Dave's Musings

Last night evangelists Bill and Beth Juoni began a series of revival meetings in our region of the Philippines. We actually began with a truncated seminar that afternoon. It was a small gathering, but the people were intensely interested in what Bill had to say about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. In the altar service about 10-12 were gloriously filled or refilled!! Praise the Lord!

For the next couple of weeks we will be taking Bill and Beth to various places throughout the region for day long seminars and revival services on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God is soon going to send a revival to the Bicol region, and we want to be ready when he does.

If anyone would want to understand why the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have now spread all over the globe, one must understand what we believe and teach about the Holy Spirit. We believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is primarily an enduement of power to be Christ's witness, both at home and abroad. We believe that any believer can and must be filled with the Spirit.

The Spirit of God is the great equalizer. In a sense, believing that every believer can and should be filled with the Spirit is Pentecostalism's to contribution to the priesthood of all believers. While Luther, I think, intended this to mean that all believers have access to God, I would add that, through the Holy Spirit baptism, God has access to all believers, regardless of social rank, economic status, or educational level.

Our desire is that every believer in our region would be filled with Spirit and used by God to reach people for Christ in their locale and wherever the will of God may take them. We believe that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in other tongues, is a critical part of the discipleship, spiritual formation, and preparation process to be used of God to the maximum.

I remember the words to the old hymn, Showers of Blessing, especially the part that goes "mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead." Oh God, we pray for a mighty outpouring of your Spirit in the Bicol region of the Philippines and around the world!