Global Pentecostalism
By Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori,
University of California Press,
261 pages, softcover, $24.95.
Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori’s new book about global Pentecostalism wasn’t conceived with a Pentecostal focus. The two researchers merely set out to write about growing churches that were addressing social problems in the developing world—85 percent of the churches recommended to them for consideration happened to be Pentecostal or charismatic. A “noncharismatic evangelical” and a “liberal Episcopalian,” respectively, Yamamori and Miller spent four years gathering more than 300 interviews and 70 hours of videotape in 20 countries about how Pentecostals are addressing social problems such as poverty, drug addiction, AIDS orphans and more. Their study focuses solely on a segment of Pentecostalism they call “progressive Pentecostalism”—churches exhibiting growth, having active social programs and being self-supporting. An accompanying DVD includes footage of some of the interviews and also of collective Pentecostal worship—the root of Pentecostal social engagement, Miller and Yamamori believe. Unlike the social gospel tradition of the mainline churches, the two say, progressive Pentecostalism “seeks a balanced approach to evangelism and social action that is modeled after Jesus’ example of not only preaching about the coming kingdom of God but also ministering to the physical needs of the people he encountered.”
Lance Nixon

BOOKS

Prayers that Rout Demons
By John Eckhardt, Charisma House,
softcover, 112 pages, $9.99.
Prayers That Rout Demons is a truly unique collection of Scripture for prayer warriors and others who desire to see what God will do with identifiable obstacles that are matched with precise petitions for heavenly action. It is often problematic to rely upon prayers lifted up to God’s throne with vague language and inexact requests. Unsure expectations are mostly met with inadequate results. “When you pray, if you believe, you will receive,” is author John Eckhardt’s hopeful aspiration for those seeking to glean from this excellent compilation. Amassed are actual Scripture references that become powerful prayers under these chapter headings: Plugging into the Power Source; Preparing to Engage the Enemy; Confronting the Enemy’s Tactics; and Destroying the Enemy’s Forces.
J. James Estrada

Making Your Money Count
By Kenneth C. Ulmer, Ph.D.;
Regal Books; hardcover; 224 pages; $19.99.
Kenneth Ulmer encourages believers to view money as a tool, a test and a testimony, and he challenges religious views that suggest it is good for a Christian to stay poor or to be rich just for the sake of being rich. Wealth, Ulmer suggests, should be used to grow the kingdom of God. The church Ulmer pastors is located in a sports arena that was the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers. With a vision to expand the kingdom, the church also operates the arena as a business by renting it out when the church is not in service. Using the parable of the talents as a springboard, Ulmer writes that doing kingdom business should be your money’s job. Money should work for you by generating more returns than if you work for it through a 9-to-5 job. With the flood of resources on money management currently available, Ulmer’s message that Christians should become producers and not merely consumers is relevant today.
Tracee N. Mason

Stop Acting Like a Christian, Just Be One
By Christine Caine, Regal Books,
softcover, 208 pages, $12.99.
Christine Caine teaches about a Christian’s internal motivation for life’s actions. Despite the catchy title, this book is about acting like a Christian—but, it’s about letting activities flow from a foundation of a relationship with God rather than modifying external behavior. Designed as a devotional with an extended introduction, the first half deals with loving God—developing that foundational relationship—with heart, mind and soul. The second half contains 31 short devotional messages intended to prompt reflection on various qualities of being a Christian. Caine’s humorous personal anecdotes make this a fun as well as inspiring read. The topics are good basics for Christians just starting on the journey and a refresher course for those who are down the road a few miles. Caine makes her home in Sydney, Australia, where she and her husband are part of a leadership team at Hillsong Church.
Deborah L. Delk

MUSIC

Saviour King
By Hillsong, Integrity Music.
Feel alive with Hillsong’s latest release, Saviour King. Darlene Zschech and team come together again to invite those who dare to enter into the heart of God through pulsating anthems such as “Break Free” and “I’m Not Ashamed.” Adulating ballads such as “One Thing” and “To Know Your Name” sing what the heart of the created cries out to the Creator. Recorded live, Saviour King pulls you into the energy of pure worship. The loud cheers of the crowd and the joyful refrains of the choir have been carefully recorded and make you feel as if you are right there. Although there is not a particularly new sound offered, Saviour King makes Hillsong fans feel right at home with the energizing guitar riffs and unified vocals.
Jevon Bolden

Remedy
By David Crowder Band, Sparrow Records.
Remedy, the new CD from the David Crowder Band, is certainly the remedy for the regular and mundane. The band has put together great music that incorporates the new way to worship in this age of ever-changing technology and information overload. The hit single “Everything Glorious” is fun yet purposeful, incorporating electronic video-game sounds. “The Glory of It All” and the title track are powerful and evangelistic, speaking of the cross and sacrifice, while “Never Let Go” is entreating and transparent. There’s techno worship in “Can You Feel It?” and Celtic praise in “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” You won’t ever feel you get enough of this CD. Each song incorporates an awareness of this new creative culture with driving drumbeats, invigorating acoustic and electric guitar lines, and uniquely synthesized sounds. It even pushes the envelope into future innovation.
Jevon Bolden

