Pentecostal Life February 2023

L E M E N T S O F S P I R I T U A L W A R F A RE

Editorial

LESSONS FROM THE CHICKEN HOUSE

FINALLY. I NOW HAVE MY chickens. Again.

I raised chickens when I was a boy, keeping them until I went away for college. We hatched out Socks, one of my Bantams, in a three-egg incubator on a marbletopped lab table in my high school biology class. I have wanted chickens ever since but “time and chance happeneth to [us] all” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). I loved them then and think I can love them now. Well, love might be a strong word for a relationship with a chicken, but please humor me.

My wife and I have moved to our new place where neighbors are not so close and chickens are not forbidden, so now was the time. On December 3, 2022, I got eight little chicks—three Ameraucanas, three Silver-laced Wyandottes, and two ISA Browns. Why eight? Because I have eight grandchildren (counting the two add-ons). They can each name one. It seems like one is already named “Mailbox.” What? Where did that name come from?

Yesterday as I was watching the chicks drink, I remembered a lesson my dad taught me. When a chicken, or any bird, drinks, it sticks its beak in the water and then points its beak upward as it swallows with jerky motions. Dad told me it looks like the little chick is saying, “Thank you Lord; thank you Lord; thank you Lord” as its little head points heavenward and bobbles about a bit. As Paul asked rhetorically in I Corinthians 11:14, “Doth not even nature itself teach you. . . .” I learned a lesson from nature. I learned to be thankful to my heavenly Father for His divine provision.

As I was feeding and watering Mailbox and the rest of the chicks, I came to understand their utmost trust in me to provide for them. They are in a small coop now and I am their sole provider. They depend on me for their food (growing pellets), their warmth (infrared light), and water (in a non-soiling waterer—false advertising!). Without me, they would not only fail to thrive, but they would fail to live! However, I do provide for them. I do it because I love them. Well, again, that is too strong of a word for my relationship with a chicken, but you understand. Then my thought pattern veered to Jehovah-Jireh, my provider. He meets my every need, every day, all the time. And He does it because He loves me. And that is a correct use of the word love. He loves me!

But as I looked at Mailbox and the rest, I slowly came to the realization that I do not provide for them only because I love them. I provide for them because I have hopes that they will work for my cause one day. Eggs over easy. Scrambled eggs with cheese. Ham and cheese omelets. Deviled eggs. White meringue on chocolate pie. (Forget about fried chicken and chicken and dumplings!) The ISAs potentially can lay 300 to 330 eggs their first productive year. Hmm, maybe I provide for Mailbox and the gang because of what they can do for me.

Then again, my thoughts pivoted to Jehovah-Jireh—my provider. Jesus Christ provides for me because He loves me. But, then perhaps it is also because He wants me as a productive part of His kingdom. He left me with a kingdom-sized job to do—go, teach all nations, baptize them, and teach them everything He has commanded me to teach. And while I work in His kingdom, He will be with me always, even until the end of the world (Matthew 28:19–20).

Yes, I learned some lessons in the chicken house. PL

P. DANIEL BUFORD Vice-president | Pentecostal Resources Group | UPCI Editor | Pentecostal Life

FEBRUARY 2023

PENTECOSTAL LIFE EDITOR P. Daniel Buford

EDITOR IN CHIEF Robin Johnston

ASSOCIATE EDITOR IN CHIEF Lee Ann Alexander

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jina Crain

DESIGN SUPERVISOR Tim Cummings

GRAPHIC DESIGN/LAYOUT Savannah Sullivan

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COPY EDITOR Patricia Bollmann

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FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE

The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We shall endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the disunity of the body.

THE ONE TRUE GOD

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All scriptures are King James Version unless otherwise noted

VOL. 6, NO. 2

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A Tribute to Stephen M. Drury

WHEN JESUS WAS ASKED TO identify the greatest commandment, He answered concisely: (1) love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind, and (2) love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36–39). Once you decide to give your life to the Lord, you quickly learn there are many callings and positions that can be fulfilled in your lifetime. However, Matthew reminds us the highest of these is to love God and love others.

Stephen M. Drury is a man of many achievements, from roles he fulfilled within the traditional fivefold ministry to being a pioneer of financial and business stewardship within the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). We want to take time and give God glory for such an incredible disciple whose impact has moved the Kingdom forward. More than highlighting achievement or position, this tribute is to a man who has a heart that seeks the highest calling: to love God and love others.

Stephen Drury was born February 28, 1948. No one—not even he—could have comprehended the remarkable ways his life would affect the kingdom of God through his service to the UPCI. Throughout his fifty-three years as a credentialed minister, he has served God with excellence as a father, pastor, leader, and director.

He received the Holy Ghost on November 7, 1958, in Indiana while attending Calvary Tabernacle. Fol-

lowing the call of God to attend Bible college, he attended Apostolic Bible Institute, graduating in 1969. After graduation, he evangelized and served as a youth pastor. The next season of life would radically change when he began his service at the Tupelo Children’s Mansion (TCM) in Tupelo, Mississippi.

At the age of twenty-two, Stephen Drury began working at TCM as an office manager and dorm father, while also supervising food services and residential care. Two years later on December 17, 1972, he married the love of his life, Evelyn. In April 1973, the couple left TCM to go to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where they assisted their pastor for one year before being offered a pastorate in Hennepin, Oklahoma. While there, the church grew from twenty-eight in their first Sunday to 130 in attendance two years later when the couple resigned to return to TCM.

Stephen Drury was twenty-eight years old when he became president of TCM in 1976. He and Evelyn served over one thousand children over the course of twenty-six years at TCM. Through Reverend Drury’s vision and leadership, TCM saw an abundant increase in finances, staffing, and buildings. Many new programs were established, including a school and New Beginnings adoption agency, which has now seen over 1,500 children adopted. Many of these children were saved from abortion. The Drurys also established a church on the campus of TCM,

which, under his pastorate, became the largest church in northeast Mississippi.

After “retiring” from TCM in 1999, they pastored Apostolic Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for three years. In 2002, former General Superintendent Kenneth Haney asked Stephen Drury to serve as director of what has now become The Stewardship Group. Since his arrival at headquarters, he has forged ahead as a Christ-minded businessman serving the organization. He established the United Pentecostal Foundation in 2002, LifeSprings entrepreneurial project in 2009, both the Church Loan Fund and United Insurance Solutions in 2011, and the UPCI Fellows Program in 2020. Each of these ventures has achieved great success under his leadership.

The United Pentecostal Foundation has raised over $8 million to fund endowments, scholarships, and other philanthropic endeavors to the benefit of UPCI ministries. Through LifeSprings, eleven businesses have been launched that have committed to donate a percentage of profits back to UPCI efforts. The Church Loan Fund has grown to $96 million in assets and has provided loans in excess of $113 million to 275 UPCI churches. Moreover, the quality standards he established have resulted in zero defaulted loans to date. The profits generated within the Loan Fund produced its first grant for $250,000 to Urshan Col lege in 2021. The establishment of United Insurance Solutions has allowed the UPCI to retain $4.6 million in commissions that would have been paid to external agencies otherwise.

The vision for growth continued with the launching of the UPCI Fellows Program. There have now been seven UPCI Fellows from across the United States who have brought their own corporate expertise to collaborate with many departments at headquarters on high priority projects to better accomplish each department’s goal of spreading the gospel.

