CHURCH HISTORY FROM PENTECOST TO PENTECOSTAL – PART 2 – Charles Burks

 

Today’s blog is the second part in a series on the history of Christianity: “From Pentecost to Pentecostals”. Last time, we looked at where the term Pentecostal comes from and how the beliefs and practices that made that movement unique in the 20th century were grounded in the testimony of the early church. 

 

Pentecostals look back to the experiences described in the book of Acts and say many of those experiences are also for us today. If you look at early church history for the first 300 to 500 years, you see the gifts did not cease with the apostles being martyred, or with the Bible being completed. The centuries after the apostles died still included many testimonies of miracles, signs and wonders, people being filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, prophesying, and all the other spiritual gifts. 

 

However, a slow but steady decline set in over the centuries, turning the early church into more of an organized religious experience where the laity were controlled by an elite group of clergy. And what we would recognize now as the Roman Catholic hierarchy developed over the next 600 years. In actuality, the pope didn’t come into his current prominence until the seventh century, when he demanded recognition as not just the Bishop of Rome, but the leader over the entire church. He attempted to turn Christianity into a kingdom, which we would refer to as “Christendom”. This earthly kingdom of God was set up in juxtaposition to other kingdoms of this world.  

 

Of course, none of this was Jesus’s intention. He had said, “My kingdom is not of this world, otherwise, my servants would fight”. But the Roman Catholic Church ran with the concept of “Christendom”, and then began to militaristically conquer lands that didn’t submit to the pope. The Crusades became the fruit of that and the dark ages were the greater fruit. It was tragic. The Bible was pulled away from the people, and eventually the lay people couldn’t understand it when it was read in church, because it was left in Latin (a dying language). 

 

For many centuries after people were no longer commonly speaking it, the priests had to learn Latin to say the Mass and read the scriptures. And the ignorant laity were encouraged to do the rituals. Just get baptized as a baby, partake in all the sacraments of the church till death, and the priesthood would take care of the rest. The church even began to promise to pray the departed into heaven after they had died.  

 

This religious system grew increasingly corrupt so that, at least by the time of Martin Luther in the 1500s, it was largely based on paying indulgences. You could literally buy forgiveness of sins and a place in heaven if you had the resources to do so. And of course, the Catholic church was taking that money and building a great palace in Rome for the pope. You know, the Vatican was built on the desperate prayers and donations of many people who were trying to pay off their own sin debt – or pay their loved ones out of purgatory. This very cruel system had developed where people were being told, “Your loved ones are not in heaven yet, but we think they’re in Purgatory.” But, how could anyone know if they were in Purgatory? How could they know when they got out? 

 

If you look at that system, and then you go back to the book of Acts, it’s no wonder the religious authorities wanted to hide the Bible from the people.  They didn’t want it to be challenged by those saying, “I don’t see that going on in the book of Acts… I don’t see that being taught in the book of Hebrews.” So the people didn’t have access to the Bible in their language.  

 

Ultimately, it was a Catholic monk named Martin Luther whose conscience was convicted while studying the Latin scriptures that he had no peace with God – even though he had obtained a very high position in the church. Like all of us, Luther had a sinful nature that he was trying to beat into submission, albeit unsuccessfully. And it was while reading Galatians that he came across the phrase “the just shall live by faith”. It struck him that He was not doing that. Nor was the church teaching it. 

 

So, Luther grabbed ahold of that message and began to see it was the common theme throughout not only the New Testament, but even the Old Testament.  Faith was God’s way of dealing with his people.  And anyone could believe. You didn’t have to possess riches, you didn’t have to have a position or education. You didn’t have to have a lot of years on you. You could simply trust God at his Word and receive his blessings by faith. 

 

God’s Word says that Jesus was the propitiation (or complete payment) for our sins. He was the full and final sacrifice required by the justice of God – and if we look unto him, we can be saved. So on October 31st, 1517, a changed Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany, and the rest is history. Initially, Luther only intended to reform some of the most egregious sins and abuses that were going on in the 16th century churches. But the Catholic Church was rather tyrannical, and they didn’t want to reform – and especially not through a monk like Luther. So they began to persecute and threaten the lives of him and his followers. 

 

But the cat was already out of the bag. People were now openly speaking of the problems with the church in Germany, which was a safe enough distance from the Pope that he couldn’t just come over and crush the whole thing. So in the 16th century, there was suddenly a revolution on the hands of the Catholic Church, ultimately resulting in Lutheran and other churches that protested the abuses of popery. 

 

The Protestant Reformation is the organized movement that responded to the Roman Catholic Church, and has continued to this day as the root of many denominations. Many people will tell you there are two basic places people belong to in Christendom – either with the Catholics or with the Protestants. And some people might assume that we as Pentecostals also identify as Protestants. 

