Amazing Faith Proclaiming Christ's Victory
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Wilfredo De Jesús: Amazing Faith SUMMER 2013 Enriching and equipping Spirit-filled ministers The battle of ideas, concepts, and thoughts 66 Proclaiming Christ’s victory over sinful, personal desires 72 Demonization and the Christian life 86 CHRIST’S VICTORY OVER THE WORLD, THE FLESH, AND THE DEVIL ej.ag.org/summer2013 Ad Ad InsideEnrichment Volume 18 / Number 3 Summer 2013 20 MAnAG i n G tH e MAyH e M o f M i n i stry Features sticks and stones 34 Hand to the plow and … Words can By CarA DAvis Hurt You His message and his humble spirit may be at By Cal leMOn the core of why Pastor Choco finds himself in How we handle and the media’s spotlight. respond to criticism can 16 38 Q&A for Ministry Wives be the worst and Hiring Family Members: High-Maintenance best indicator of our Risk Or reward? Boundaries spirituality. By cAl cARPEnTEr and WARREn D. BULLOcK To negotiate the prickly issue of nepotism By GabriElE riEnAs 22 STAyi n G C o n n e CTE D with wisdom and grace, here are some obser- The overly needy church vations to consider. woman is a difficulty Why You can’t many pastors’ wives face. Overlook social 42 improving Your interest rate: Media As a The irresistible power of a 18 LeAD Lo n G … LeAD str o n G Ministry Tool Great Question Wax On … Wax Off: By JusTin LathrOp By RoberT c. crOsby A Word to Young Social media is the primary Among the essential skills of effective pastors leaders Who Feel form of communication for and leaders is the ability to turn a good ques- They Are Being Held a generation who needs tion into a great one. Back to know the love of Jesus. By scott Hagan 24 o n Pr eACH i n G InDepth: How do you sell young leaders on the idea One size Fits All? of repetitions before By DOuG GrEEn reputation? Is there a right way and a wrong way to preach? Yes and yes. cHrisT’s vicTOrY OvEr the WOrlD, THE FlEsH, AnD the DEvil 26 D eali n G WitH D o u bte r s 47 Introduction Atheism and the By George pAUL Wood Burden of proof Unjust systems, unholy desires, and the host By pAul cOpAn of hell all are our enemy, not one or the other, Must the theist back his and not one more than the other. belief in God with irrefut- able evidence? 48 The Armor of God: A Meditation on Ephesians 6:10–20 30 M i n i stry & M e D i CAL ETH i C s By George O. Wood Environmental We must exercise power in spiritual warfare Ethics: Tending with great caution, making sure that we the Garden for Our exercise it in the right manner and against the Health right enemy. Here is how. By ChrisTinA M.H. Powell 54 Keep on praying for All the saints: While the primary focus Intercession and spiritual Warfare of churches must remain By James T. BradforD saving people, congrega- Spiritual warfare is not won through conflict tions can learn to be kind resolution or strategic planning. It is won to the environment. by the foundational activity common to every victory in the unseen realm — prayer. (continued on page 6) 8 eshorts 13 EJ Online ENRICHMENT (ISSN 1082-1791) is published quarterly (January, April, July, October), ©2013 by The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. Assemblies of God ministers may reproduce nonbyline material from Enrichment in church publications, giving credit to the journal. Except for brief quotations, signed articles may not be reprinted without permission of the authors. Subscription rates: USA –1 year $24; 2 years $42. Outside USA add $30 per year for postage. Subscriptions: All subscription correspondence, including change of address, should be sent to Enrichment, Customer Services, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802, phone 1-800-641-4310. Periodical postage paid at Springfield, Missouri, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Enrichment, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802. Enrichment Summer 2013 5 InsideEnrichment (continued from page 5) 60 proclaiming christ’s victory Over unjust 86 Demonization and the christian life: Social structures & practices How the Devil influences Believers By A. Elizabeth GrAnT By DOuG LowenberG Believers attempting to set the captive free can find Western Christians struggle to explain and address the themselves blindsided and forced to fight systemic reality of the spirit world. A misdiagnosis could prevent spiritual battles they are ill equipped to fight. We must finding the cure for one who is reckon with communities and systems corrupted and struggling. controlled by sinful forces. Here is how. 98 Worldviews 66 The Battle of ideas, concepts, and and the Thoughts Unseen World By Paul AlExAnder By TErrY How do pastors and Christians in general meet this HAnnA battle with confidence? Here are three ways in A well-formed which to engage these expressions of spiritual worldview, warfare. grounded on biblical 72 proclaiming christ’s victory Over sinful, truth, enables Personal Desires believers to recognize By GArY J. TYrA demonic activity Here are four spiritual warfare habits that are essen- and influence tial to keeping in step with the Spirit and proclaiming reactions to the Christ’s victory over sin. unseen world. 