On February 28, 2023, Stephen Drury turns seventy-five. On the same day, he will retire as director of The Stewardship Group, president of the Loan Fund, and president of the Foundation. Although he will be officially retired from the UPCI, he will continue to serve the Kingdom as a consultant for various programs. His exemplary efforts and commitment to the advancement of the Kingdom are the fulfillment of the great calling of Christ—to love God and others. PL

RICK LOVALL Assistant Director | The Stewardship Group | UPCI

HANNAH BAILEY Marketing Director | The Church Loan Fund |UPCI

first baby adopted at New Beginnings

The Mansion Family 1993

The Stewardship Group 2016

The Stewardship Group 2022

Stephen and Evelyn Drury

SANDSTON Outreach Mission

A SEED WAS PLANTED IN November 1984 as we watched a Christmas for Christ presentation. Time passed. Bible college graduation, local church ministry, and a family to raise filled our lives. The dream to plant a church seemed a forgotten memory. Thirtytwo years later we felt God leading us in a new direction. First, He gave a word that He had something planned for our future. We waited and wondered what that might be. Second, He instructed us to trust Him. Finally, through a chance encounter with a friend who is now part of our ministry team, we heard, “It’s time!”

We were approved to start Sandston Outreach Mission in February 2020. Our launch plan included securing a rental for services and organizing a staged launch through block parties. That model appealed to our team because they had previously participated in many block parties. We found two potential places to rent immediately before the Covid shutdown on March 15, 2020. Suddenly, there were no facilities to rent.

Our launch team consisted of my wife, myself, and our friends, a family of five. We met by phone and on Zoom while attending our home churches. March, April, and May passed. We continued to pray, dream, and work on the legal aspects of planting a church.

On June 7, 2020, we gathered for the first time at a picnic shelter located in the community center we hoped to rent. We met to pray for our community and God met us there. After the prayer service, we flashed smiles and said, “This feels like we just launched!”

We used the shelter until fall, adding a keyboard and speaker for live worship music. Soon we were having powerful worship services. We have fond memories of our time in that picnic shelter. One Sunday a hawk made a dramatic exit behind my head as I spoke. The children enjoyed the playground after services.

That shelter was like a haven of peace in the middle of uncertainty. As winter approached, we increased efforts to find an indoor meeting place, but our searching was in vain. Call after call received the response, “We are not renting,” or “Due to social distancing, there is not enough space.”

But God had a plan. The American Legion Post 144 was happy and excited about renting their facility to a new church in Sandston, Virginia. They said 9:30 am was a perfect time to hold services every Sunday and asked for only a nominal rental fee because they said, “This is the Lord’s work!” They even lowered the rental fee for holiday weeks and allowed us to meet on Wednesdays at no extra charge. What a blessing! Virginia District North American Missions graciously organized a major outreach in the fall of 2021. This event resulted in our first convert who was baptized in February of that year. She received the Holy Ghost while praising God at home. She is so thankful that two men from our district knocked on her door and prayed for her. She has experienced multiple health crises since we met, but God brought her through each one. She is happy to be a part of our church.

Sandston Outreach Mission is growing. We have more than doubled in size, and members ask how they can help. They invite friends, family, and neighbors, and work as partners distributing invitations throughout our city. God used the year 2020 to develop and help us gel as a team. All we had to do was answer His call and step out in faith. PL

JOE MARKOVICH Pastor | Sandston Outreach Mission Sandston, Virginia

BRANSON, Missouri

WE HAD PLANNED TO LAUNCH our church plant in June 2022. At the beginning of the year, however, God had other plans as He began leading people to our team. We hadn’t planned to start our church plant in our home, but by March we had outgrown our house church and had to move to a hotel conference room.

Leading up to our launch, we began teaching Jesus Name baptism and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The Sunday before our launch, seven people were baptized in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ! The next Sunday, we had forty-two in attendance for our launch service.

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) tells us, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” We have learned it is important to plan, but ultimately, God has a greater plan that He is working out. If we will do the work we can do, God will do the work only He can do. PL

KYLE AND KENNA LOYD Church Planters | Upper Room Church | Branson, Missouri

JUST ENOUGH MIRACLES

AS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL journeyed to their Promised Land, they experienced miracles along the way: their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out, they gathered manna every morning, they drank water from a rock, and the list goes on and on. So it is with this church-planting journey we are on together. We have not arrived at the place we are striving for, but there have already been many miracles along the way. It is as though miracles mark the miles on the way to promise.

Over the last few months, God has overwhelmingly provided miracles through our church service location, weekly volunteers to serve at our church, and our incredible interns. Last month, we needed a financial miracle. On that Monday, as I was poring over our church finances, I realized we needed God to provide something quickly. I prayed that night and went to the post office the following day by faith, expecting God to provide. But when I opened the box, it was completely empty. There wasn’t even any junk mail. The next morning was our time of prayer with the interns, and I prayed as hard as I’ve ever prayed for God to provide a miracle. My phone rang, but I let it go to voicemail. Afterward, I conducted a meeting, during which

the phone rang again. Realizing it was the same number, I interrupted my meeting to answer the phone, and the voice on the other end said, “For somebody needing money, you sure are hard to get ahold of.” He wanted to finish off our “Next Step Building Fundraiser,” and before the day was over, he wired a significant offering to our bank account.

But that miracle didn’t end there because the next week I received a check dated Monday, June 13, the day I first prayed the prayer for God to give us a financial miracle. The check amount was nearly as much as the wire I had received previously. I had never even shared our need with anyone other than God. Miracle!

Like the manna in the wilderness, these miracles are often miracles of “just enough,” and God keeps providing them over and over again. PL

JERRY WEST Church Planter | Freedom Church DC Washington, DC Metro

FIRST ANNUAL MAINE DISTRICT WNOP SUMMIT

Victory Was in the Air

THE FIRST EVER MAINE DISTRICT WNOP Summit kicked off Friday, August 5, 2022, at 9 am. The theme for the summit was “Rebirth Prayer!” The scriptural theme was Isaiah 43:18–19, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

It was an exciting time in the house of God. Victory was in the air; enlightenment of God’s power and the miraculous healing touch rained down in every service.

Each session began with pre-service prayer, and the prayer leaders were anointed of God. It set the stage for God to move in and minister.

Pastor Rick Stoops greeted and welcomed everyone to the First UPC of Augusta, which served as the host church. We heard a mighty message from our WNOP district coordinator, Brenda Bowley.

Juli Jasinski taught “Power of Prayer.” She taught on “Kids Prayer” and the importance of covering our children in prayer. She elaborated on WNOP Prayer Initiatives covering areas of prayer interests.

Testimonies of miracles were shared by Valori Hodges as she talked about the mighty hand of God moving in her life and the lives of her children, and how He miraculously provided in their time of need.

Corporate prayer was rendered by both those at-

tending in person and via live stream. Prayer cloths were made available to those asking God for His hope and healing. Focused prayer filled the house of God with the anticipation that prayer is key to spiritual renewal, a fresh relationship with God, and the discovery of His mighty hand of power.

Brenda Bowley cast a vision for the WNOP Maine District’s goals and future events. She encouraged prayer walks and said her team would help churches to schedule and staff these events. To schedule an event, contact the Maine District WNOP coordinator by calling (207) 399–0143 or at mainedistrictwnop@gmail.com.

On Saturday evening, Maine District Superintendent Thomas Channell shared his vision and thoughts about prayer and fasting and how all ministers and saints of God need a revival of “The Sweet Hour of Prayer.”

Pastor Rick Stoops spoke in the Friday morning service and preached a powerful Word from Revelation 12:11, “His Blood Is My Testimony.”

Shane Stoops shared a prayer exhortation of a powerful prayer meeting he attended in Brazil. God spoke through the move of His Spirit, saying, “I am not a monument; I am a movement.” A great revival is promised all over the world.