 

But, should we claim that movement as our heritage?  

 

As I looked into it, in spite of its affinity for God’s Word, I had to conclude that the Protestant Reformation was not our heritage as Pentecostals. Next time, we will present the reasons why I believe our roots are outside of both the Protestant and Catholic traditions.  If you would like to listen to this teaching, please click here: Church History From Pentecost to “Pentecostals” (PART 1) 

 

CHURCH HISTORY FROM PENTECOST TO PENTECOSTAL – PART 1 – Charles Burks

 

Today’s blog is the first part in a series on the history of Christianity: “From Pentecost to Pentecostals”. This subject has always been of interest to me – how we got to where we are today – and not just as Spirit-filled believers at FNT Church, but also as part of a global church that continues to expand. 

 

Followers of Jesus can look back over 2000 years and see the hand of God through so many developments.  We can also see the efforts of Satan to try and destroy the Church that Jesus promised to build. There are trends, there are movements, there’s the rising and falling of all sorts of groups and believers. And this history is fascinating to those of us who like to know and appreciate our roots.

 

First New Testament is a non-denominational, Spirit-filled church with Pentecostal beliefs. So, what are the roots of the Pentecostal movement? As all churches would probably claim, we trace our foundation to the Bible. We go back to the promises of Jesus and the Apostles, and we go back to the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.   

 

But where does the word “Pentecostal” come from? It’s a strange term to apply to a Christian movement because it’s one of the seven holidays of the Jewish calendar. Pentecost is also known as the “Feast of Weeks”, which the Jews would generally celebrate around late May, (fifty days after the waving of the first barley sheaf at the Feast of Firstfruits). 

 

Remember that during the last week of Jesus’ life, He would fulfill the Feast of Passover by being crucified as the Lamb of God. And then He would fulfill the Feast of Firstfruits by rising as the firstfruits from the dead, as Paul referred to it in 1 Corinthians 15:20. During that year, the Feast of Firstfruits was on a Sunday – the day when Jesus rose from the dead. And the whole week that these things were being observed was called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  During that time, the Sinless One who had no leaven in him, was being inspected, proven, and sacrificed for us who have a multitude of sins.  And there were literally hundreds of thousands of devout Jews from all over the world who had gathered in Jerusalem for these feasts. 

 

Then the Day of Pentecost came along 50 days later, and all of the crowds were back in Jerusalem. God again fulfilled the meaning of these feasts publicly at the time when people were gathered from all over the world. Just 7 weeks earlier, the Jews had seen what happened to Jesus at His crucifixion, and they had heard the rumors of His resurrection. They certainly would have felt the earthquake on the day of His death, and many saw bodies rising from the dead, walking around the city after Jesus came out of His tomb (Matthew 27:51-54). This undoubtedly stoked a greater interest than usual for devout Jews to travel back to Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost).

We know that Jesus had already ascended up to heaven at least a week earlier than the Day of Pentecost. But as the 120 were gathered in the upper room that day obeying Jesus’ command to tarry until they were clothed with power from on high, suddenly the Holy Spirit came down!  When they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they knew they had received the promise and didn’t have to wait any longer. They went out into the assembled crowds, speaking in languages that the disciples did not know. The assembled people heard them speaking the wonderful works of God in their own dialects, whether they were from Crete, Rome, Libya, Egypt or elsewhere (Acts 2:8-11). And they marveled at these Galileans who under normal circumstances couldn’t speak such languages.  

 

This was a sign that God was now ready to send His people into the whole world. The followers of Jesus were not to just keep this Good News in Jerusalem or Judea, or even Samaria, but they were to go to the ends of the earth with the power of the Holy Spirit. God was equipping them to overcome Satan wherever they would face him.  And thus, world missions had its birth in the coming of the Holy Spirit baptism at Pentecost.

 

Pentecost was many other things as well. One of the reasons God gave His church tongues as an evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit, can be understood in light of James chapter 3. James says the tongue is a little member, but it’s the most unruly part of our bodies. Our tongues have power comparable to a little rudder that steers a whole ship, and our tongues can set on fire a forest with just a word that leads to consequences that can’t be extinguished.

 

James 3:8 says no man can tame the tongue. If you could tame your tongue you’d be a perfect person. But the reality is we’ve all gotten ourselves into a world of trouble and said many regretful, hurtful things by the words that came out of our mouths. 

 

Though no man can tame the tongue, the Holy Spirit can come and fill us completely! The filling of the Holy Spirit is not a trance-like experience, nor does He take possession like a demon would, with us losing our faculties. Rather, we yield to Him, He gives us a new language, we open our mouths, and we speak with our tongues – the part which had formerly been so unruly. But no longer do blessings and curses come forth from the same place, but just pure love, praise, glory, and worship of God. 

