INSIGHT

On Religion, History & Society:

A Forum for Conservative Christian Thought

Volume 1, No. 1, July 1995

In This Issue:

• Letter from the Editor
• Commentary: Let the `Son' Shine In
• Abortion and Protest
• News You Can Use
• Books: Recommended, Not
• Wish I'd Said That! (Quotations)
• Meet the Publisher

Dear Reader:

Welcome to the premier issue of Insight, a newsletter of pentecostal and conservative Christian thought, devoted to providing tools, information & inspiration to all Christians, but especially to the local pastor. Insight was originally envisioned to be a free service to pastors in the Houston, Texas, area, but has now been expanded to be available nationwide.

Although copyrighted, Insight's contents may be freely reproduced (in accordance with stated Policies).

The ASCII text-only version, designed for distribution over the Internet, does not include graphics. A hard copy which includes graphics is available free by mail. To receive a hard copy, send a stamped, self-addressed letter-sized envelope to the address listed under Ownership. Bulk mailings can be arranged.

Your input and comments are welcomed (see Policies).

Spiritual blessings in Christ,
Rev. Paul A. Hughes, editor/publisher

Commentary: Let the 'Son' Shine In

by Rev. Paul A. Hughes

God never meant for believers to live without the power of the Holy Spirit working in them and through them in gifts and fruit from the Spirit. But many who name the name of Christ today neglect this vital resource provided by Jesus Christ for his Church.

Recent surveys suggest that no more than 40 percent of Assemblies of God believers claim to speak in tongues regularly. Speaking in tongues is a reflection on one's willingness to be used by the Spirit. We can choose whether to follow the will of the Spirit or "quench" ("stifle," "snuff out") the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). But on each occasion that we allow the Spirit to have free rein, we become motivated by the Spirit, displacing self-motivation. Only then can we truly be said to be "filled with the Spirit."

Opening the Door

Once we have made the choice to let the Holy Spirit in at salvation, we must then choose daily to let him out. The Spirit subjects himself to the believer's will (1 Corinthians 14:32). When a Christian insists upon doing things contrary to the Spirit which dwells within him, he grieves the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

Cleaning House

God wants to work in our hearts to make us not only be holy but act holy. When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us at salvation, He wants to make himself at home. That means "cleaning house." The Spirit works to purge us from both active sin and the will to sin, replacing it with the will to do righteousness. He wants to relieve us of the burden of guilt for past sins and heal the wounds and scars caused by sin. This process, of course, is not altogether instantaneous: it is a continuing effort, and it requires our cooperation.

Bearing Fruit

Then the Holy Spirit wants to break out into the outward man, manifesting his presence and nature in our actions. This is called "bearing fruit of the Spirit" (see John 15:8). If a tree does not bear good fruit, it is worthless. It will be cut down and thrown into the fire (John 15:6). We, like trees, are known by our fruit, and must bear good fruit or be judged worthless.

Breaking Through

The Spirit does not violate the human will to get in at salvation, and does not pry open the door to get out, either. We must throw open the door of the will in order for the Spirit to be manifest. Only with our cooperation is the Spirit able to bear fruit in our lives.

However, this turning over of the will can be very traumatic. Imagine yourself as a big house with many rooms. Each room is a part of your life. Initially, your house is all dark, its doors locked, its windows shuttered. At salvation, you threw open a door or opened a window, and let the light of Jesus Christ shine in. You felt, for a time, a cleansing and an infusion of joy.

But no one throws open all the doors and windows of his life at salvation. The Lord knows that our capacity for commitment is limited. He knows that there are other areas He will have to address later, other doors He must knock on in time.

This crisis of commitment can spawn a personal breakthrough. A dramatic surrender of the will is the key to being baptized and used by the Holy Spirit. Salvation takes only a small measure of commitment, a tiny spark of faith in order to accept God's free gift. The Baptism takes a much greater commitment. One must open up many more doors, expose many more rooms of one's life to the light of Jesus Christ. Only then is his Spirit able to infuse those areas with light, cleanse them, and begin to work in and through them with power (see Luke 11:33-36).

Many Christians still have a lot of locked doors, areas of their lives which are still dark. They have withheld those areas from the Lord, refused to expose them to the light. He asks them again and again to turn over the key, but they harden their hearts, refuse and reject him, until finally He quits asking.

I have observed two scenarios: One Christian throws open many doors of his life all at once, and is immediately filled with joy and cleansing, speaking in tongues as the Spirit wills and beginning to manifest other gifts and fruit of the Spirit. This might happen at the very moment of salvation, as was so often the case in the Book of Acts.

(Americans, on the whole, seem to have more difficulty receiving the Baptism than people in many other cultures. For one thing, we live in a nation which values image above reality. We also have too few avenues of self-expression and emotional reliease, usually limited to sports events, weddings, funerals, and other events in which emotional displays are acceptable. We are not "transparent," and have little tolerance for others who are. We are too concerned with what people will think about us if we "let go." We have too many "hang-ups." In contrast, people in more expressive cultures are more likely to receive the Baptism immediately upon salvation.)