Louis Brown, guest speaker, spoke Friday evening on “A New Great Awakening.” He prophesied that

God was dispatching angels to be with the Maine pastors and that God would war on the pastors’ behalf and set them free for great revival. A powerful anointing was on Pastor Brown as he spoke on “Identity Crisis.” He emphasized, “Know who you are. Let us build the Kingdom. Wake up Zion! Prayer will prepare and equip us for a great end time revival.”

Pastor Stoops later expressed, “Our first annual Maine Prayer Conference in Augusta was one of the best conferences I have attended. Brenda Bowley and the members of her team really hit a homerun. There was fresh anointing imparted. Each session was Holy Ghost led. The speakers were on target. I believe next year we will see this conference double.” Thank you

to all who participated and supported the first Maine District Prayer Summit. Let’s work the fivefold ministry and prepare Maine for great revival. We can rejoice in that, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (II Corinthians 4:16). PL

BRENDA BOWLEY WNOP Maine District Prayer Coordinator | UPCI

Testimonies BehindfromBars

WE ARE THANKFUL THAT DOORS are opening in the prison and jail ministry through Christian Prisoner Ministry (CPM). With over 7.4 million people behind bars or in the correctional system in North American alone, we have a great responsibility to reach every soul behind bars and in corrections. Here are a few recent testimonies.

• The pandemic had closed many of our in-person prison and jail ministries. During this time CPM was able to provide materials and resources to our team so those behind bars and in corrections could still be taught and reached by the gospel of Jesus Christ. During this time, we still had incredible revival with inmates reporting they had baptized others. Many received the Holy Ghost through CPM even when our volunteers could not go in person. To God be the glory! We are glad to report that

the doors of most county jails have opened back up and our ministries are going strong. Also, every week we are hearing of more prisons opening up and allowing us to visit in person.

• Doug Lethin, Northwest Regional and Oregon District chaplain writes, “We baptized thirty-one men in Marion County Jail, and there are only fiftyeight total men in this particular unit. God is doing astounding and amazing things!”

We are thankful for all our volunteers and teams that partner with CPM to make a difference in lives and in the kingdom of God. Visit prisonministry.faith for information about how you can partner with CPM and become a part of this ministry. PL

NICHOLES ROBBINS

CPM General Chaplain | Mississippi NAM Director North American Missions | UPCI

andBangladesh Bolivia REVIVAL

THE BOOK OF ACTS CONTINUES in the twenty-first century. It is my great joy to share with you two reports that came to me within days of each other and describe events that happened back-to-back. First, James and Elizabeth Corbin reported from Bangladesh:

The Spirit of the Lord has been moving in Bangladesh in a powerful way. In the October 13–15, 2022, Khulna, Bangladesh Crusade the glory of the Lord was manifest in a magnitude we have never seen before.

Khulna, Bangladesh October 13–15, 2022

Crusade Report:

• October 13: 500 received the Holy Ghost and 500 were healed

• October 14: 3,000 received the Holy Ghost and 1,500 were healed

• October 15: 7,500 received the Holy Ghost and 2,000 were healed

Total receiving the Holy Ghost: 11,000

Total healed in Jesus’ name: 5,000

In a sixty-two-day span (August 25–October 15, 2022) the United Pentecostal Church of Bangladesh saw more than 17,500 filled with the Holy Ghost and more than 6,900 healed in Jesus’ name in crusades in North Bengal and Khulna, Bangladesh. To God be all of the glory and honor.

We would like to thank the UPCI Global Missions, Charles and Stacey Robinette, and the team of ministers and crusade team members that were such a blessing in assisting with the harvest of the Lord here in Bangladesh. We deeply appreciate all the sacrifices made by each one of them and the vision-orientated leadership of this crusade team by Charles Robinette. We also are thankful unto the Lord for the tremendous leadership of the UPC of Bangladesh in Peter Biswas and for the tremendous volunteers who assisted with this great and mighty harvest of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please continue to remember the United Pentecostal Church of Bangladesh in your prayers as we continue to move forward in the mighty harvest of the Lord in Jesus’ name.

What a wonderful report. I am so thankful to God and all of the ministers who worked so hard. Spiritual shifts are taking place in our world during these last days, and good things are happening. Some weeks are more exciting than others. This was one of those weeks. James and Stacy Marse wrote the following to me from Bolivia with another breakthrough that actually overlapped with the one in Bangladesh.

I greet you with good news from Bolivia. We had an evangelistic conference on October 14–16, 2022, in Santa Cruz. Three Spanish pastors came from California to preach for us. We had record-breaking crowds in every service.

Friday night we had a little over 500, which was the biggest crowd ever in the Santa Cruz District. Then on Saturday night we topped that with over 600 in attendance. On Sunday morning, we had over 600 in our main service and 150 children in our Sunday school class.

In the Sunday school class 33 children received the Holy Ghost. In our three main services, 68 people received the Holy Ghost. In total, 101 received the Holy Ghost over the weekend in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

To put that number in perspective, we have never had more than 60 people receive the Holy Ghost in a calendar year in the district. So for us to have that many in one weekend is really extraordinary. Santa Cruz is experiencing growth and revival!

What amazing reports! What amazing times we are living in! What an amazing Savior! There is revival in our world, and more breakthroughs are coming. Glory to God!

PL

BRUCE HOWELL General Director | Global Missions | UPCI

Harvest

ONE SUNDAY EVENING AFTER A glorious service, we turned off the lights, closed the church doors, and began the drive home through the pouring rain. We were crossing the Oxnard Plain, home to numerous farm fields, when traffic slowed to a crawl. Through the swishing windshield wipers and the long line of red brake lights, we could see off in the distance what we assumed was an accident.

As we approached the scene, we could now see clearly the cause for the delay and all the commotion. Just opposite to us, in the middle of a field, was a brightly shining light trailer that lit up the whole area. Through the glistening rain we saw workers in the field, all dressed in yellow rain slickers, laboring frantically. Some were cutting, others were running, carrying the crated harvest to flatbed trucks. Others

were stacking the crates to make room for more. Like gears in a fine-tuned machine, they worked together, each one fulfilling a vital role to bring in the harvest before it was lost in the storm.

I was struck by the thought of how many of the workers must have already been settled in for the night when the call came to rush out into the field to save the harvest. No doubt we are living in the last days. Storms of spiritual darkness are raging all around us. Will you answer the call to go out into the field to save the harvest?

Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35, NKJV). PL

JOHN CAMERON Pastor | First United Pentecostal Church | Oxnard, California SoCal District Global Missions Director | UPCI

I TURNED THIRTY-ONE YEARS OLD on Sunday, February 21, 2010. The lovely Andrea was cooking a delicious birthday breakfast when my mom called to wish me a happy birthday. She said Dad hadn’t slept well, so they weren’t going to make it to my fiesta at Fiesta Mexicana. Dad was still snoring when Mom tried to wake him in his recliner. She went back into her room and readied herself for church. I had polished up my notes for an afternoon service and started in on the birthday breakfast when Mom called back. I said, “Hey, Mom,” expecting she was probably going to sing “Happy Birthday” or tell me a dad joke. She loves those. I will never forget the sound of her voice as she wailed through her tears, “He’s gone, LJ! Your dad’s gone!”

Where did he go? He was snoring just a minute ago.

“He’s dead, LJ! Your dad is dead.”

