I’m a Repentecostal

Recent events in the fellowship of churches I belong to have got me thinking, praying, wondering what has gone wrong. Because something has gone wrong, and the need for us all to humble ourselves before God and ask for Him to do something new among us has never (in my experience) been so acute.

I think my mind and heart have been processing this in the background, because when I woke up this morning I had come to realise something: I am a Repentecostal.

My theology and experience over the last four decades has grown deep convictions about the power of God's Holy Spirit alive at work in the Church today. I am a Pentecostal - meaning I believe the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 wasn't just for that age, but continues in every generation. Children filled with the Spirit prophesy; ordinary people are filled with extraordinary abilities because of the work of God in and through them. Still today there are gifts of healing and helps, casting out evil spirits and 'anointed' teaching of the Scriptures, prophecy changing lives and revealing mysteries. Spirit-enabled gifts flow abundantly in much of the Church today. And by that I just don't mean denominations that call themselves 'Pentecostal'. We need to humble ourselves and rejoice in what the Spirit is doing across the body of Christ (however old their traditions).

So the Spirit of God still gives His people Pentecostal power. However, with an openness to great power from God we can too easily get hungry for power over people. We can claim 'apostolic' anointing and then exercise autocratic control. We can hide behind spiritual gifting a whole load of rubbish we hope noone will see. We can spin out the language of 'movement' and be spiritually stagnant in our hearts. We can fail to celebrate what God is doing in churches unlike our own.

You see, in the book of Acts when the apostle Peter got up to explain the wild and powerful move of God's Spirit at Pentecost he preached an anointed 'home run' of a sermon and the people cried out, 'what should we do?' Peter's response was that those convicted of their need for God should each repent of their sin and be baptised in Christ's name, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. (See here). Repent and receive.

Whist Peter's call to repentance on that day was a call to be initiated into the follower-ship of Christ, is there something to see here in our 'Spirit-filled' churches today? Particularly because many of our prayers are for a fresh move of the Spirit? Have we been so ready to jump around on platforms and raise our hands in praise that we have forgotten how to kneel? Have we lost the Spirit-enabled ability to discern when things are going wrong and a spirit of pride is at work in our midst? 

Have we been so ready to jump around on platforms and raise our hands in praise that we have forgotten how to kneel?

I am wondering if we would do well to revisit the link between honest repentance and God's imbuement with power? Admission of weakness precedes a fresh filling of power. Before revival, we need renewal. Start with me.

This is not rocket science, it is the beginning of Christianity. And it is the continuation of the Christian life, too. On our feet praising and on our knees, humbled before God.

There you are, I think I'm a Repentecostal. I am as hungry for God's power at work through the Church as I ever have been. Through the whole Church, not just my own. I am hungry for supernatural healing and power in our prayers. I am also recognising more than ever our pride is a stench to God and we'd do well to hide it no longer.

Lord, forgive us and help us.

- Tim Roberts

(all opinions my own)