The Remnant Blog
Edited by Dawson JarrellA Hidden Hindrance to the Holy Spirit’s work in Community
Swimming in the problem I live in the southern United States; if the south is a pond then pretentiousness is like water. People swim around in it and don't even realize it's what they live in. This is particularly evident in churches; all churches, cessationist,...
Manifestations, The Devil and Discernment
This is the last post in my series on physical manifestations. I am particularly focused on what has been called being “slain in the Spirit”. When it comes to those controversial topics. Everyone has an opinion. What is most important is that everyone keep their heads...
Purpose, Power and the Occasional Obnoxious Preacher’s Kid
What God loves to do with unruly preacher’s kids is a great blessing to me. Firstly, because I am one, but second, because it is always entertaining to me. Here is one of my favorite testimonies of one such PK. It is from the autobiography of Peter Cartwright. ...
Slain in the Spirit as a Sacrament?
As we saw in the last post, what started as a phenomenon evolved over time to be viewed more as a sacramental experience that could happen during a liturgical practice of laying on hands. This week we will look at the theological reflections among Pentecostal thinkers...
Slain in the Spirit: Historical Witness
Historical Witness In this little historical overview I try to focus on occurrences of such manifestations in evangelical and holiness movements not commonly noted in the history books. In the second half, I look at the evolution of how the church has understood the...
Slain in the Spirit 101
This is the opening blog of a five-part series on this controversial topic. The first blog is a short introduction to the subject with my own not-so-subtle take on it. What is being "Slain in the Spirit"? Sociological description: “Slain/Slaying in the...
Open but Cessationist
Calvin on the Necessity of the Apostles Apollos was regarded as an apostle (1 Cor 4:1). He was not an eyewitness of the resurrection (Acts 18). Thus, apostleship cannot be limited to those who saw the risen Christ (although the type of apostleship exercised by the...
Gordon D. Fee on the Spirit in the New Testament
In his book ‘Gospel and Spirit’, Gordon D. Fee strings together a “Drop the Mic” level diatribe on the New Testament believers' experience of the Holy Spirit in comparison to Today. “I think it is fair to note that if there is one thing that differentiates the early...
“Spirit of Prophecy” in Second Temple Literature
“Spirit of prophecy” in Second Temple Literature is thought by many scholars to be in the background knowledge of New Testament pneumology. In the intertestamental literature the term “Spirit of prophecy” became a title for the Holy Spirit describing how Jews...
Getting Started in the Prophetic
Be Prophetic like Haggai? Haggai is for the unsure and first timers. What do I mean? I mean Haggai has something to say to someone first beginning to walk in their prophetic gift. So let's look at what encouragement he has to give us. Not Our Model The Old Testament...
The Greatest Hindrance to a Servant Attitude
I think most people find selfishness in other people to be hot...... How many of you just thought to yourself, “What is he talking about?” Likely everyone, because selfishness is a turn off. (Please allow me one Dad joke every so often). I think a less odd way of...
Demons, Sickness and the Idolatrous Practices
The Jewish view of demonic and sickness began to be developed in the Second Temple period. They held ideas like, God permits human sickness and other disasters to occur. They also held that sometimes demons are involved, but in the end these powers will be overcome,...
How to Deal with Manipulative Christians (who sometimes prophesy)
Know your boundaries. Boundaries are guidelines, or limits that a person creates to identify for the person what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave around them. In light of the doctrine of soul competency, remember God’s expectation...
Demons, Sickness and the Second Temple
In the cultural waters of Jesus and Paul, people already had an idea of the demonic. In Hellenistic Greek, “daimonia” were semi-divine beings with powers of various sorts who could be either good or evil. Basically, the same worldview as Ghosthunters on the Discovery...
Old Pictures & Renewed Vision
Years ago, in my grandfather’s living room, there were two little black-and-white pictures of him that my grandmother hung with pride. Both were true of him and were taken around the same time. One was him in his garden leaning on a rake, five o’clock shadow, hair...
Two Kinds of Leadership
In a blog on theology in the Gospel of Mark, renowned Greek professor and Pauline scholar David Allen Black wrote about a memory that still haunts him: “As a 10-year-old boy growing up in Hawaii, I clearly remember the day our pastor was fired. He was a gentle,...
Power and The Christian
In fourth grade, I found a way to cut through the prickly bushes at the end of recess which allowed me to always be first at the water fountain. I was first to drink down the cool refreshing water that always quenched my thirst after an hour of kickball. Not just the...
Gaming the System
Vacation Bible School, 1984. Me in my “I Love VBS” t-shirt, the leader blows a trumpet which means “get in line”. Every child runs as fast as they can to get in line for the march around a paper mesh Jericho wall. Rumor has it that the wall is going to come down at an...
THE GARDEN OF EDEN WAS A TEMPLE?
G.K. Beale, the name sounds like a superhero or a CEO media mogul, like Clark Kent or Josh Lewis. In reality, G.K. Beale is a biblical scholar, so he is neither rich nor has superpowers, but he is knowledgeable. Beale is known for his biblical theology and the unique...
Good Friday Meditations
Two meditations on the cross Isaiah 53:1-5 (KJV) Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see...
What Happened on Holy Week (Part 2)
Holy Monday The Cleansing of the Temple: Matt 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My...
What Happened on Holy Week
Holy Week among most modern evangelicals is little more than just another work week. Things don't get “alive and hopping” until Sunday or sometimes Friday night. Historically, the church has celebrated the whole week as set apart, ”Holy”, with practices and vespers...
God’s Guerrilla Marketing in China
After reading the stories coming out of china I questioned my own experience. Why is it so easy for people in China to pray for others? Whereas, here in the West, we don't have people seeking out a christian to pray for healing. In the West, many dismiss the idea,...
Holistic view of the healing as seen in China
Divine healing can also be understood biblically in a holistic sense. Some point to how the Greek word for save means wholeness. Others highlight the full scope of the meta-narrative to support the view. A holistic view affirms that God’s healing power is understood...
Testimonies of Healing in China
In China, the following testimonies are typical of the part healing prayers play in evangelism. Below are several testimonies from Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing, Oxford University Press, 2011. Each of these testimonies have been peer reviewed and verified...
Approach to a Theology of Healing in China
Normalizing healing is an aim here at Remnant. By this, we mean normalizing the practice of praying for healing, believing that God will meet His people if we seek, knock, and ask. It means believing God continues to bring His “kingdom in power.” We believe Jesus...
Healing in a Chinese Context
In Chapter 15 of “Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing” put out by Oxford University Press, in 2011, Gotthard Oblau writes on his research into the role divine healing had in the rapid growth of Christianity in China. From 1985 to 1997, Oblau was employed by a...
How could people think Penal Substitution is abuse?
In Christianity there is an idea, that is going around like a virus! Here is one formulation of this theological pandemic. “What kind of Father lets his beloved son be tortured and killed? If the crucifixion happened, then it was divine child-abuse” - Bishop John...
Prolegomena for the Atonement
Meaning of the Term: Atonement The theological meaning of the word can be explained by a simple cliché that is at the same time accurate, atonement means “at-one-ment”; to atone is to reconcile a broken relationship on behalf of another. The state of being at one or...
Seven Yellow Flags of a Toxic Leader (Part Two)
In the previous post we looked at the first three yellow flags. Flags that point in the direction of someone being a toxic leader. Here are the last four flags. 4. Fake Faith A toxic person can learn to talk the talk. They typically have been in christian circles long...