal and charismatic movements are gaining ground. According to one expert on global Pentecostalism, "at least a third" of Asia's Christian population is now charismatic or Pentecostal, and the proportion is 'steadily rising" (Anderson 2004: 123). Is it vibrant? The Korean Pentecostal phenomena, was and still is a phenomenal church growth in effects. Is it cutting edge? An article by Sung-Gun Kim cited that, “Christianity has become exceedingly influential in modern Korean particularly in its Pentecostal guise...... the Korean mega-churches, – numbering amongst the world’s twenty largest Congregations – are mostly Pentecostal. And I think that i can say Korea is just an example, the house churches and under-ground churches in China are another great example. I don’t think that Pentecostalism’s spirituality is dissipating, largely because of its missiological nature. Missions and evangelism is to Pentecostals what flour is to bread. So my personal interesting observation is that as long as there are places where the Gospel of Christ has not been reached, Pentecostalism is likely to fade away. It was effective in the past, even in the days of the apostles; it will be effective in the future where the gospel needs to be preached until the coming day of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Being a Pentecostal?
What is it to be a pentecostal?
I think to be a pentecostal is to believe in certain distinctive features of the pentecostal pattern found in the bible as well as to hold on to some of the original pentecostal revival's practices, responsibilities and mission mindset. To be a pentecostal, is to belief in the existence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is always followed by speaking in tongues as the initial evidence. This is important as i believe it follows a biblical pattern that we can observe from the new testament: on three occasions of the Holy Spirit coming on believers recorded in the bible, all three occasions were followed with the speaking of tongues. A pentecostal also believes in the manifestational gifts of the Holy Spirit. But i think they practice this only after the individual experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Also, after experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one is expected to be filled with an evangelistic zeal, or passion for missions, as well as being empowered to do so.
I think to be a pentecostal is to believe in certain distinctive features of the pentecostal pattern found in the bible as well as to hold on to some of the original pentecostal revival's practices, responsibilities and mission mindset. To be a pentecostal, is to belief in the existence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is always followed by speaking in tongues as the initial evidence. This is important as i believe it follows a biblical pattern that we can observe from the new testament: on three occasions of the Holy Spirit coming on believers recorded in the bible, all three occasions were followed with the speaking of tongues. A pentecostal also believes in the manifestational gifts of the Holy Spirit. But i think they practice this only after the individual experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Also, after experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, one is expected to be filled with an evangelistic zeal, or passion for missions, as well as being empowered to do so.
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