That news numbed me. I called 911 and drove un lawfully fast toward my parents’ home. As my car sped past the last patch of trees, I expected to see first responders already there, but all I saw was Mom’s car and Dad’s van. I can’t tell you how alone we felt. I called 911 again, and dispatch informed me they were on the way. The dispatcher walked me through CPR, but first we had to pull Dad out of his chair and onto the floor. Dad weighed almost 330 pounds; I weighed in at about 150 pounds. Mom and I tugged, letting gravity work, and we finally got him on the floor. I started chest compres sions and rescue breaths, but he didn’t respond.

Minutes later I heard sirens. I kept up the compressions and breaths until the door opened, and the professionals rushed in armed with their gear and years of expertise. I knelt at the coffee table and prayed, “God, please give my dad back. Don’t let my dad die.” I heard God speak, “I’ve got him.” I felt God’s peace enfolding me. I knew then that Dad wasn’t coming back. I walked over to Mom and held her. One of the paramedics walked up to me, lowered his head, and said, “I’m sorry.” Dad was only fifty-five.

On that Sunday morning I should have been getting ready for church and a birthday party. Instead, I was making death notifications. My grand

parents drove in from out of town and spent the afternoon with us. After they left, I knew I needed to be at church, not because I was on staff or because that’s what we did on Sunday nights, but because I desperately needed God and His church.

We sang, “Blessed Be Your Name.” That night it meant more. When we sang the bridge, “You give and take away,” I knew what it meant. Pastor Kramer broke the news to our congregation about Dad, and he also said that a couple in our church had just suffered a miscarriage. The church family prayed for our family and that young couple. That shattered our Sunday school image of a Jesus who answers every prayer just the way we want. In that moment, I realized God is sovereign, and His purpose and plan are much

Another pastor in the district, Bishop Richard Collins, came to show his support. Something about his quiet strength gave me permission to “lose it.” I walked up to him, wrapped my arms around him, and poured out my soul on his shoulder. I didn’t have to be strong. I didn’t have to be a pastor or a preacher. I could be a son who had just lost his dad.

The next week I made an appointment with an estate attorney. Dad owned his own business, and Mom knew it would be a chore to close it out. I was a preacher, not a lawyer. My small three-ring binder with a few tabs grew into a four-inch binder with more paperwork than I ever expected. I worried about Mom. How would she make it financially? Then I discovered Dad had paid for a life insurance policy. Mom

1, 1990, and expiring February 1, 2010. Dad died on February 21, 2010. His twenty-year policy had lapsed twenty days too soon. How would Mom make it? Another Sunday night, I built another altar and poured out my complaint to God. This time He said, “Your mother will be like the widow of Zarephath, who never had too much or too little until the rain fell and the famine ended.” The last time God had spoken, He had promised to take care of my dad; this time, He promised to take care of my mom.

Days later, someone in the community felt God leading them to hold a benefit concert for Mom. She received about $500 in donations. The next day, Mom’s furnace broke. The repair cost about $320, and she had the money. For about three years God continued giving her just enough until she reached the young age of sixty and began drawing widow’s benefits. The rain fell and the financial famine finally

But that’s not the greatest miracle in the middle of all this grief. The Sunday before he died, Dad had walked up to the altar and repented of his sins. He wept as he poured out his soul to God. Then he prayed back through to the gift of the Holy Spirit. That week, he told my mom he loved her and she was beautiful to him. He told his foreman that he appreciated him. Whether he knew it or not, God was giving Dad a gift. God gave him time to right wrongs and say goodbye. And he did.

I had expected to find God in a sanctuary enthroned on praise and worship. I didn’t expect to find Him at a wooden coffee table surrounded by EMTs and tears, but He was even there. I learned firsthand that Jesus really is our comforter and our provider. Now when I minister to a family in mourning, I don’t try to come up with the right words to say to assuage their grief. I just go to represent our Jesus who is already there. PL

LJ HARRY Director of Curriculum Pentecostal Resources Group | UPCI Weldon Spring, Missouri

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SEPTEMBER 19-22

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA INDIANA CONVENTION CENTER

A NEW RESOURCE FOR PENTECOST SUNDAY Coming Spring 2023

BETTER AF T ER BURNOUT

A MINISTRY CENTRAL MASTERCLASS

Are you less fulfilled in your ministry than when you first began? Are you still passionate about your calling, or do you keep showing up out of obligation? Are you worried that one day you might lose it all? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be on a path towards burnout. But the good news is you’re not alone and it’s not too late.

In this installment of Ministry Central Masterclass, Pastor Jathan Maricelli will tell his story of experiencing burnout, picking up the pieces, and getting back up again. But it isn’t just a story of burnout. It’s a story of hope. It’s a story where God steps in and reminds us He is for us. If you feel like you’re burning the candles at both ends, this Masterclass will give you practical tools to find rest and longevity in ministry. Join Pastor Maricelli as he takes us on a journey to discover that better lies on the other side of burnout.

With your registration, you will gain access to:

4 live ZOOM Sessions

with Jathan Maricelli

every Monday night in February at 7 PM CST

EACH SESSION CAN BE VIEWED INDIVIDUALLY OR AS A TEAM AND WILL INCLUDE TOPICAL TEACHING AND A TIME FOR Q&A.

Better After Burnout Strategy Guide: A digital, interactive guidebook to help you work through and implement the shared concepts

Access to Jathan Maricelli’s Video Course on Ministry Central

SCAN TO REGISTER

Individual Passes

Early Bird – $79.00 Standard – $99.00

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS JANUARY 23RD

Team Passes INCLUDES FIVE LICENSES TO JATHAN MARICELLI’S VIDEO COURSE

Early Bird – $179.00 Standard – $199.00

THE BEST SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

produce it.

Victory can be achieved through spiritual warfare, but we must begin with spiritual disciplines. Disciplines such as personal prayer, fasting, and Bible study, along with faithful church attendance, personal evangelism, and generous giving are just a few of the disciplines critical to spiritual warfare. (See Hebrews 10:25; I Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 119:11; II Timothy 3:16–17; Malachi 3:8–12; and II Corinthians 9:6–8.) These disciplines will grow our relationship with God and position us to hear His voice. They will keep us connected to fellow warriors and open the windows of Heaven to bring blessing into our lives. If people want spiritual victory, it’s not going to be because they wish it or will it into existence. They’re going to have to work and war it into existence. That work requires daily effort, and that war is waged with these basic spiritual disciplines.

a war whether we want to be engaged or not: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.” (See II Corinthians 10:4–5; Ephesians 6:11–18.) For this reason, we must daily “be sober, be vigilant; because [our] adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).

This daily battle that rages around and against us can deplete our spiritual energy. When we become weak or weary, we must remember that God alone is our inexhaustible strength. When virtue goes out from Him, it never depletes His supply. So it is essential to our victory that we stay connected to Him so we can be renewed by His power daily. Only this constant renewal will give us the strength we need to fight. This renewal occurs through the aforementioned spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and Bible study. The apostle Paul said, “For which cause we

ness for battle.

