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| October 2003 Issue of the Pneuma Informer |  |
In this issue:
What's New at www.PneumaFoundation.org New Articles and other Features on the Pneuma Foundation Website:
Special Thanks: Thanks to volunteer W. Simpson, the Pneuma Informer is being placed on the Pneuma Web in record time. Mr. Simpson operates this Bible software website in the UK: http://www.logosword.co.uk and has been assisting with preparing the Pneuma Informer since May of 2003. Thank you to all of the Foundation volunteers that make this ministry possible! Come visit soon. Write to Member Services with any comments or questions you have about the website or the Pneuma Informer. Reports from Around the World Solomon Islands: revival in the Pacific During a visit to the Solomon Islands in the southern Pacific, Rev. Dr. Geoff Waugh witnessed signs of revival. The following is an extract from his report: "For the past few months, the Government has been unable to pay many teachers, policemen and officials as the result of ethnic tensions, violence and financial problems. Many of the affected people have simply remained at home, thus hindering the course of justice and allowing the crime rate to rise. The crisis also led to a breakthrough—many people sought God for answers. In 2003, signs of revival could be seen particularly in Western District and many Christian churches in Honiara, the capital. Youths experience the Holy Spirit At the end of April 2003, for example, many children and youths in Marovo Lagoon experienced the Holy Spirit in a special way; many were filled with the Spirit, many lives changed. They started meeting around 5pm, singing, giving testimony and receiving visions from God. One policeman commented that the crime rate sank, and previous gang leaders now regularly attended the church services and prayer meetings. I was on the nearby island of Munda with Rev. Fred Alizeru in July 2003. Early that month, the Holy Spirit fell on children and youths gathered to worship and pray for hours. They meet every evening from 5:30pm until late. I encouraged them to also see their school as a missions field, to pray there with their friends, and not separate themselves. The revival has spread since Easter 2003 in Seghe and Marovo Lagoon, and is reaching ever more adults, who repent and seek more from God. Many youths who were regularly in trouble with the police because of drug and alcohol abuse are now sober, on fire for God, and visit the services and prayer meetings every day. Adults publicly end long conflicts. One Sunday, some 200 children and youths led services with 1,000 participants. Many children have visions of Jesus smiling at them during the worship times, crying over hard hearts, or of angels or hell. They have also seen Jesus standing with one foot in heaven and one foot on the earth, declaring his authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). One boy prophesied for 90 minutes. Many youths receive words of knowledge, particularly about hidden magic items or amulets. Jesus wants no rivals! Children repeatedly show their parents where they have hidden such things! If an adult would do that, there would be problems, but the parents are obviously able to accept this from their children. One boy spoke with the police, telling them that a man had been falsely accused of stealing a chainsaw, and named the true thief through prophetic revelation. Many adults are now eager to learn more about revival, now that it has begun. Many spiritual leaders on New Georgia and Honiara attend study courses and use the material to preach in the Solomon Islands' towns and villages." Source: Geoff Waugh www.renewaljournal.com by way of Friday Fax 2003 Issue 33. Global mission: from church growth to multiplication movement "'Thomas', an Indian church planter, lies in a dilapidated hospital after being severely beaten for preaching the Gospel. He has only one thought: 'How quickly can I get out of here to preach again?'" writes Jim Montgomery, founder of the Dawn Movement. "One of the highlights of my life was meeting Dr. Donald McGavran, the father of the church growth movement. He taught me to measure the growth of churches, and to find out how to accelerate that growth in a healthy manner. Not long ago, ten percent growth per year was exceptional — for example a church growing from 100 to 110 or from 600 to 660 in one year. Today, though, we're experiencing something which far exceeds that, like throwing an old typewriter away, replacing it with the newest computer," he writes. "In traditionally unreached nations, but also in evangelised nations, we're seeing movements in which that which used to take decades is happening in years, months or even weeks. One recent report from Thomas' region, for example, tells of 32 missions teams which started with 2,616 house churches on 1 January 2002. By 31 December that year, there were 8,784 house churches — a growth of 236%! The number of Christians grew from 43,676 to 128,665." Five reasons for twenty times the growth rate Montgomery looks for the causes of this phenomenon, and finds five aspects which show the church around the world to be in 'one of the greatest paradigm changes in history': firstly, the fruit of two centuries of missionary work is that growing numbers of national Christians are taking the Great Commission in their own hands, developing their own strategies. It seems that massive growth is most possible where (secondly) the Christians are prepared to make sacrifices, and (thirdly) laypeople are strategically trained and sent out. Fourthly: the supernatural dimension; Steve Steele, President of Dawn Ministries, says "In India and many other parts of the world, you can regularly experience every one of the miracles described in the New Testament." Fifthly, "more and more church planters are working with models and tactics which can be multiplied endlessly, leading to a growth which is ten or twenty times as great as we ever dared to think. Even though the Western model of church, with pastors trained in Theological Seminaries, gathering Christians in expensive church buildings, is of value and will not simply disappear, it is the "simple churches"—simple, house church—like forms springing up around the world–which have the potential for rapid multiplication and exponential growth. This all comes together in a time when war and warmongering, spreading diseases, collapsing economies and governments, empty religions with unfulfilled promises and other insecurities and dangers are sending people on a quest for answers which can be found only in the Gospel." Source: Dr. Jim Montgomery, Dawn Report 51/2003, by way of Friday Fax 2003 Issue 34.