80 Beware of satan’s Thorns: seven Ways 104 interview the Enemy Weakens pastors Discerning By Stephen liM Best practices in spiritual Here are ways to avoid strategies Satan uses to distract, Warfare harass, weaken, and destroy pastors. How do we sort out good spiritual-warfare practices from bad ones? Members of the Assemblies of God World Missions executive committee share their insights. 128 A Final Word Middle-earth: The unseen realm of the spiritual By marK hausfelD Spiritual warfare is a vital part of our biblical incarna- tional story. Which narrative will the Western church and unreached masses hear? 111 clergycraft 116 news&Trends 118 Books 123 With christ 124 news&resources 127 Ad index Enrichment is prepared under the direction of the Executive Presbytery: George O. Wood (General Superintendent) / Warren D. Bullock / Douglas E. Clay / L. Alton Garrison / J. Don George / Saturnino Gonzalez / A. Elizabeth Grant / Larry H. Griswold / R. Bryan Jarrett / Nam Soo Kim / Rod Loy / John E. Maracle / Jesse Miranda, Jr. / Greg Mundis / T. Ray Rachels / H. Robert Rhoden / Clarence W. St. John / Zollie L. Smith, Jr. Executive Editor: George Paul Wood / Managing Editor: Rick Knoth / Associate Editor: Richard Schoonover / ART Director: Steve Lopez / Office Coordinator: Connie Cross / Design: Dave Danielson, Steve Lopez, Sarah Simmons, Josh Thommasen. E-mail: [email protected] / website: enrichmentjournal.ag.org Advertising: For information on print or online advertising, call Connie Cross at 417-862-2781, ext. 4095; go to enrichmentjournal.ag.org (click on Advertise); or E-mail advertising- [email protected]. Advertising Policy: Enrichment does not endorse any advertiser or product. Claims made in an advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Enrichment reserves the right to reject any advertisement that is inconsistent with the journal’s objectives, editorial convictions, or Assemblies of God doctrine and practice. Member of Evangelical Press Association; Pentecostal Press Association. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com 6 Enrichment Summer 2013 Ad EShorts HELPING HEARTS AND HOMES UTHTRAX NO TIME TO BACK UP here is a weird reaction in par- ents when their little girls and boys O N THE start to turn into women and men. TThey back up. They stop kissing; stop hugging. The “I love yous” are further apart; the wres- tling stops. All the while, the child is still a child. Though their bodies are screaming, “I’m an adult,” their minds and hearts are still immature at best. ex on one’s wedding night has lost its antici- It is during this uncomfortable season pation and mystique for many couples today. that parents need to invest instead of Increasingly, this is becoming less common due divest. to couples having sex before marriage. No longer This is where you come in. iStockphoto /Thinkstock is it a special experience for those committing them- During this adolescent time parents selves to a lifetime, legal, loving commitment. look to the youth worker or youth pastor to step up and fi ll in this gap that makes them squirm. This space, though, is not In a survey of 3,876 newly “Only 20 percent of women married people, the percentage and 15 percent of men go your s to fi ll. As one wise person said, of those who spent their to their bridal beds as virgins “Even the best youth pastor makes a bad wedding night in nonconnubial these days.” parent.” activities: —Edward Laumann, Encourage parents of teens to push • More than half of 40 + year-olds University of Chicago sex researcher past their insecurities and barriers. Host • One third of 18–24 year-olds special nights or weekends for fathers/ sons and mothers/daughters. These —Barry Sinrod, social trend researcher, The primary reason for Boca Raton, Florida couples not “becoming one” times can bond often-strained relation- physically on their wedding ships. They can also be great opportuni- “One third of all ages spend night is cohabitation. ties to help students in your group who their wedding night opening Growth of cohabitation: do not have an engaged dad or mom fi nd gifts, sleeping, counting cash • 2010 — 14.8 million people a dad or mom who will step up and fi ll in presents, partying with friends.” • 2000 — 11 million people this space.