A Middle East Mom Carrying Hope for the Holy Land

August 28, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

For some end of the week encouragement… Disputes over land are not new, but no present conflict has more geopolitical implications than what happens between Israel and, depending on your political views, the disputed or occupied territories. What does the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry we are entrusted with as believers in Jesus, look like here? And where is it happening? I got to visit the Holy Land in March of this year where I met Angela Hersch, a truly wonderful lady and... Read more

This Charismatic Christian is Grateful For John Oliver

August 23, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

If you haven’t seen this yet, I encourage you to watch it. It is amusing but also maddening if you are a sincere Christian, particularly if you identify as charismatic, like me. UGH. John Oliver, this may come as a surprise to you, but I want to thank you. I am grateful that you highlighted these distortions of the gospel and the abuse of giving. We absolutely must do a much better job articulating and modeling what true, biblical prosperity actually is. As... Read more

ICYMI: Tip of the Spear on the Radio

August 22, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Had a great chat with Kathy Emmons on Pittsburgh’s 101.5 WORD-FM last Tuesday on The Ride Home with John and Kathy. Below is the link to their Sound Cloud. At 9:38 the segment begins wherein I discuss my essay and Derek’s article, the role of the prophetic, and marrying Word and Spirit in the church. About 10 minutes long. Take a listen and I welcome your thoughts in the comments. _________________________________ Photo Credit: Freeimages.com Read more

From Judge to Dad: A Review of Neal and Matthew Lozano’s Abba’s Heart

August 21, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Father God, our Abba, has an arrestingly beautiful heart. And we need to get to know it. We now can get to know that heart because of the provision God made for us in his son Jesus. Unfortunately, as Catholic authors Neal and Matthew Lozano note in their introduction to Abba’s Heart: Finding Our Way Back to the Father’s Delight, “many have served Jesus for their whole lives without getting to know his heart.” To find our way back to that delight we are going to need a... Read more

The Father’s Heart for Planned Parenthood’s President

August 10, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Later this week I will be posting my review of Neal and Matthew Lozano’s Abba’s Heart, a book which got me thinking about how God sees the most hardened of people and his reputation for breaking into their lives and transforming them with his great love. Lest I forget, the man through whom the Holy Spirit breathed most of the New Testament used to give approval to the slaughter of innocent people before he was stapled to the ground under the weight... Read more

A Documentary Film About Miracles, Science, and the Conflict that Isn’t

August 9, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Today I am delighted to highlight the work of a great man and friend. Elijah Stephens is a colleague of mine from Bible school and a former Vineyard pastor from Chattanooga, Tennessee. In addition to being a brilliant teacher of the Word he is one gutsy fellow who has undertaken an intriguing and radical project: a documentary film exploring the intersection of science and the supernatural, specifically prayer for healing of diseases and physical injuries. Earlier this year I was in the room... Read more

Songwriting with the Holy Spirit

August 7, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Next to singing, songwriting is one of my most favorite things to do. I prayed for this gift for a long time before I ever got the nerve to actually try it. If you’ve ever tried to write a hymn or a worship song, the first few will probably be pretty clunky. Mine were. I hated the way they sounded and I was so embarrassed by them that I wouldn’t play or sing them for anybody. They weren’t as awful... Read more

When I Pray for God to Change the Church (and my own heart)

August 6, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Several years ago I was received and confirmed at what is now my home parish after experiencing what you might call a long period of spiritual transition and great irritation with the Church. Ok, that’s dressing it up too nicely. Truth was, this was a messy season where I was sorting through everything I knew and thought I knew about life, God, the Bible, theology, and the church, struggling intensely to make sense of it as the words of Jesus about child-like... Read more

Pushing Past Obstacles To Create Beautiful Things

July 30, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

Thought I would give you all a window into my songwriting journey today here on Tip of the Spear. A song that Holy Spirit inspires has the power to destroy yokes off of people’s lives and release them from burdens they were never meant to carry. That’s what I pray for as I write music. And it requires relationship with Him to bring such an anthem to fruition; songs pierce the darkness like nothing else. Often the most beautiful things we creative-types... Read more

A Prophetic Prescription For the Future: Returning to Word and Spirit

July 28, 2015 By Brandon Mark Showalter

In a thoughtful piece last week about the future of Evangelicalism, Derek Rishmawy dismissed the idea that he was a prophet or the son of one, but as I read it I was stirred by its prophetic tone. Maybe that is because I believe in the continuation of the gifts of the Spirit and have observed that God sometimes speaks through people prophetically whether they are aware of it or not. Although I have not met Derek personally, I have... Read more