Spiritual disciplines are not formed by accident. Your flesh will never push you to develop them. For many, the best way to maintain spiritual disciplines is to build systems and processes in your life and make them habitual. It can be as simple as a set time of daily prayer or perhaps a systematic approach to personal devotion and Bible study. If you can live a life of faithful, basic, spiritual disciplines, you will always be prepared for whatever attack the enemy launches. God’s endless strength will become your daily strength, and His victory will become your reality. PL

LUKE LEVINE Senior Pastor | The Sanctuary-Quad Cities Silvis, Illinois

Personal Application:

1. Identify personal misconceptions about spiritual warfare that have diverted focus from your spiritual disciplines.

2. List three things that negatively affect your spiritual disciplines.

3. List three positive habits that will further develop spiritual growth.

4. How can you grow your daily prayer life? (Be specific with when, where, and how long.)

5. How can God’s Word be used as a tool in daily spiritual warfare?

6. Explain how you can use accountability as a tool to maintain and grow your spiritual disciplines.

7. How could a daily journal assist and track your spiritual growth?

SPIRITUAL WARFARE: THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE

OBJECTIVE: To recognize the enemy’s tactics are often centered around lies and to realize that warfare is done by identifying and proclaiming truth

THE DEVIL IS A LIAR. “There is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). Our spiritual warfare is recognizing that we are not powerless in our response to these lies; rather, with discernment, applying truth and the mind of Christ, we shall overcome.

Discernment allows one’s understanding to pierce the confusion and cut through layers of uncertainty to perceive distinctions of truth and lies accurately. In our warfare we should pray for discernment. Second Corinthians 2:11 reminds us Satan cannot outmaneuver us because we are cognizant of his designs. Satan’s objective is to distort the truth—to alter it and keep us from it. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines discernment as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.” Discernment comes from relationship with the Lord and from biblical knowledge, or knowing the truth. The more time we spend in prayer and the more we know about His Word, the more easily we are able to discern truth from lies. Hebrews 5:11–14 describes the frustration of the author when deal-

ing with those who should know the truth but have not tried to gain understanding from the Word. He stated in verse 14 that knowledge of the Word is the training required to discern good from evil. Our warfare is done in our studying the Word and hiding it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Satan not only attempts to distort truth, but he blinds believers from seeing truth. Second Corinthians 4:4 (NIV) discusses how “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” His tactics aim for twisting the truth or distracting believers from understanding what truth is. Our objective in warfare is to allow for the truth to be the lens by which we evaluate our circumstances, our feelings, and our futures. Our foundation, our standard for truth is the Word of God. “Every word of God proves true.” (Proverbs 30:5 NLT). John 8:31–32 (NKJV) states, “Then Je sus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” To be free from the snares of

the devil, we must know the Word—and to know the Word we must read and meditate on the Word. We are further able to discern through the transformation and renewal of our minds. A person’s mindset is evidence of their spiritual condition. Having a spiritual mindset is a responsibility we have as followers of Christ. It is how we battle. It is how we survive. Colossians 3:1–2 describes that being raised with Christ will keep our minds on things above. It is evidence of relationship and prayer. When we live according to the things of the Spirit, we become spiritually minded (See Romans 8:5). Affections, thoughts, and desires change and are oriented toward godly ways. First Corinthians 2:16 proclaims that those who are born again unto salvation take on the mind of Christ. Paul instructed in Romans 12:1–2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” The mind of Christ we gain through salvation has to be renewed particularly in our seasons of spiritual warfare. As we stand on truth and are intentional in relationship with Christ, He al

minds (James 1:5). Let us gain confidence in spiritual warfare by using the truth to combat the lies of the enemy. If we allow relationship with God and the Word to make us spiritually minded, we will be able to discern the way to victory. PL

ASHLEY LABOUBE Education Director | United Church Wagoner, Oklahoma | Pastor Micah Wisdom

Personal Application:

1. What lies can you identify that the enemy has tried to use against you?

2. How might adding intentional dialogue of the promises of God affect your prayer life and daily walk?

3. What are other scriptural passages that proclaim the truths of God’s plan for your life?

4. How does God use discernment to keep us from believing the lies of the enemy?

SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN PRACTICE

OBJECTIVE: To discuss ways a believer can put spiritual warfare into practice

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT spiritual warfare looks like? Do you assume it is reserved only for an elite few in the kingdom of God? Perhaps some think spiritual warfare must involve some incredible happening or otherworldly experience. While God’s Word clearly tells us this can happen, spiritual warfare may be more practical than we realize.

In II Corinthians 10 Paul highlighted that we do not war in the flesh. Although human, we do not use human reasoning and the wisdom of the world in Kingdom struggles. Paul then followed with references to spiritual warfare in practice.

“(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (II Corinthians 10:4–5)

The New Living Translation breaks this passage into five notable aspects of spiritual warfare in practice. (The numbers are inserted by the author.)

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to [1] knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to [2] destroy false arguments. We [3] destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people

from knowing God. We [4] capture their rebellious thoughts and [5] teach them to obey Christ. (See I Corinthians 10:4–5, NLT)

Note first that it is the last point of obedience to Christ for which we must strive. Neglecting to take care of the first four things will keep us from living an obedient life to Christ. Second, notice how much of these aspects involve the mind. Within the battlefield of our mind the enemy’s lies can take root and become a stronghold. Third, simply note the stewardship of our minds and hearts toward Christ is our offensive.

1. Knock down the strongholds of human reasoning.

Our own Clifford Readout has written an incredible study about the bondage of belief. Simply put, nothing can hold us captive more than our false thinking. We can never be open to the truth if we adamantly believe in a lie. The apostle Paul confessed that in the beginning he thought he was doing God service by persecuting the early church. (See Acts 22:3–4.) It took a supernatural encounter on the road to Damascus for him to consider that he might be wrong. The error of false belief becomes a stronghold of lies that we must knock down. This is the beginning of our spiritual warfare.

2. Destroy false arguments.

How do we expose the lies and destroy them? By knowing the truth. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). As Clifford Readout contended, “Only Truth can be known. That which is not true cannot be known, it can only be believed.” He continued, “It is possible for people to believe The Truth without knowing The Truth.” It is knowing the truth that enables us to cast down anything that is not truth.

We know the truth by knowing God’s Word. God’s Word is forever settled. His Word will never fail, never change, and never contradict His ways. Readout commented, “The Bondage of Belief can create persecutors, but the Knowledge of the Truth can empower martyrs.”

3. Destroy every proud obstacle.

Note here that pride is the underlying issue: “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (II Corinthians 10:5). Pride is the way of the enemy and the very thing that caused Lucifer to be cast from Heaven. (See Isaiah 14:12–14.) It separates us from God and says, “I do not need Him.” Psalm 10:4 tells us, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God.” Here again is where spiritual warfare is waged. Through pride we open ourselves up to spiritual assault.

Pride manifests itself when we insist on doing something that opposes what God’s Word says we ought or ought not to do. We can know the truth and still have pride rise up within us. We destroy pride through humility before the Lord. Pride causes us to attempt to lift ourselves up; humility enables the Lord to lift us up. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

4. Capture all rebellious thoughts, including the thoughts of others.

We bring into captivity or conquer every avenue that would cause rebellion against God. When the enemy’s lies come or the pride of our flesh rises up, they must immediately be subjected to the truth of God’s Word.

This statement applies not only to the individual; it also applies to the church corporately. Paul said that knowing the truth allows us to conquer wrongful and rebellious thoughts in others among us, for example those in the Corinthian church who were not living the truth.

Here we see spiritual warfare is not only what is happening within us, but also what is happening among us. There is an effect upon the church body as a whole when pride and lies find a foothold within the congregation.

5. Teach yourself and others to obey Christ.

The ultimate way we wage spiritual warfare is in our obedience to Christ. Obedience activates every promise and will of God for us in our lives. In the Old Testament it was by obedience that the children of Israel escaped the bondage of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and saw their captors drowned. By obedience they walked into the Promised Land and saw the walls of Jericho come down. In the New Testament it is our obedience in baptism that sees our sins remitted. It is our obedience to the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit that conquers strongholds of human reasoning, false arguments, human pride, and rebellious thoughts.

Obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ is our greatest defense in spiritual warfare. The enemy has no offense that can succeed against the humble, submitted, obedient child of God. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). PL

J. ANDREW ROMINE Pastor | Christ the King Apostolic Church O’Fallon, Illinois

Personal Application:

1. Where does most spiritual warfare take place?

2. What are some ways we can begin to know the truth?

3. Discuss how believing truth is not the same as knowing truth.

4. How can we keep ourselves from pride?

5. How might false arguments and pride affect a local church body?

PRAYER HELPS IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE

OBJECTIVE: To explain, give examples, and encourage prayer that helps in securing victory in spiritual warfare

THE SCRIPTURES PRESENT A DIRECT relationship between prayer and the activation of the Spirit in spiritual warfare. We initially receive the gift of the Holy Spirit while praying (asking) in faith. This relationship between the Spirit and prayer continues, grows, and is honed as we grow throughout our spiritual life.

Prayer gives access to spiritual power for the war of the spirits. Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

The power, ability, and strength of the Holy Spirit is necessary for victory over a spiritual enemy. There is no comparison between the power of the Spirit and the power of Satan and his kingdom. And there is no comparison between the power of our flesh and the power of the Spirit within us. Our victory is certain only when the Spirit fights for us. We secure the Spirit’s involvement on our behalf through prayer.

Although we live in a natural world, we have a life in the Spirit. Our enemy is a fallen angel or spirit being. For this reason, we must have weapons that are superior to natural ability and powerful through God to provide victory in a war of the spirits.

As long as we live in these fleshly bodies with a fallen nature, we must engage in spiritual warfare in order to overcome. God anticipated this challenge we would be compelled to live with and made His spiritual weapons available to us through prayer.

Be armed for spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:11–20, the apostle Paul described how we are equipped for spiritual warfare. God provided the armor complete with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. He concluded by admonishing us to pray at all times in the Spirit, stay alert, persevere, and intercede.

Every piece of armor must be accompanied at all times by prayer in the Spirit because this armor for spiritual warfare is effective only as we engage the Spirit through prayer.

By prayer in the Spirit we receive spiritual understanding, spiritual strength, spiritual gifts, spiritual protection, and spiritual armor, thus gaining victory over a spiritual enemy.

Prayer and the Spirit. Let’s look at what the Scripture says about prayer and the Spirit. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. . . . Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:22, 26–27, ESV).

The Spirit hovered and the Word spoke in Creation, and our present world was created. Then because of sin it was cursed along with man. Just

as man has been redeemed so will the earth be. The same Spirit that worked in Creation and in our new birth will assist all (spirit, soul, body, creation) in bringing to pass God’s plan for redemption.

We enter the spirit world through prayer. We are assisted in our prayer by the Spirit who knows the mind of God and empowers us. The Spirit lifts us and reveals to us matters that are greater than any earthly power or satanic power. As we surrender ourselves to the Spirit in prayer, the Spirit takes over our feeble efforts and intercedes for us in ways exceeding our ability. In this way we are protected, the victory is secured, and our redemption completed.

From its inception, the early church was severely resisted by Satan as well as religious and governmental authorities. Peter and John were newly filled with the Spirit and were on their way to a prayer meeting. At the Temple gate they encountered a lame man and healed him through the power of the Spirit. This caused a great disturbance and opposition mounted. They were arrested, threatened, and released.

When they came together with the church, a prayer meeting developed resulting in a powerful response from the Spirit. Everyone was filled with the Spirit and received clarity of vision and boldness. They were victorious. Similar examples are recorded throughout the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles.

This is the template for prayer that engages the Holy Spirit and results in victory over our spiritual enemy. PL

GARRY TRACY Bishop | New Life Saint Louis | Bridgeton, Missouri Pastor Aaron Batchelor

Personal Application:

1. Is spiritual warfare a reality for every Christian today? Discuss.

2. What role does prayer play in engaging the Holy Spirit to act on our behalf?

3. Share personal examples of spiritual warfare.

4. What is the difference between prayers created from our own minds and prayers inspired by the Holy Spirit?

5. Give examples from the Scripture of Spirit-inspired intercessory prayers.

6. Give examples from your own lives of Spirit-inspired intercessory prayers.

Leadership Speaks

A BIBLICAL VIEW OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

GOD INSTITUTED MARRIAGE AS THE

union of one man and one woman who make a lifelong covenant (Genesis 2:24). Such a marriage is the basis for a biblical family. It is the ideal means of nurturing children, teaching them to love God and training them to be productive members of society, with father and mother making distinct but integrative contributions. (See Proverbs 1:8–9; Malachi 2:15; Ephesians 6:1–4.)

The human family is based on nature, which is God’s design: humans reproduce as male and female; brain chemistry creates both mother-infant and father-infant bonding; women are biologically designed to bear and nurture small children; mothers need fathers to protect and provide for the family; children need long-term care and support from both parents; and the nuclear family needs assistance from relatives. Throughout history, marriage has been a strong, stabilizing, civilizing force, especially for men. Men and women are complementary rather than identical, and they approach relationships differently. Many if not most women seek a relationship to provide security and support for the resulting family. Men typically want a sexual relationship but often seek one at little cost. In a culture that promotes marriage, if a man wants a sexual relationship with a woman, he is expected to assume the responsibility and commitment of marriage, including the support of children.

The contemporary culture of fornication breaks this connection between the sexual relationship and love, marriage, and family. The result is to give men more power in relation to women and to subjugate women to men’s interests. Men don’t have strong incentives to mature, seek education, work hard, become independent, or pursue careers. They can live selfishly and irresponsibly and yet have a temporary sexual relationship whenever they wish. Women, children, and society suffer the consequences. “Marriage remains powerfully associated with all manner of optimal outcomes in American life—among children, adolescents, and adults.” Thus, “societies that disregard monogamous norms undermine their own long-term interests.” Governments can provide aid, but they can’t create love,

which is essential to a healthy society. Marriage fosters loving relationships and emphasizes commitment as an essential component of love. However, “as marriage retreats so will enduring love,” which in turn undermines social stability. (See Mark Regnerus, Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy.)

Married people live longer, have better health, earn more money, accumulate more wealth, feel more fulfillment in their lives, enjoy more satisfying sexual relationships, and have happier and more successful children than those who remain single, cohabit, or get divorced. (See Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage.) Jesus said adultery can be grounds for divorce, but divorce wasn’t God’s original intention (Matthew 19:8–9). In some cases, divorce is the lesser of two evils, as when there is persistent physical abuse or infidelity, but divorced people and their children suffer many adverse consequences including higher rates of poverty, physical and mental illness, substance abuse, depression, and suicide. Second marriages have a higher failure rate than first marriages, which is a strong reason to resolve problems in an existing marriage rather than simply to flee from relationship issues. Stepfamilies have additional challenges, including higher rates of child abuse. The adult children of divorce often feel their relationships are doomed even when things are going well. They typically fear commitment and avoid conflict. (See Judith Wallerstein et al., The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce.)

According to data from the US Census Bureau, if young people graduate from high school, get a job, and get married before having children, they have a 75 percent chance of joining the middle class and only a 2 percent chance of falling into poverty. Almost 30 percent of single-parent households are poor during a given year, compared to only 5 percent of married-family households. (See Nick Schulz, Home Economics.) On average, children who don’t live with their biological fathers are at least two to three times more likely to be poor; use drugs; experience educational, health, emotional, and behavioral problems; be victims of child abuse; and engage in criminal behavior as compared to those who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents. Other significant problems correlated with absent fathers are teen fornication, teen pregnancy, childhood obesity, educational underachievement, school dropout, and incarceration. (See National Fatherhood Initiative, www.fatherhood.org.) Merely having two adults in the home doesn’t lower the statistical rates; the best outcomes occur when the biological father and mother are both present. According to a Fox News article on June 18, 2022, almost 25 percent of children and teens in America don’t have a father in the home. They comprise 85 percent of those with behavioral disorders, 70 percent of those in drug and alcohol treatment centers, and 90 percent of those who are homeless and runaways.