We Shine
By Fee, INO Records.
From the get-go, upstart modern worship band Fee sets the tone with a stateside take on high-energy, electronic-laced Euro-rock. Taking a page from the likes of Hillsong United, Desperation Band and Delirious, this four-piece outfit offers impassioned songs that range from the horizontal challenge (such as the title track) to intimate vertical moments of self-sacrifice (such as the U2-influenced “Burn for You”). For the sake of artistic diversity, Fee makes the occasional foray into a current American-led worship sound on equally powerful songs such as “Glorious One,” “Lift High,” “Victorious” and “You Are the Light,” easily appealing to fans of Chris Tomlin, Building 429 and By the Tree. Not only should Fee win over the young adult and youth audience quickly, but this talented band is also on track to supply progressive worship leaders with plenty of material for years to come.

Chad Bonham

SPOTLIGHT

A Deeper Walk
Hunter Smith says worship is the goal of his new CD.

For Hunter Smith, writing and leading worship songs comes just as naturally as booting a football 45 yards and dropping it inside the 10-yard line. The Indianapolis Colts’ star punter led worship for a campus Bible study at Notre Dame before teaming with singer-songwriter Chris Wilson and becoming a worship leader at Every Nation Church in Nashville, Tenn. With the release of the duo’s self-titled debut, Connersvine, Smith says worship is still his goal. “If we can lead people into eternal life and into a deeper relationship with God—that they would know Him more intimately—then we will have completely succeeded in everything we’re supposed to do.”
Chad Bonham

Prayer Point

This month marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Since then, more than 40 million babies have been aborted in the U.S. This month we encourage you to pray that:

»Abortion would end in the U.S. and abroad
»Women grieving over their abortions would find healing through Christ
»Churches would help women find alternatives to abortion and encourage members to adopt.
To sign up for regular prayer updates from Charisma’s Prayer Initiative, visit prayerinitiative.com.

The Luke 18 Generation

The movement to establish nonstop prayer on college campuses will gain momentum this month when youth from across the U.S. meet in Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 2-5 for the launch of the Luke 18 Project. An outgrowth of the TheCall prayer ministry, the project draws its name from the parable of the persistent widow and seeks to mobilize 10,000 young leaders to plant prayer ministries, evangelize communities and fight injustice. This year, Luke 18 hopes to start 24/7 houses of prayer at every U.S. college.

MINISTRY

Bible Evangelism

Thom Miller came to Christ after reading a stolen Bible while serving time in prison for drug trafficking. Today he and his wife, Julia, help others read some of the most rare Bibles in existence through their touring exhibit of Christian artifacts. As part of their Special Visit ministry (specialvisit.org), the Millers have visited prisons, homeless shelters and churches across the U.S. and in Nigeria, displaying dozens of ancient artifacts including segments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Miller says people have broken down into tears, and thousands have accepted Christ. “People get around the people of God and the Spirit of God and the Word of God, and often they meet God,” he says.

Miller also shares his testimony in prisons, but the exhibit holds a special place in his heart because it reminds him of the transformation God’s Word can bring.
Adrienne S. Gaines

Activism

Churches in Europe To Mark Holocaust

Leaders say anti-Semitism is again on the rise in the region

Church leaders across Europe will unite this month to remember the Holocaust and challenge Christians worldwide to resist what they see as a growing anti-Semitic sentiment in their nations and the Middle East.

For the second year, churches are being invited to participate in the International Holocaust Remembrance Day to be held Jan. 27. Sponsored by the European Coalition for Israel (ECFI), the campaign (learnfromhistory.eu) is intended to remind Christians of the consequences that can result from a failure to confront genocide and anti-Semitism. Hundreds of churches are expected to participate. The effort has received support from such ministry leaders as Jeff Fountain, European director of Youth With a Mission; Colin Dye, pastor of Kensington Temple London; Swedish pastor Ulf Ekman; and Catholic and Orthodox leaders from Austria, France and Ukraine.

Organizers say Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s calling for Israel to be “wiped off the map” and European protestors’ calling for “death to the Jews” are signs that anti-Semitism remains an international threat. “Europe is being given a second chance to stand up for the Jewish people and the state of Israel,” ECFI executive director Tomas Sandell says. “Rather than just getting emotional about the past, we need to speak up in our neighborhoods and churches about the fact that while Hitler rose from obscurity, today we have a world leader of an oil-rich nation who is a member of the United Nations repeating quotes of Hitler and taking steps to build a nuclear bomb.”
Renee DeLoriea

My Turn

I wanted to stand up and cheer when I read J. Lee Grady’s column about the dangers of dual covenant theology (Fire in My Bones, October). I have long been a Christian Zionist with a heart for Israel. Two years ago I fulfilled a lifelong dream to tour Israel and had an experience that made me very uncomfortable.