 

Since the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, God has chosen to use the tongue as the symbol that if He’s got that member, He’s filled all of you. The reality is that if you’re speaking in a language you’ve never learned before, that qualifies as a miracle. That’s God’s gift for His church! And it’s the sign He gave on the Day of Pentecost. So, Pentecostals look back to that historical event and proclaim the experience and power is for the church today. 

 

In our next part, we will look at the history of the church during the 1500 years following the Day of Pentecost, and see what developed after the Apostles laid down their lives and left us the New Testament.  If you would like to listen to these teachings, please click here: Church History From Pentecost to “Pentecostals” (PART 1)

 

 

Am I willing to be cheated?

 

The words came to me early one morning a few months ago, and led to a flurry of inspiration that was quickly dictated into my phone. It seemed like the Lord was confronting me with the love of money that resides deeply in so many hearts, where we cannot stand the thought of unfairly parting with one dime of our earthly treasures. It’s not a battle that I am unfamiliar with. 

 

But at that moment, I was able to say, “Yes, Lord, I am willing to be cheated if that’s your will for me.”  If I unjustly suffer loss in temporary things on my way to a priceless eternal inheritance, what was there to be upset over?  I would simply be following in the footsteps of countless other saints down through the ages.  I would be following in the footsteps of Jesus, who loved a cheat like Judas to the very end, in spite of it costing the disciples their finances, and Jesus His very life.

 

Preparation always comes before a test.  Now that God had dealt with my heart, what would be my reaction when a scam artist recently tried to cheat me out of thousands of dollars through a well-thought out lie?  Anger, revenge, and hatred might be natural, but they are no longer options under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Instead, a quick rebuke followed by the Gospel offering forgiveness and compassion is what came forth from the Spirit inside of me when I had the opportunity to confront my adversary.  I rejoiced that Jesus – and not Charles – took control of my emotions, my perspective, and my response.  Yes, I did notify the authorities and turned the situation over to God, but by His grace no bitterness remains.  

 

What if I actually had been cheated and there was no way to get the money back?  That test has no doubt happened to some of you, and may be ahead for many of us.  Others of you have been cheated in relationships, perhaps by an unfaithful spouse who had pledged fidelity, but was revealed to be living a lie.  Can we expect to pass these crushing tests walking in the Holy Spirit?  By His grace – and only His grace – we have confidence that we can.  

 

Could it be said of you and me one day, as it was the early Jewish believers, that “you accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession” (Heb. 10:34)?  As the tests of persecution increased, the early believers were reminded that, “In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb. 12:3-4).  Jesus had resisted to the point of shedding His blood, and He refused to give into sin.  

 

Please notice: the scripture doesn’t say Jesus was struggling against sinners – vainly fighting flesh and blood from a carnal reaction – but rather, He endured hostile sinners and struggled against sin.  His greatest temptation, like ours, was to disobey the Father’s will when it would cost Him something.  He could have rebuked and destroyed the whole Jewish nation of sinners for their rejection and death sentence, but that would have been sin on His part.  His Father’s will was for Him to suffer unjustly, be cheated of His life and possessions, and resist sin to the point of shedding His blood. Ultimately, “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8).   

 

The next verse is so clear! “For this reason, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name” – the name of Jesus!  He who was cheated by this world now has the name above every name in government or world history, above every so-called god or goddess, and above every empire or institution that tries to subvert the place that only Jesus Christ now holds.

 

So in this remarkable moment in time, when half of the United States (and most of the world) is recognizing some suspicious behavior going on in our elections, what might God be doing?  And what should our response be?  God checked my heart with a whole new level of cheating at the governmental level, and helped me identify with others in the world who struggle to survive in banana republics or cruel dictatorships.  The outrage in our nation is palpable, especially in states where the next four years will be determined by slim – and suspect – margins.

 

So, while I believe that my vote on November 3rd was counted accurately in this state, what if all the evidence suggested it was not?  And what if I found out my dear father, who went to be with the Lord three years ago, was reported as voting in this election?  What if someone had cheated me, my family, and my country to bring about a direction that I was strongly against?

 

I might predictably be outraged and enraged. There is a natural, carnal, and understandable response that is waiting to emerge in every one of us whenever injustice comes close.  There is also a supernatural, spiritual response that passes understanding residing in each of us who are born again.  While the world can only respond carnally, we who know Jesus Christ can choose to be different and allow Him to reveal His glory in the midst of injustice.