When individuals and families fall short of God’s ideal, God’s grace and the church’s ministry can help them overcome negative influences, behaviors, and consequences. Thus, we welcome everyone into the church and urge all to follow God’s plan for their lives. PL

Adapted from David K. Bernard, Anchor Points (2022).

DAVID K. BERNARD General Superintendent | UPCI

WELCOME INTERRUPTIONS

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

(Exodus 20:8–11)

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18–20)

WE TAKE THE GREAT COMMISSION seriously, as we should. We live and breathe Christianity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. However, we can’t do this to the detriment of ourselves and the most important people in our lives. Too much of any one thing can negatively impact our goals of carrying out the mission of evangelism. This doesn’t mean we should neglect our mission to evangelize the world and our local community. Instead, we must find a balance between our work for the Kingdom and the rest our bodies need so we can live a dedicated and devoted life to God.

Wise Counsel

When off balance, we can self-destruct and even derail the plan of God for our lives. I invite you to ask for and seek the “and” to your commission in life. For example, if your ministry is outreach and you are dedicated to winning the lost, what is the “and”? You cannot evangelize to the lost 24/7 without neglecting your own spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. In other words, the “and” is the balance we must strike in order to serve the Kingdom to the best of our ability.

Apprentices of Jesus

As apprentices of Jesus, we don’t have to look far to find that unique and healthy balance of rest and recreation represented in God’s Word. In The Message paraphrase of Matthew 11:28–30, Jesus asked the people, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Rest is essential to one’s spiritual walk with the Lord. Many Christians, including pastors and ministers today, do not appreciate the value of rest. Most modern Christians do not even observe the Sabbath. Rest allows our mind, body, and soul to renew and restart with even greater strength and focus. This is how we carry out the Great Commission. Jesus demonstrated that He must be about His Father’s business, but He found time to rest and refuel. Jesus understood God’s design for prioritizing what comes first. He followed the natural order that He needed to rest and refuel if He was going to succeed in His reason for being made incarnate.

If we are going to be the best versions of followers of Jesus, we must learn to refuel physically, emotion-

ally, and spiritually. A common theme in maintaining good physical, emotional, and spiritual health is the importance of self-investment. The Sabbath is a time for focusing on rest and allowing the physical man to catch up with the spiritual man.

The Hebrew word for this biblical principle shabbat means “rest.” In a postmodern Christian world, if we are not going to observe the Sabbath, then we must remember to take a periodic sabbatical. The Bible says God rested on the seventh day and therefore designed the Sabbath as a time for us to rest. He built a rhythm into the DNA of creation that we work and rest, not one or the other but both.

The Bible tells of three things God blessed: the animal kingdom, humankind, and the Sabbath. The Sabbath has life-giving, life-sustaining properties. If we are to live the spirit-filled, joyous, abundant life He has planned for us, we must learn to take care of and honor the physical, emotional, and spiritual man. PL

WILSON,

Doctor of Behavioral Health Covenant Behavioral Health | Colton, California

“ We live and breathe Christianity twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. However, we can’t do this to the detriment of ourselves and the most important people in our lives.”

C. CARL

DBH, LPCC, CADC-II

North American Missions

DON’T FIGHT ALONE

WHILE READING I SAMUEL 22, I was intrigued once again by Saul’s paranoid interaction with the high priest Ahimelech. Convinced that David was intent on overthrowing his kingship and killing him, Saul chased David throughout Israel. When Saul demanded information on David’s whereabouts, his servant Doeg mentioned seeing David with Ahimelech. This affirmed Saul’s misguided fears and angered him immensely. He believed the priests were conspiring with David and demanded an explanation from Ahimelech. Unsatisfied by Ahimelech’s response, Saul ordered his bodyguards to kill the high priest and his entire family (I Samuel 22:16). The bodyguards refused. Saul then turned to Doeg (the one who had provided the narrative that stoked Saul’s paranoia) and ordered him to kill the priests.

Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. (I Samuel 22:18–19, NLT)

Doeg created and nurtured a dangerous scenario for Ahimelech. Then he obliged Saul by killing the priest and his entire family. However, he didn’t stop there. He killed the priests, their families, and their livestock living in the city of Nob—in short, anyone or anything associated with Ahimelech. Who was Doeg? What kind of man would possess such an evil, self-serving spirit? Doeg was Saul’s chief herdsman (I Samuel 21:7); however, there is something greater to consider. The concordance describes Doeg with an active participle that means “anxious.”

It is hardly a coincidence that the man responsible for inciting Saul’s anger and executing the high priest, his family, and all of his associates was named Anxiety.

Sadly, the word anxiety is often synonymous with a lack of trust in God. This dangerous perception causes many pastors and their family members to internalize their struggles and fight battles alone. The spirit of Doeg continues to claim priestly victims.

Pastors and their families are faced with a church culture that demands perfection, making it almost unimaginable to be honest about struggles or to seek professional counseling. The unspoken command is, “Keep your struggles quiet!” The enemy whispers, “If

your friends or church members learned Doeg was waging war against you, what would they think? How can you preach faith while battling anxiety (or depression, or burnout, or loneliness)?”

This brief account in I Samuel is a strong reminder we are all human, and even the anointed man or woman of God fights unsolicited and unexpected battles with Doeg. Thankfully, there is more to this story. Verse 20 introduces Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech who escaped the massacre. He sought David’s protection and was welcomed by him.

Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both. (I Samuel 22:23, NLT)

Abiathar knew he must seek the next king to survive the horrific attack from Doeg. We must never underestimate the power and protection of a pastor, even when we fulfill that role ourselves. Abiathar was a priest, but when he needed help, he ran to the anointed one. During life’s struggles, we all need someone in whom to confide. Many ministries have been derailed because asking for help was viewed as an unholy weakness. The Word of God reveals that is not true.

Submission is a primary part of our relationship with God. We submit to the Word. We submit to our pastor. We submit within our families—children to parents and wife to husband. Submission is possible through faith. Submission requires trust while offering a level of expectation of safety and provision. Submission allows us to be honest and vulnerable with our leader. We all need a David—an anointed one—who offers guidance, assistance, and protection.

I encourage you to identify your David. Even pastors need a pastor. Recognize that struggles do not discount anointing or calling. But failing to address struggles can cost your ministry. Don’t wage your battle with Doeg alone! Let the United Pentecostal Church International be known for surrounding the wounded while providing protection and assistance. May this great body redefine church culture by affirming those who display true integrity and self-awareness by recognizing, “I need help.”

If you are in a battle, know that confidential help is available. Consider the Center for Apostolic Counseling (www.apostoliccounseling. org) or Points of Refuge (www.pointsofrefuge. com). Reach out to your pastor. Don’t fight alone! Your life, marriage, family, and ministry are worth saving. PL

CHAD PARKER Licensed Master Social Worker and Licensed Professional Counselor Executive Vice President Tupelo Children’s Mansion | UPCI

YOUNG LOVE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE PRACTICAL

HELEN KELLER SAID, “I WOULD rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.” Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” The writer of Proverb declared that “a friend loves at all times.”

