Logos Bible Software for Pentecostals and Charismatics

This is all about Logos Bible Software.

If anyone is wondering how it is possible to complete a Batchelor of Theology or any other Bible based degree by distance education the answer is simple. All Bible colleges have theological libraries where students can access the full range of reference books required as a part of any course in the degree. When one is, in my case some 500 Km from the college library this is obviously impossible. The solution is Logos Bible Software. In my opinion, I have been using the software in it’s many development stages since the early 1990’s, it is simply the best software in the world for the serious Bible student at any level, from preparing Sunday /School or small group studies through to Doctoral studies. Any Pastor who is struggling to find time to do the necessary research for their ministry demands absolutely needs Bible Software that can scale up as circumstances require.

I recently had the privilege to be asked to conduct a couple of days of Logos workshops for a large Sydney church. Their Pastors were struggling to figure out how to use the software and had given up trying to use it. After talking with them and finding out what they wanted the software to do it was simply a matter of me spending time to clean out the accumulated debris from their library and then the beautiful and up to the minute library was revealed in all its glory.

I then spent time with each Pastor setting up their workspace the way that they wanted it and boy were they grateful.  Pastors preparation time is too valuable to waste getting frustrated with software it was a blessing to release these Pastors to be able to realize on their investment and to maximise the effectiveness of their study.

Anyone reading this post is welcome to contact me about Logos Bible Software. I am not paid by them, nor do I receive any benefit from them by writing this post. I am happy to help anyone wishing to use this great Bible software at any level.

Blessings

Peter

A New Model For Church Structure

Most of us recognise that church governance or structure has developed into essentially three basic models or variations of those models. The episcopalian model or governance by bishops under the control of an archbishop or pope. We see this in the Catholic and Anglican churches. Secondly, the presbyterian model or governance by elders and supervised by the local or regional presbytery. Lastly, the congregational model which is essentially the free church model, where all decisions are made by the whole congregation including the hire and fire of the pastor and his remuneration. The congregational church may be a member of a denomination or independent but is entirely self-governing.

The following is a quote from an essay I wrote and submitted a couple of years ago. I have been wanting to share this thought ever since.

Continue reading “A New Model For Church Structure”

Retired Foursquare Pastor

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Geoff Ditton

I’d like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine. His name is Geoff and he has retired to the local area. Geoff is the first to admit that he’s been around a while and yet he is one of the most positive people I know. Geoff is a living treasure of our movement. He is a retired Foursquare pastor the son of a Foursquare pastor. His roots go back to the very foundation of the pentecostal movement in Australia and despite the years, he can tell you stories about those days and the characters that made them so special. He loves to talk about his favorites, Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland. In recent times it’s everybody’s favorite aunt Joyce Meyer.

I am studying pentecostal ecclesiology right now and we had a fascinating chat this morning about the changes in the way we do church in recent times. Whilst preparing my essay I could not recall the last time that I had heard a tongue or interpretation in church, certainly not in the past 20 years or so. I asked him “When was the last time you heard them?” He said, “a few days ago in Bowraville”.  He was referring to the Arena of Life Church there, where I knew that they value classic pentecostal distinctive. “OK Geoff”, I said, “I didn’t know you had been there, how about before that?” This time, I had him pretty much stumped except for a friend of his who had visited many years ago and gave a tongue and prophecy. The point of the story is that according to Shane Clifton PHD’s research, (Ref. Below), when the Assemblies of God decided to change their structure back in the late seventies to the senior pastor, mega church, model the three casualties were, small churches, women as senior pastors and gifted laity who were no longer required to participate in the decision-making process of their local churches.

This essay is proving to be tougher than I expected.

Blessings

Peter

Reference: Shane Clifton, Pragmatic Ecclesiology: The Apostolic Revolution and the Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia, Australian Pentecostal Studies No.9, 2005/6,30

David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts” Part 5

This is more like it. Lim seems to be back on track here. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen “wildfire” in my local church. Maybe we have taken the decency and order thing a little too far.

“Third, it is important not to react. Paul says to the Corinthians, “eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (v. 1), be zealous for them and channel the zeal to build the Church (v. 12), and don’t forbid speaking in tongues (v. 39). Fear of extremes often causes churches to shrink form a complete gift ministry. The baby is thrown out with the bath water, the fire is feared because of possible wildfire, or, as the Chinese proverb puts it, we trim the toe to fit the shoe. On the other hand, to zealously follow an untested position that has little biblical base is to ask for problems that will hinder the very revival we all seek.”

David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” in Systematic Theology: Revised Edition, ed. Stanley M. Horton (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2007), 478.

David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” Part 3

 

Lim is referring to his grouping of the spiritual gifts  based on 1Corinthians 12: 6-8 and 1Corinthians 14: 1-33

“Teaching, ministry of the body of Christ to the Church and the world, and worship are three keys to a healthy local assembly. If we have only two of these categories without the third we have imbalance and open ourselves to difficulties.

Continue reading “David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” Part 3”

David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” Part 2

A balanced understanding of the trinity is essential as we move towards a mature pneumatology, again I have used a quote from David Lim to open the discussion.

“Each Person of the Trinity plays a vital part in the manifestation of gifts. Sometimes the roles overlap, but essentially the Father superintends the plan of salvation and the expression of the gifts from beginning to end.

Continue reading “David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” Part 2”

David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” Part 1

I’m studying Pentecostal Pneumatology at the moment and came across some interesting ideas by David Lim in one of this week’s readings. This is the first one about gifts of the Spirit and is great to introduce the idea.

“There are various views on the nature of the gifts of the Spirit.

Continue reading “David Lim, “Spiritual Gifts,” Part 1”

Welcome to my blog

Hi and welcome to the beginning of what I hope will become a useful place for Pentecostals, particularly Aussies who live in rural and regional areas to engage with some of the material that I encounter as I work towards my Batchelor of Theology degree with Alphacrucis College. As always I am accompanied by my faithful sidekick Banjo who will no doubt be making his own contribution to the debate.

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Banjo sharing his opinion and getting a cuddle at the same time