Is the New Testament gift of prophecy operative in the church today? Many say Yes; [1] many, No, famously John MacArthur in 2014, in his Strange Fire conference and book. [2] There is third response, a Yes, but viewpoint which has been popular among some non-charismatic evangelicals, and affirmed in recent times by John Piper:... Continue Reading →
The gift of tongues in the post-apostolic church: a rejoinder to Cleon Rogers
Click link to download the article as a pdf file: Shogren_The gift of tongues in the post-apostolic church In 1965 Cleon Rogers published a short study about the gift of tongues in the centuries after the apostles.[1] It is late in the day to refute an article already a half century old; but since people keep... Continue Reading →
Persecution is NOT good for what ails the church (Part Two)
Spiritual growth comes through Spirit-power and direction, applied from the inside out as God rewrites our heart, soul and mind to conform to his righteousness. Revivals of history have come as the result of prayer and the Spirit’s power; most are absent of any persecution as a proximate cause: the Reformation, Great Awakening, the Wesleyan... Continue Reading →
Persecution is NOT good for what ails the church (Part One)
Is persecution good for what ails the church? Here’s the word on the street: Viewpoint A: Everyone knows that persecution purifies the church – Therefore, if revival is to come, it will be through suffering. Therefore, persecution is a good, a benefit. Therefore, the committed Christian should pray for persecution to fall on their country.... Continue Reading →