This entire article could be filled with quotes and inspired writings to exemplify that humans need one another. Since the beginning of time mankind has craved relationships. We desire closeness with others, and we thrive when we are able to cultivate those intimate bonds with other people. Our Creator made us that way. As Apostolic Christians who are endeavoring to keep the faith, it is important that we are careful whom we allow into this

circle of intimacy. It is equally important that we teach the next generation of students to cultivate good, healthy relationships especially when they are considering romantic relationships that will impact their future and their walk with God. It was God’s idea and His design for us to seek out that special relationship between men and women, and like everything God designs, there is an order to it.

The first thing we have to instill in our students when it comes to dating is that they must have confidence in who they are before they even think about engaging with a significant other. Growing up, my parents raised me to believe I could do anything with Jesus by my side. That was a powerful tool, which, unfortunately, many of our students do not

have in their spiritual tool chest. Many of our teens do not have caregivers who are teaching them they are fearfully and wonderfully made by a God who thinks they are amazing just as they are. We must foster this confidence in our young people because, if they are happy while being on their own, they won’t feel pressured to be in a romantic relationship. Students who have a godly confidence in themselves will gravitate toward healthy relationships, because they feel content even when they’re not involved with someone. When students understand that their worth and their joy come from God, it is much easier for them to discern that spiritually unhealthy people would not be an option for romance. We must find ways to help our students understand that who God called them to be as individuals is enough because He is enough. Our students must understand that some people they want to date are simply off limits; however, this isn’t accomplished by just proclaiming it in the youth room. While most Apostolic Christians would agree it is best for our students to only date other Apostolics, unfortunately it doesn’t always happen that way. Our students live in the world, and we encourage them to be kind to unbelievers, showing the love of Christ on every level to every person wherever they are. Feelings sometimes develop, and our students can innocently be caught up in relationships they did not expect or plan. I know this because I lived it. I was raised in a wonderful, godly home. I lived a holiness lifestyle and yet still managed to catch the eye of a worldly boy. I tried to keep him at arm’s length, but I must admit I was crazy about him too. When these types of relationships are born, consider a few things when dealing with your students. First, keep the doors of communication open. Your students need to know they can confide in you. You can give godly instruction and warning without isolat-

ing the students who are struggling. Second, make it your mission to develop your own relationship with the unbeliever. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” This does not mean you are condoning “unequal relationships” by trying to gain common ground with the unbeliever, but rather you are helping them understand there is a better way to live.

Finally, your students must be committed to their relationship with Jesus Christ above everything else, whether it’s a church relationship or a worldly one. I believe the best way to do this is to teach the “why” behind everything we believe. We must address every question, from holiness to the Godhead to relationships, and we must be ready to give them a biblical answer. When I faced this dilemma as a teen, this was my saving grace: I knew my “why.” I believed the truth and I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that the commitment I had made at the altar was the one I was going to choose in the end. I was able to draw my line in the sand because my commitment mattered above all else. Give your students this power by helping them “rightly divide the word of truth,” and they “will not depart from it.” PL

PEBBLE WISDOM

Credentialed Minister and Pastor’s Wife United Church | Waggoner, Oklahoma

TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR TEACHERS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

Let’s get real for a minute. When it comes to recruiting and training teachers in our churches, often we simply look for availability and leave new teachers to a trial by fire, figuring it out as they go. Even in churches with many resources, it’s still time consuming to maintain a thorough training program to onboard new teachers and keep seasoned teachers sharp. That’s why Ministry Central is proud to announce a teacher training and certification program. We now offer a comprehensive set of video-based courses to train teachers of children, endorsed by Children’s Ministries. And for the first time, video training is available for teachers of adults to address a variety of formats from lecture to small groups.

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

PRESENTERS

Steve Cannon

David Norris

Aaron Soto

JoDana Flowers

DJ Hill

And Many More!

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO FISH, and then there are people who just like to catch fish. To my parents’ chagrin on especially frigid or sweltering days, I trend to the former category. If you’re a fellow angler, I don’t have to explain.

I like to catch fish, but I don’t know that I’m particularly good at it. My grandfather used to say, “All that water and that one little hook . . . ” and not finish the sentence, implying how illogical the effort. Yet I’ve discovered fishing is more than blindly hoping an unsuspecting creature will bite a randomly floated hook. The more committed and passionate the angler, the more he or she invests in learning strategies and conditioning for greater effectiveness. Oh sure, we all know fish stories too good to be true of those moments when a line flung out with no forethought hooked a lunker, but note also the industry developed around guides, gear, and training for fishing success.

The greatest angler I know is my Uncle Walter. His moment of glory came in the mid-nineties when he landed a state record bass, but his fishing journey spills across a lifetime.

The moment I realized there were anglers and then there were people who merely liked to fish was when I noticed Uncle Walter casting with his left hand. I hadn’t noticed he was a southpaw before, so I inquired.

“No, I’m righthanded, but I cast with my left hand so if I get a strike the minute the bait hits the water, I don’t miss it switching hands to reel. If you’re serious about fishing, you need to learn to cast with your left hand,” he instructed. As it turned out, I stuck to simple spinning rods already set up to retrieve lefthanded, so the point was moot. But I never forgot his intentionality in learning something contrary to his nature to take advantage of an opportunity.

The Last Word

LEFTHANDED CASTS FOR DISCIPLES

Then when I got hooked on saltwater fishing, I was eager to share with him. I wondered if he too would be a big fan of chasing big fish and bites so aggressive they almost snatch the pole out of an unsuspecting angler’s grasp.

“No, I don’t fish much saltwater. Those big fish spoil you and ruin your ability to feel the subtle bite of a bass,” he answered. I had a hard time processing this sentiment: learning to cast lefthanded checked out, intentionally skipping out on easy, fun fishing to preserve the ability to catch smaller, less flashy fish. Well, it probably explains why I’m not a good freshwater angler and am content with a few big saltwater bites a year.

Still, the ultimate measure of commitment showed up in the form of the thermostat. You see, my Uncle Walter keeps his thermostat set on 83 degrees in the summer. In Louisiana. All summer long. Forgive my sentence fragments—I’m simply stunned all this time later. I find 73 a smidge warm in my home in the summer; 83 feels borderline war-crime territory. You might imagine how visitors to his home struggle with the temperature. They’ll adapt, but he won’t change. He knows how hot the temperature will get on the water, and he doesn’t want to spoil himself so he can’t endure a day of fishing in the worst of the summer. He conditions himself (at the expense of his own comfort) so he can be at his best for what is most important to him: fishing.

Fellow disciples, if I’ve delved too much into fishing details, allow me to turn for home with this reflection: I wonder if I’m intentionally conditioning myself to be my best for what’s most important. I hope my own journey as a disciple and my commitment to disciple others is foremost in my life. I hope everything I do is strategic to make that aspect of my life its most effective.

Am I learning to cast lefthanded as it were, which is to say: am I learning and adapting to ways that will lead to optimal discipleship moments? Do I insist on flashy fishing (ill-planned evangelistic efforts) or am I willing to invest in the harder work of long-term discipleship? Am I willing to reach beyond my comfort zone and invest in people not like me? Am I willing to sacrifice my wants to create an opportunity for others to respond to the gospel without my preferences getting in the way?

And am I willing to sacrifice and condition myself so when discipleship is difficult, I am prepared for the challenge? I don’t know what the spiritual parallel is for setting the thermostat to 83 degrees, but I hope I love God and others enough that I am willing to surrender personal comfort to be committed to the work of the Kingdom. Let us say as did Paul said, “Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). PL

LEE ANN ALEXANDER Associate Editor in Chief | UPCI