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Greg Sutton, a church elder and lay preacher, didn't initially set out to write a book. His desire was to figure out what he actually believes and strengthen other Christians’ faith in the process.
As for the dramatic drop among Pentecostals and Charismatics, that is perplexing as well, since in other, international polls, Pentecostals and Charismatics led the way in daily Bible study and prayer.
I was recently asked for my take on the controversy surrounding Francis Chan speaking at what some call “questionable events.” Why is emotional worship, nights of prayer, and pressing into God viewed as fanatical when these things are actually biblical?
Of all the theological squabbles that have plagued evangelical Christianity over the years, especially in the West, a particularly profound division centers on the power of the Holy Spirit and the manner in which He is at work today.
There are countless other examples as well. The New Testament first introduced this outpouring on the lives of believers (sometimes at conversion). Take the time this week to read the books of Acts.
On October 24th, I began to write a new book entitled Authentic Fire: A Response to John MacArthur's Strange Fire. By God's grace, three weeks (and more than 400 pages) later, with contributions from Craig Keener and Sam Storms and others, the book was completed and is now available as an e-book.
Dr. George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, which claims over 66 million Pentecostals worldwide, acknowledged in a letter addressing Pastor John MacArthur's Strange Fire conference that "there have been isolated aberrations of behavior and doctrine over the past century among those who self-identify as Pentecostal or charismatic." Wood insisted, however, that "the movement as a whole has proved a vital force in world evangelization."
