“The chief danger of the twentieth century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.” ~William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) Like so many other ideas, “tolerance” has been redefined in our postmodern society. Tolerance is something that focuses largely … Continue reading Compromised Church
Passionate, mission-minded, revivalistic, evangelical, Spirit-filled followers of Jesus that started in a Glory Barn believing in the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit… That’s who we are. It’s who we’ve always been. It’s what makes us unique. For some time it seems we’ve been struggling with an identity crisis. Some within our tribe lean toward … Continue reading Nazarene Generations
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about the roots of the Church of the Nazarene. As with any denomination, God uses specific groups of people to accomplish unique things. No doubt, the men and women that called themselves Nazarenes in the early days were catalysts in the 20th Century Holiness Movement. Phineas F. Bresee, founder of the … Continue reading Centers Of Holy Fire
“If your church hasn’t won anyone to Jesus in the last year, it’s not a church, it’s a country club.” A friend recently made that statement. I’d go a step further: if a church isn’t endeavoring to ‘win’ people it isn’t even a good country club. Too many churches have become shrines of personal achievement … Continue reading Country Club Church
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees…” (Mark 8:15). Jesus is harsh in confronting the Pharisees of his day pointing out that they polluted the Body. It is interesting to consider the role of fermentation in the making of bread. It starts small, but it contaminates the entire loaf. In fact, one of the definitions … Continue reading Holier Than Thou
Comparing the church to a ‘big tent’ has become an interesting conversation piece. Big tent theology teaches that God is calling the church to open her arms wider than ever before. Expanding the tent calls for a diversity of thought, the inclusion of varying stances on nonessential issues, and erasing lines that could potentially divide. … Continue reading Big Tents & Centered Sets
“Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.” ~Thomas Aquinas There is no such thing as a joyless Christian. The culture of heaven is established in celebration. Scripture contains various commands for us to rejoice. Giving thanks is good … Continue reading Return To Joy
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3). John the Baptist echoed the words of the Prophet Isaiah as he preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He was announcing the coming of a new way of understanding life in relation to God. It wasn’t that God’s Kingdom … Continue reading Thy Kingdom Come
Spiritual discipline is the chief aim of the Christian life. Walking in step with the Holy Spirit is not optional—it is essential for anyone seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus. Yet in our modern world, we are constantly pulled toward the surface. Superficiality is our greatest distraction. Lack of depth is the curse of Western … Continue reading Spiritual Disciplines
Brian L Powell 