I post papers I have written, some during my graduate and post-graduate studies, some in response to other papers, and some written for other purposes like Sunday school classes or Bible studies. I also post observations on whatever comes to my mind and videos from teaching sessions.
My newest book, Signs and Wonders: Learning to Use the Gifts of the Spirit, is now available from pentecostalpublishing.com. This 163-page volume includes 20 chapters and an appendix. As the subtitle indicates, it offers a practical, not merely theoretical, approach to operating the spiritual gifts.
These are the things Philip Dugas and I learned while teaching the Signs and Wonders course at Christian Life College. Briefly, we discovered that whether we are exploring the nine spiritual gifts of I Corinthians, the motivational gifts of Romans 12, or the five-fold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4, we deepen our understanding through experience.
I hope you will visit the Pentecostal Publishing House display while you’re at the general conference this week and check out this book. It has taken me many years to write.
Today, I was back on the Urshan University campus to serve as a guest professor for Urshan Graduate School of Theology.
As suggested by this photo, which was selected by Susan, I started the three hour session fresh and ready to go work.
I enjoyed opening the Word.I kept enjoying it.But by the time the class was over, I was exhausted.I may be retired, but that doesn’t keep me from teaching, whether on campus or via ZOOM, as portrayed here, for Apostolic Bible Institute in St. Paul, MN.
The Urshan campus is about fifteen minutes from our home … ABI is about 500 miles away. But I told the Lord at a recent Sunday morning service that I would go through any door He opened. 🙏🏻
Today I came across a video of this lesson I taught during the twenty-five years I was the teacher of the adult Bible class at Christian Life Center in Stockton, California.
The title may seem a bit odd, but if you watch just a few minutes of the video, it will become clear.
This afternoon, Susan and I took a little drive to see what we could see. When we started, we had no specific destination in mind. Along the way, we arrived at the Home Gallery, a home decor business showcasing potential room designs by an upscale builder. The Home Gallery is located in The Meadows, near Wentzville, Missouri.
As we entered a beautiful dining room, I noticed a book placed on a piece of furniture that could have served as a buffet. I had seen similar items in another room. When I opened what appeared to be a book, I realized it was merely an empty volume.
In the dining room, I assumed this was another example of the same decor technique. I was wrong.
The spine read THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA ELEVENTH EDITION, VOL. 3 AUS TO BIS.
At this point, some of you know why my interest was immediately piqued. This was the famous eleventh edition, which includes the article on baptism by Frederick Cornwallis Conybeare, M.A., D.Th. It was published in 1910-1911 in twenty-nine volumes.
When a gentleman working in the Home Gallery noticed my interest, he said he thought they could reduce the price to $7.00.
Susan said, “Merry Christmas!” In addition, she bought the attractive magnifying glass to help me read the small text.
At another time, I will discuss Conybeare’s views on water baptism. For now, I will share only a portion of his remarks on the baptismal formula:
“The trinitarian formula and trine immersion were not uniformly used from the beginning, nor did they always go together. The Teaching of the Apostles, indeed, prescribes baptism in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but on the next page speaks of those who have been baptized into the name of the Lord — the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century baptism in the name of Christ was still so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid” (page 365).
This morning, I received an update on the book signing party scheduled for this Wednesday, December 3, at the United Pentecostal Church International headquarters chapel. The location is 36 Research Park Court, Weldon Spring, MO 63304. If you need further information, call (636) 229-7822.
Schedule
10:00 – 10:10 a.m. Light refreshments are served as guests arrive
10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Q&A with all authors moderated by Lee Ann Alexander
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Book Signing
11 a.m. Reels filmed for social media
I’m looking forward to meeting new friends and fellow authors at this event. My latest book is the second volume of my commentary on the Book of Psalms, titled The Messiah in the Psalms: Discovering Christ in Unexpected Places. This 255 page volume covers Psalms 73-106.
As often happens, I went to my K. Kawai right after breakfast to practice a bit. Paying no attention to what might be going on elsewhere in the house, I slowly worked my way through an old hymn. When it occurred to me that things were hushed elsewhere in our home, I wondered what my sweet wife, Susan, might be up to. Was she secretly recording my efforts, as she often does? As you will see, in my last few notes, I discovered that was precisely the case!