A second Christian, however, must wrestle with himself and with the Lord (like Jacob), "tarrying" at the altar. He has a difficult time handing over the keys to his "house" so the Lord's light can lighten the dark areas. There are things he doesn't want to give up. There are dark recesses he doesn't want to deal with, skeletons in the closet. He might keep "seeking" for days, months, or even years. Sadly, he might give up before he receives the Baptism. If and when this believer receives the Baptism, the infusion of joy and cleansing might not be as great. He might be drained from the battle, or he might not have opened up as many rooms to the light.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit constitutes a breakthrough in the individual's spiritual life. It is a breakthrough of willingness and commitment, first of all, to let the Holy Spirit have control and flow forth in gifts and fruit; and second, it is a breakthrough of willingness and commitment to begin doing God's will rather than one's own, and to go and do whatever God might call us to do.

Until this breakthrough, the Christian might be "saved by grace," but he cannot truly be said to be "his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, in which God has ordained for us to walk" (Ephesians 2:10).

Condensed from the author's 56-page illustrated booklet, Christ Within You! The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1993). A hard copy is available from the author at low cost. A text-only version is available free by e-mail--or access the Indwell page at this Web site.

Abortion and Protest

1 to 3 percent of these babies are aborted because of rape or incest (though it is wrong to make the innocent suffer for another's sin or misfortune). Many others are aborted on the premise of saving the mother's life, though this premise is applied too broadly by pro-abortion doctors. (To some, pregnancy by itself is a threat to the woman's life.)

It is safe to say that over a million abortions are performed simply for personal convenience, not to mention the profit of doctors and abortion agencies. Abortion is being used by many as birth control after-the-fact.

Christians must stand up and speak out against the wanton taking of human life. But how? Does abortion justify any extreme of human behavior, including the murder of abortionists? No! No Christian has the right to be a self-appointed judge, jury, and executioner.

What about protests? The news media has portrayed pro-life protesters as belligerent, narrow-minded, mean-spirited, antagonistic extremists, often lumping them together with terrorists. Christians should not stubbornly persist in using methods which do not work and might in fact be counter-productive.

I know of no more effective protest than that of one man who, instead of shouting raucously at his opponents, simply knelt and prayed while reading his Bible. Abortion-rights activists mobbed him, jostled him, vilely cursed him, and even spat on him and his Bible. The pro-aborts (all women) acted like slobbering, rabid beasts. I saw this on a network news report, and have never forgotten that moving sight.

This is the pattern of Jesus. He was sorely abused, yet stood firm. He did not accuse his enemies, but held high the torch of Truth as a testimony against them. In the light of Truth, love, and gentleness, the ungodly are exposed for what they truly are.

If only we had more men and women who were willing to protest in gentleness instead of righteous indignation, I believe that we not only would expose the true nature of the pro-abortion side, but would begin to move the heart of the general public in our favor.

Paraclete Discontinued

Those of us who love pentecostal Bible scholarship mourn the passing of Paraclete, the official Bible-study journal of the Assemblies of God, published since 1967. The discontinuation is the result of a move to "down-size" the Gospel Publishing House, enacted by the Priority Analysis Committee.

According to editor David Bundrick, Advance, the minister's magazine, is being restyled into a quarterly called Enrichment, patterned after Leadership magazine. Rev. Bundrick expects the new magazine to include a "limited number of theological-type articles."

Great things have been done in the realm of pentecostal theology in recent years by a handful of scholars and especially by Hendrickson Publishers, a division of Christian Book Distributors. Still, any dedicated student of the Bible realizes that most existing Bible scholarship has been done from a non-pentecostal point-of-view. There is much yet to be examined and developed from a stance which understands and restores the full import of the Bible's teachings.

Back issues of Paraclete are still available on a limited basis at $2.00 a copy. No doubt Brother Bundrick will be willing to "cut a deal" with anyone who wants to obtain a full set.

There are, fortunately, two remaining sources for pentecostal theology. One is the Journal of Pentecostal Theology, published in England by Sheffield Academic Press, Ltd., University of Sheffield, 343 Fulwood Rd., Sheffield S10 3BP, England. The other is PNEUMA, published by the Society for Pentecostal Studies.

LaFon New Editor of Luz y Vida

San Salvador--Robert A. LaFon, missionary to El Salvador, has been appointed editor of Luz y Vida, the Salvadoran equivalent of the Pentecostal Evangel.