More in the News:
Special Report: Spiritual Harvest in Peru By Richard Twiss Editor's Note: The Pneuma Informer is pleased to share a report from First Nations leader Richard Twiss about a recent ministry trip to Peru. It's hard to believe the national Peruvian tour we have been planning and praying over for the past eighteen months is now finished. We could not have imagined the spiritual impact we would make. It was truly remarkable in every respect. In just nineteen days our Dancing Our Prayer team of eighteen First Nations believers completed a marathon trip to thirteen cities and jungle towns making 70 presentations of Christ and His Kingdom. We give thanks to God for a genuine "loaves and fishes" miracle of increase on this trip. We successfully transported our team around the country via planes, buses, river boats, vans and trains, while providing food and lodging for everyone, renting venues & equipment, printing posters and flyers, all on a miniscule shoe-string budget. The incredible amount of work we accomplished with so little is hard to believe. Please know how deeply grateful I am to each of you who gave financially toward this trip. It was money that was well invested toward reaping a spiritual harvest. From private meetings with national and local government leaders, to large stadium events, 1370 people made decisions for Christ. More than thirty thousand people were challenged to see the indigenous people of Peru in an entirely different light; not as poor needy Indians who are the mission field, but as co-equal partners in the life work and mission of the church of Jesus Christ in these days of harvest. For this Peruvian tour, team members came from across North America representing Chiricaulla Apache, Lakota/Sioux, Lipan Apache, Mohawk, Cree, Choctaw, Shoshone, Cherokee, Karuk, and Houma tribes. This diverse team of front-line servants came from various theological backgrounds including, Grace Brethren, Foursquare, Charismatic, and Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. The first leg of the tour took place over four days in the capital city of Lima. The team held twenty-three meetings at thirteen locations that were attended by more than 11000 people where several hundred were born-again. Along with the gospel message, a strong challenge on racial reconciliation, was shared throughout the city including two national press conferences, two mayors' offices, three radio programs, the Peruvian national congress and in five different churches. The second week took place in three jungle regions and the final week in Cusco. As I reported earlier I had the opportunity to share with the President of the House of Congress of Peru in a specially arranged private meeting, along with his team and several key congressman involved in Indigenous Affairs in Peru. I told him, as I did leaders across the country, that we had come to support the efforts of the Indigenous people of the Peru in their pursuit of dignity, justice and equality in the nation. I said as a spiritual people we recognize the only hope for a better future was a spiritual one. As followers of the Jesus Way we had come all the way to Peru, at God's leading, to tell them Jesus Christ is the Waymaker for all tribes and nations and only through Christ can God's destiny for Peru be fulfilled. Our team was then escorted into the rotunda area where numerous congressman, government leaders and workers gathered, asking for prayer from the team. I said we would dance their prayers for God's wisdom as they are faced with making many difficult decisions for their people. Mohawk musician, Jonathan Maracle, then sang a drum song as the entire team danced before the Lord. Pedro Ferraro, the father of the national Peruvian prayer movement and a highly respected Christian leader in the country, made a very powerful commentary about our team. He said the team had done more good for the national evangelical movement in their country than we could ever know. He said because our team of Native North Americans had presented such a clear, credible and unique perspective of the Gospel of the Kingdom at the highest levels of national government leadership, the cause of Christ was strengthened at a very deep level in his country. One evening in Cusco, a group of revolutionary militants clad in army fatigues came to our evening meeting, unknown to us, to disrupt and prevent us from making our presentation. However, as they saw us welcomed and honored by the president of the regional tribal leaders association and me honoring her with an eagle feather from my dance stick and then gifted with a beautiful pipe by Karen Cummings, the Holy Spirit touched their hearts. That night we shared the stage with a traditional Quechua dance group and then taught them the couples "Two-step" dance. There was a lot of joy that night. As a part of my message, I affirmed our support for the struggle of the tribal people of Peru for dignity, respect and liberty and shared that Christ was our only hope. The Spirit of God moved powerfully and four hundred people responded and embraced Jesus as Savior. Afterward, the revolutionaries all wanted their pictures taken with us and the next morning two leaders came and did an extensive interview for their national paper with Bryan Brightcloud, David Gomez and myself. We shared our testimonies of how Christ had