 

My prayer is that we would be prepared for whatever comes in the days ahead, to live for Jesus, to die for Jesus, and even to be cheated for Jesus.  While the enemy has many weapons he can use against God’s people, none of them shall prosper!  Ultimately, they only work for the good (sanctification) of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  So, we can rejoice in hope and know that even if we’re cheated down here, we are only being more fully conformed to our Savior who will repay it all – and then some – in Glory.

THE VALUE OF A ZERO

 

Recently, I watched the tirade of a well-known Word of Faith preacher attempting to bring the coronavirus to an end. Realizing the threat of this pandemic to his ministry’s pursuit of health and prosperity, he yelled to the heavens at the top of his voice, “I demand a vaccination!” 

 

At first, I was both amused and appalled. But then it occurred to me that this man’s tantrum was the essence of my own flesh, which craves comfort and constantly demands for my will to be done – whether I shout at the heavens or not.

 

Our Savior Jesus Christ came to give us a radically different approach to life and to our heavenly father. We no longer have to strive to obtain our own ambitions and selfish agenda, but we can approach God and our fellow man with genuine humility and selflessness. That is true biblical freedom! 

 

Have you ever considered the vast difference between the numbers 1 and 0? Even though they’re right next to each other, it’s a huge chasm. Much more than the gap between 1 and 2, or any other number for that matter. For you’re dealing with the difference between nothing and something.

 

Now ask yourself: has God called you to be a number 1 – declaring and commanding prosperity and whatever else is in accordance with your will? Much of the church world might say yes, and my flesh would agree – “I am Somebody and I deserve the best this life has to offer!” But the Word of God clearly says we are not to be number one in our own hearts. And we must not allow even those who are closest to us to keep us from following Jesus:

 

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38).

 

Clearly, Jesus Christ must hold the number one place as Lord of our lives, or we are not worthy of him. I think everyone of us who have been born again would agree with that, though it can be very challenging to maintain that perspective. Stick with me, and I hope it will become a little easier! 

 

If Jesus Christ has the preeminence in our lives, where does this leave you and me? Are we second, or third, or some other place? Or should our goal be to become a zero? If we’re honest, the thought of becoming a big fat “0”  is an absolute offense to our flesh.  But is this not what Jesus requires of his disciples in Matthew 10:39? “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”.

 

In God’s kingdom, the difference between being number one and a zero is the difference between being lost and being found.  It’s as opposite as going to heaven or going to hell, and is as far apart as the east is from the west. And yet a sinner can go from being lost to being found in an instant, just as we can repent of taking first place in life and give it back to Jesus Christ in a moment.

 

Now that I follow Christ, my goal in life is not merely to be number two, or even third after my fellow man. I find that kind of attempt at humility to be a subjective path where my flesh will constantly deceive me. It’s so much simpler to take the road of the cross, where I deny myself, die to this world, and become a contented “zero” .

 

If you and I learn how to take our position as zeroes in this world, we need not fear that our lives will be miserable or worthless. The apostle Paul embodied this understanding, considering himself “nothing”, “the least of the saints”, and “the chief of sinners” (2 Cor 12:11, Eph. 3:8, I Tim. 1:15). Yet look at the ministry God was able to entrust to this humble messenger of reconciliation and grace! 

 

When Jesus is number one in my life, even though I am nothing, my zero begins to have value. Think of it:

0 – that’s me

1 – that’s Him

10 – that’s me following Him.

 

Suppose another zero joins me and we both follow Christ together. Now the value has exponentially increased:

100

 

Add another zero? You get another tenfold increase.

1000

 

What amazing potential a group of zeros can have! Though it is rare for Jesus to find such disciples, there is great value in those who “no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14). 

 

Just keep in mind, as soon as my zero moves from following Christ to stepping ahead of him, everything changes. 1000 becomes 0.100. (This works when writing checks too!) Move a zero, and the value increases or decreases exponentially.

 

The truth is, none of us are anything compared to God and his glory. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all just zeros quickly passing through this fallen world. But when we find our place in Christ and His eternal glory, there’s great joy and amazement that he would give himself for us.

 

Since we now have a heavenly father who has purchased us for himself and will provide all that we need, we can rest in being his child. We no longer have to live for ourselves, we no longer have to demand our own rights, we no longer have to worry what people think of us. I’m just a zero after all. But I’m a zero following the Great I Am!

 

For years, many of us have sung the words “I am nothing, I am nothing…without you” – in other words, we are empty vessels with nothing of eternal value unless Christ fills us and becomes number one our lives. I pray these won’t just be words that we say or sing, but a reality from which we are set free to take up the cross, deny ourselves and follow him. In losing our own lives, Jesus promises we gain everything.

 

Charles Burks