Bob is perhaps best known as the son of Ben and Florine LaFon, longtime missionaries to Ecuador. I first met Bob at Southwestern Assemblies of God College, and we became close friends while attending the Seminary in Springfield, where he also met his wife, Edie. Bob and Edie, have one child, Kara,and are expecting another. Bob and I often communicate via the Internet. His Internet address is rlafon@es.com.sv, plus he has a Web site at http://www.mindspring.com/~tentmakr/pphp/L018.html.

Little Kara recently required surgery to correct an eye problem. Bob and Edie hope to avoid a second surgery. No doubt they would appreciate you prayers for that and for Edie's pregnancy.

The Online Church

Many resources are now available to the local church via computer modem, including bulletin-board services (BBS's) and the Internet.

Christianity Online--available on America Online (AOL) under the keyword "Christianity." For the minimum $9.95 per month charge (incl. 5 hours log time), network subscribers can access Christian "message boards" for personal networking, peruse classified ads, and download articles from Christian publications, including Christianity Today and Christian History.

ECUNET--a private Christian computer network.

On the WorldWide Web (WWW)--check out the addresses:

• http://www.MorningStar.org
• http://www.iclnet.org.

A Christian BBS--address alt.religion.christian.

For prospective college students as well as graduates: The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp. now has an address on the WorldWide Web for online help, gopher://gopher.tgslc.org, or call 1-800-252-9743 for information.

When dialing the United Kingdom, callers must now add "1" before the "44." For London, for example, one must dial "011-44-171" instead of "01-44-71." Local calls must also add "1" to the number. For more information, call 1-800-634-2485 (Computer News).

BARRINGTON, RI, December 1994--School superintendent Ralph Malifronte ordered that "Christ" be removed from the song "Let the Sleighbells Ring" in a children's program, since it refers to Jesus as the Messiah. References to "Jesus," however, were allowed.

• Saturday Morning Mind Control, by Phil Phillips (Nelson), warns of the insidious use of New Age ideology, witchcraft, and other evil influences in children's cartoons and entertainment.

• Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments, by Randy Alcorn (Multnomah).

• The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History, by Colin Hemer (Eisenbrauns).

• Christianity in Crisis, by Hank Hanegraaff (Harvest). The author, president of the Christian Research Institute, details errors and extremes in the Prosperity and Word of Faith movements, which he calls "cults."

• On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers, by Friedrich Schleiermacher (Westminster/John Knox Press). A new issue of the author's 1799 apologetic.

• John Calvin's Exegesis of the Old Testament, by David Puckett (Westminster/Knox). Calvin, one will note, was much more moderate than his later interpreters.

• That Godless Court? Supreme Court Decisions on Church-State Relationships, by Ronald Flowers (Westminster/Knox).

  Definitely Not Recommended

• Reimagining God: The Case for Scriptural Diversity, by Johanna van Wijk-Bos (West./Knox).

• Know My Name: A Gay Liberation Theology, by Richard Cleaver (West./Knox).

• God Has Many Names, by John Hick (West./Knox). Sees "the world religions as various expressions of the human encounter with transcendental Reality" (Journal of Ecumenical Studies).

Wish I'd Said That!

"Productivity is a grace-gift of abiding in Christ. Not from hustle, from Him!" (Steve Brown).

"Many Christians have the right aims in life--they just never get around to pulling the trigger!" (unknown).

"Controversy for the sake of controversy is sin. Controversy for the sake of truth is a divine command" (Walter Martin).

"The most profane things in the world include the moralizing of the immoral, the sermonizing of sinners, the pragmatism of the ungodly, and the philosophizing of the ignorant," (editor).

An Assemblies of God minister, Paul Hughes was granted a great pentecostal heritage through his maternal grandparents. Thomas J. Kinard I (1889-1971) was an East Texas farm boy and WWI veteran who founded Assemblies of God churches in Simmons Bottom, Baytown, and Crosby, Texas, and pastored elsewhere including Waldron and Mansfield in Arkansas. His wife, Ceycle (1906-88) was also an ordained minister.

Rev. Hughes grew up in Crosby and Liberty, east of Houston. While working in Houston in 1981-82, he began to feel the call of God on his life, received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and began seriously studying Scripture in a quest for truth. God spoke to him to attend Bible college and then seminary. He concentrated in Christian Education in order to become an effective Bible teacher, and took all the courses in Bible, theology, Greek and Hebrew that he could squeeze in. At the same time, he served nearby Central Assembly as a Royal Ranger commander and member of the church orchestra and video crew, and founded a singles fellowship at the seminary.

Rev. Hughes has served two churches as Assistant Pastor. He works as a freelance writer, desktop publisher, music minister and songwriter in the Houston area, while serving Evangel Assembly as adult Sunday school teacher.

Brother Hughes is available for pulpit ministry, Bible teaching, singles seminars, Holy Spirit conferences, and music ministry. His original songs, of various styles, are available to Christian singers and singing groups by arrangement, in most cases free of charge. He can also help pastors with various writing, publishing, and computer needs.

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