set us free from hate and bitterness to love those who wounded us. Again, the Sprit of God touched their hearts and they expressed their heartfelt gratitude for what we are all about. I have been saying for several years that when we, as First Nations believers, would respond by faith in obedience to Christ's command to go, that He would prove Himself strong in our weakness. The Father gave us such undeserved and exaggerated favor in the land, accompanied by an abundant harvest, that more than ever I am committed to see our people become engaged in world missions! By God's grace, Wiconi International is now going to establish a First Nations International Outreach School to train, equip and send our people to fulfill the Great Commission to go to the nations. Not only short-term helps/training teams, but long term Native church-planters and pastors. We need to see an Indigenous Church Planting Network established throughout the Americas. This is our time! Yes, we have huge challenges among our reservations and Native communities across Turtle Island, however that does not dismiss us from obeying the Lord. While there remains a mountain of work to be done here at home, let us not mistakenly make it an "either or" dilemma, but a "both and" dynamic of extending Christ's Kingdom among us. We have numerous invitations from Indigenous community leaders in Peru who desperately want our help training/equipping their leaders. In many tribal situations our problems here at home pale by comparison to what our Indigenous cousins face every day. There are less than four million Native North Americans in the U.S., Canada and Alaska combined. However, there are fifty-five million in the "Americas." Nearly half of Peru's population of 28 million is Indigenous Native peoples. The Quechua Nation, spread out between Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, is nearly 20 million. The scripture declares, "Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over, shall people give back to you." I believe we owe a spiritual debt to now serve and assist our Indigenous cousins that remain captive under the oppressive subjugation of Spanish and Catholic systemic colonialism. Please join me in praying into existence this First Nations Center and church planting network that will reach beyond North American into Mexico, Central and South America. I have never seen fields white and ready for harvest like we saw in Peru. Pray for laborers, release of long-term funding and collaborative partnerships with various ministry organizations. Again, thank you for you generous prayers and financial support. Your brother, Richard Twiss Wiconi International PO Box 5246 Vancouver, WA 98668 USA 360-546-1867 www.wiconi.com Read Any Good Books Lately? An invitation to recommend books for review and the online reading list, by Mike Knowles. Have you ever had an experience similar to this? It's a warm summer evening, with just the slightest of breezes drifting through the neighborhood. You are sitting in your favorite chair, which has been re-situated beside a window to take advantage of the occasional movement of air. With a refreshing glass of iced tea at your side, you open up that new book on the gifts of the Spirit and begin to read. Half an hour later as you finish chapter three, you turn the book over and lay it down open on your lap. With glasses in hand and a thoughtful expression on your face, you softly say to yourself, "Wow, I've never looked at it that way before. You know, I think every Christian leader should read this book ..." Sharing with others how God has ministered to you can be a tremendous blessing. If you have read a good book lately that you think other Pentecostals/charismatics would enjoy, we would love you to share it with us. E-mail us your recommendation, and we will consider reviewing the book for the Pneuma Review and the Pneuma Informer. Please include a summary of what the book is about and why it was meaningful to you. Make sure to give us all of the necessary details about the book including title, author, and publisher, and if possible, where it was purchased. And if you happen to be an author yourself, let us know what you have had published and where we can purchase your works. Online resources: To see the index of all book reviews that have appeared in the Pneuma Review, visit the archive. To view recommended titles on the Holy Spirit, visit our reading list Thoughts to Ponder "You ought to believe something in life, believe that thing so fervently that you will stand up with it to the end of your days" — Martin Luther King Jr. "It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of a man is tested." — Abraham Lincoln Every man's a pilot in a calm sea, But who will steer the course through the storm? — Anonymous "All that is necessary for evil to succeed, is for good men to do nothing." — Edmund Burke "You can not very well blast great rocks without the sound of explosions, nor fight a battle and keep everybody as quiet as a mouse... Friction and stir are the natural result of force in motion." — Charles Spurgeon Resources You Can Use Free Bible SoftwareA ministry created by a seminary student and his family is offering a professional Bible software package for just the cost of shipping. This package includes a free 37 volume Logos Bible Software CD. You can get the free CD at their website: www.freebiblesoftware.com or by calling 866-66-BIBLE (886-662-4253).Excerpts from the Pneuma Review The Pneuma Review is a quarterly printed journal of ministry resources and theology for Pentecostal and charismatic ministries and leaders. For more information about the Pneuma Review, and to learn how to subscribe, click here. There is also subscription information further on in this newsletter. From "Rightly Understanding God's Word" Chapter Two: Learning Context. Part 2 of 2 by Craig S. Keener. 