I thought I was with a unified tour group. But things turned strident when all members of the group were forbidden to pray in Jesus’ name. Then some Jewish people instructed us in their lectures to love Israel by praying for it and spending money. We were told not to cause strife by bringing up the name of Jesus.

I grew increasingly uncomfortable with the theology that was being promoted. They told us that God has a separate plan of salvation for the Jews, that none of the promises of Abraham’s descendents are for gentiles and that Jews don’t need Jesus for salvation if they return to the land of Israel.

I kept hoping that I was misunderstanding what this woman was teaching. But day after day, the teaching went on. I turned with satisfaction to your column, and I am glad that leadership in the body of Christ is calling attention to this error.
Dale Austin
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Keep the Flame Burning

As a licensed minister in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), I felt so proud and impressed while reading your anniversary tribute to our church (“The Flame Still Burns” by Louis F. Morgan, November). It featured our founder, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, church history and some of the great men and women of God He used to build the denomination. The research and writing were impeccable!
Colin Bailey
Dayton, Ohio

As a member of COGIC, I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the articles about our denomination’s history. We are indeed a blessed church and are happy for God’s continued blessings. It was beautifully and accurately written. And even though I’m a lifetime member, I learned some new information.
Anna Jane Millsaps
South Bend, Indiana

Thank you so much for such a wonderful tribute to COGIC’s 100th anniversary. I have always enjoyed Charisma, and this issue was very special because I am a COGIC member.
JoAnn Hunt
Waldorf, Maryland

The 2008 Presidential Race

It was ironic to read a magazine article about how we should not trust the media to steer us toward “correct” voting (“Don’t Let the Media Choose Our Next President” by James Robison, October). It was even more ironic that the author went on to eulogize Republican candidate Mike Huckabee.

I agree that we need to encourage people to engage their critical faculties, but what worries me is when we have to educate Christians to be wary of leaders manipulating the faith to suit their political agenda.

In a few hundred words Charisma managed to fall into both of these traps. Will you devote a few thousand words to open up the debate and allow readers to get a full picture of what it means to be a Christian who cares about politics?
Craig Borlase
Reading, England

I want to thank Stephen Strang for the great endorsement of Mike Huckabee (Final Word, August). It spurred me to learn more about this man. I am now an avid supporter. Please use your influence and resources to continue to motivate believers to get behind this fine Christian leader.
Sandra Click
Big Sandy, Texas

I agree that former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas is the candidate “who best represents Christian values and has the most experience to govern.” However, he has no money to run a presidential campaign. As Pat Robertson has noted, Huckabee cannot compete in states like California without money.

Are leaders such as Stephen Strang, James Robison and others able and willing to ignite Christians to fund Huckabee’s campaign? I certainly hope so.
Harriet Hope
Marietta, Georgia

I was shocked to read in Charisma that preacher Juanita Bynum plans to support Barack Hussein Obama for president. Yes, his middle name is Hussein. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Bynum had better get on her knees in prayer before casting a vote for this deceitful man.
F. Stocks
Big Spring, Texas

The Senate Financial Probe

It is very sad that six high-profile ministries are now under investigation by the Senate Finance Committee (Charisma Online, Nov. 9). When we lose our spiritual perspective and become blinded by inflated egos, we can easily fall into deception and be led astray.

We need to pray for these who are under investigation. If there were extravagant, unwise or selfish spending practices, I pray this will be exposed for the eternal good of our Lord’s kingdom.
G. Joyce Stark
Portland, Tennessee

Charisma is calling the church to hold ministers accountable for their excesses (Fire in My Bones online, Nov. 9), but you do nothing to hold any of these ministries accountable. They advertise their books and services in Charisma, and you continue to collect revenue.
Harry Olson
Duncanville, Texas

Sen. Charles Grassley’s financial investigation will help these ministers realize they are accountable. There needs to be reform and repentance. I believe the drought in Atlanta is directly related to this incident.
Donna Edwards
Marshall, Illinois

Immorality and deception have crept into the church. Many pastors are leaving their true calling so they can pursue the world’s rewards. Jesus called us to reprove, rebuke, exhort, love and nurture people in God’s Word. Thank you for reminding us what true ministry is about.
Wayne Guilliams
Covington, Kentucky

These ministers who are under investigation have really hurt the cause of Jesus Christ! My heart is broken because I know many young, gullible Christians who feel betrayed and confused.
Wayne Cooper
Pasadena, California