Not long ago, I wrote about the term discerning. I meant it, even though I referenced the spiritual gift called discernment. There’s a fine line between the two that stems from tradition moreso than from Biblical knowledge. To read the first article CLICK In the first article, I draw a sharp line between knowing because of information gathering (picking it up, fact checking, etc.) and discerning, or discernment for that matter. In this article, I would like to splice hairs,... Read more
Quick Question: Do you ever find yourself asking the wrong question? Sometimes I am seeking the Lord, and I realize my prayers aren’t being answered. It doesn’t happen every time, but sometimes when I tweak the question, or ask a new question, I receive an answer. When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’... Read more
Seeking an Answer I’m in a place I never thought I’d be in right now. I’m trying to make decisions in a way I haven’t in a very long while. It’s one thing to pray with the head in the heart. For those of us who have toyed with certain levels of the academie it’s difficult to remember we are complex beings made up of far more than the grey matter between our ears. We have an interior life, a... Read more
on discerning | late night tweets but are they discerning? This brief is a risk, mainly because it’s a collection of tweets which may seem disjointed. However, there are some real changes in our world with the homeland safety need for information sharing. The only question I have at times is, are they only picking it up or are they discerning? There’s still a difference with this Gift of the Spirit or charism. First, here’s a completely unrelated video. I... Read more
on prophecy, knowledge & wisdom This is something I’ve taught on extensively, a question asked by a fellow Pentecostal-Charismatic. What’s the difference between prophecy, knowledge, and wisdom? Of course we are referring to the Gifts (charisms) of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12.4-11 There’s actually a 4th similar Gift if we count the interpretation of tongues. To learn about interpretation, read the brief article: a distinction regarding speaking in tongues CLICK These Gifts edify the church, something Paul makes a... Read more
on direct communication from the Spirit This is a bit of a touchy subject in our day and age, specifically because of mental health. If a person says they have seen a burning bush that did not burn up, and have heard an audible voice, then many practitioners {and people in general} may want to diagnose the person. In fact it is my belief that some strict social scientists could attempt to diagnose many of the prophets and characters in... Read more
a distinction regarding speaking in tongues The idea of speaking in tongues has been a controversial one historically. However, Pentecostals and Charismatics {those known for speaking in tongues} have been granted seats at the table of higher dialogue and we’re here to stay. Pentecostal scholarship has become widely accepted in the various fields of Theology. so what of speaking in tongues? It is not uncommon for worship bands to incorporate spontaneous worship and singing in tongues in a concert. To... Read more
on falling out From time to time I like to post something from my faith tribe. The Content Team at Patheos likes the fact that I have a Pentecostal-Charismatic background. I’m going to isolate a common occurrence in revival-type atmospheres. Anytime a particular phenomenon is isolated and discussed, it is at best artificial. The mysterious movements of the Holy Spirit occur within the context of other movements as the community of faith opens up to the possibilities of the numenous.... Read more
against false narratives Have you ever been a victim of a false narrative, whether imposed on your people by society or on you as an individual by family, etc.? It’s like groupthink, a form of mob mentality, that makes a group less intelligent. Then with a false narrative, they make you take the blame. I don’t have any specific examples to share, but it is a concept I’ve been thinking about recently. Louie Giglio speaks about it. I in no... Read more
recap | on the marital relationship in Ephesians The first 2 articles are an overview of the Passage in chapter 5. This is from another study and does not necessarily correlate exactly with the rest of the articles. These 2 articles stand on their own as an interpretation of this pericope. Ephesians | church & the marital relationship CLICK Ephesians | marital glory, sanctity & mystery CLICK When discussing the roles within marriage, Paul doesn’t start with the couple. He starts with... Read more
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