14. 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 in Context Paul says that spiritual gifts like prophecy, tongues and knowledge will pass away when we no longer need them (1 Cor. 13:8-10). Some Christians read this passage as if it said, "Spiritual gifts like prophecy, tongues, and knowledge passed away when the last book of the New Testament was written." This interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13 ignores the entire context of 1 Corinthians, however. It is a letter to the Corinthians in the middle of the first century, and they had never yet heard of a New Testament in the middle of the first century. Had Paul meant the completion of the New Testament, he would have had to have made this point much more clearly—starting by explaining what a New Testament addition to their Bible was. In the context we find instead that Paul means that spiritual gifts will pass away when we know God as He knows us, when we see Him face to face (13:12; when we no longer see as through a mirror as in the present—cf. 2 Cor 3:18, the only other place where Paul uses the term). In other words, spiritual gifts must continue until our Lord Jesus returns at the end of the age. They should remain a normal part of our Christian experience today. A broader examination of the context reveals even more of Paul's meaning in this passage. In chapters 12-14, Paul addresses those who are abusing particular spiritual gifts, and argues that God has gifted all members of Christ's body with gifts for building up God's people. Those who were using God's gifts in ways that hurt others were abusing the gifts God had given to help others. That is why Paul spends three paragraphs in the midst of his discussion of spiritual gifts on the subject of love: gifts without love are useless (13:1-3); love seeks to edify (13:4-7); the gifts are temporary (for this age only), but love is eternal (13:8-13). We should seek the best gifts (1 Cor. 12:31; 14:1), and love gives us the insight to see which gifts are the best in any given situation—those which build others up. The context of Paul's whole letter drives this point home further: Paul's description of what love is in 1 Cor. 13:4-7 contrasts starkly with Paul's prior descriptions of the Corinthians in his letter: selfish, boastful, and so on (1 Cor 3:3; 4:6-7, 18; 5:2). The Corinthian Christians, like the later church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22), had a lot in their favor, but lacked what mattered most of all: the humility of love. . . .
From "Encouraging the Team" by Rick Kamrath. From the Worship Leader series. No matter what kind of team, and for whatever purpose the team exists, (ministry, sports, business, etc.), individual players are likely to perform better if they receive encouragement from their leadership. In a worship band, this is often vital to getting the most out of its ministry. Various elements contribute to the success of a worship band: respectable leadership, closeness within the group, and creativity, are a few. But some of those same elements which make a band successful can contribute to making an already-discouraged member feel even more hurt. Take the element of creativity. Since creativity involves the expression of the heart, constant rejection, or even just ambivalence, toward a band member's contributions can lead to hurt and discouragement. This is especially true coming from a leader who the band member respects. . . . The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to encourage with patience and care (2 Tim. 4:2). And when attempting to build someone up, remember: encouragement should be honest. Worship pastors and leaders often find themselves in trouble integrating a much-needed but temporary player into the team just to quickly fill a vacancy. They may not be that gifted, but they can fill a hole, so they hear appreciation and encouragement (but only until someone comes along who can do the job better!). If the person's talents aren't particularly strong, they shouldn't be "setup" for later disappointment. Be up front about that person's place on the team, so you won't be tempted to use the Lord as a scapegoat later ("the Lord told me to use so-and-so instead"). Some people don't have the necessary level of gifting and talent for certain functions of a ministry for the long run, but can be an incredible lifesaver until someone else takes the position. If that is the case, be honest about the need, and be encouraging about their input. If team members have been properly built up and encouraged so that they are secure in what they can do, they will be much more able to accept what they cannot do. One Vineyard worship leader/songwriter created a "7 to 1" ratio: give at least seven encouragements for every one (loving) criticism. . . .
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