Pentecostal Pastor Arrested in Iran

Posted on by Brian Fulthorp

From Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O Wood’s blog:

Security forces in Iran arrested Pastor Robert Asserian yesterday, May 21, after disrupting a morning prayer service in progress at Central Assembly of God in Tehran. Before going to the church, authorities raided Pastor Asserian’s home where they confiscated a computer and several books. Then, they found Pastor Asserian at the church leading the prayer service, immediately arrested him, and announced the church’s imminent closure. At last report, the pastor’s whereabouts are unknown. Every indication points to the possibility that Iranian authorities are pursuing the closure of Central Assembly in violation of Iranian law and human rights.

Pastor Asserian’s arrest is one of several that have taken place in the days leading up to Iran’s presidential elections, scheduled for less than a month from now. These incidents appear to be an attempt to stop worship services from being conducted in Farsi, the language of the majority of Iranians. Services are allowed in Armenian, a minority language that most Iranians do not speak or even understand.

Believers in Iran fear that closure of Central Assembly in Tehran will set a precedent for closing all Farsi-language churches in Iran. Such a move would essentially remove all open witness of the gospel of Christ in the country.

We appeal to our member churches of the WAGF to earnestly pray for Pastor Asserian and all fellow believers in the Iranian Assemblies of God. We also request prayer that the authorities in Iran will uphold the rights of people to worship freely according to their conscience.

I am uncertain as to the source but I trust the leadership of the Assemblies of God that if it were not true, they would not post it.

on avenues for minsitry

Posted on by Brian Fulthorp

The Washington Post has an article up on Seminary graduates and how they are not always ministering from the Pulipt – I think it is a great article!

You see I am a bit of a seminary heretic.

I do not think getting a seminary degree necessarily means you “have” to go into “the ministry.”  You can, and many do, and I think that’s great!  It’s what I want to do, what I have been doing.  But I am perfectly fine with someone going to seminary, getting an MA or MDiv and then carrying on with their lives – or pursuing other professional or non professional careers – teachers, doctors, lawyers, mechanics, plumbers, business owners, council members, city officials, you name it.

Ministry isn’t nor should it be limited to inside the four walls of the church building -

After all we are called to “go into all the world.”   Who says that is just in terms of church or missionary work?   That’s a narrow and limited view of things and not everyone is called to work in a local church context anyways – many are gifted by the Lord to be quite effective, if not more effective for the Lord and for the Kingdom out “in the world” instead of in a local church context.

Each is called to different things but ALL are called to be witnesses to Jesus in the places where they live – I think that is the primary mission of the Christian and of the Church – the body of Christ – that of being witnesses (cf., Acts 1:8).

The world is in desperate need of Christians who live faithfully unto the Lord and it is needs Christians who are theologically grounded and rooted in the Scriptures who are not afraid to think critically and theologically about the world around them and the issues people face and live out on a day to day basis.

The question is, what is it you want to do and how can you go about doing that well and in glory to God?

passage of the day: John 3:16-21

Posted on by Brian Fulthorp

This really is such an amazing passage, there is so much here to take in:

John 3:16-21:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

While I think there can be a few different ways to go with this passage, I like to look at it from the perspective of the missio dei.  I think it has much to contribute to how we know and understand the mission of God.  In fact, I like to look at a lot of the Bible as a whole in the light of salvation history and missio dei.  I don’t own the book but I know Howard Marshall in his NT Theology talks about how New Testament Theology is missionary theology.   I think he is exactly right!  And I think the whole thrust of John’s letters is missional through and through.  Sure there is Christology and other issues but I would say the overall theme of the book is a missional one – it is seen in God giving his only Son, that everyone who believes in his name may not perish but have eternal life.  

What is the missional focus?  God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son.  He sent him not to condemn, but to save.

I think the missional focus of the Fourth Gospel can be supported by the Letters of John.  First John tells us, 

1 John 4:9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.

So i think there is strong support for the missional elements of John (and I am sure the rest of the Gospels too).  It amazes me really.  Hebrews 3:1, too calls Jesus “the apostle and high priest of our confession.”   An Apostle is a missionary, one sent on the behalf of another to accomplish some purpose.  In the case of Jesus is was not to condemn the world, but to save it and see that all have a chance at eternal life.
This missional focus of John I think should be reflected in the mission of the church – that we go out not to condemn but to save.  Those who listen and believe on the name of his one and only son, they shall have eternal life and condemnation will not be on them.  To those who chose not to listen, they will be condemned already, and why?  This is the judgement, the verdict… Jesus has come into the world and those who like that will be drawn to him.  Those who don’t will resist and run to the darkness.
Would those who try to resist eventually be overcome because “light wins?”  Light always wins out over the darkness.  Jesus and his mission will be accomplished because like leven in the dough, the light will spread and the darkness will be overcome by the light (Christ).
Lots of interesting possibilities there!  It’s wonderful really.  :-)

 

Help a Brother Out??

Posted on by Brian Fulthorp

I am part of the WTS blogger program and they are about to make huge changes real soon.

I got the following note from them today:

Dear Brian,

Please find below your report for March 2013:

March 2013 Referrals: 21
Roll-Over Referrals: 433
————————————–
Total Balance: 454

At 500, they give the certificate.  Unlike my more prodigious bloggers who get WTS certificates every time they come out, mine has been a LONG TIME in coming!

Sooo, I was wondering if you all would mind helping me out?  I just need, it looks like 50 more clicks on this LINK right here or on the following which are some books I am thinking of getting because of your graciousness (favor) towards me in helping me out:

David Peterson’s Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship.

Craig Keener’s two volume commentary on The Gospel of John.

Ramsey Michael’s commentary on The Gospel of John in the NICNT set.

Richard Bauckham’s The Bible and Mission: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World.

To name a few.

So, could you help a brother out?  :-)  50 clicks is all I need, I think.

Awesome!  Thanks so much in advance!  Blessings,

on the local church

Posted on by Brian Fulthorp

Dave Black presents some challenging convictions we all need to think about: 

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

5:05 AM At the risk of repeating myself …  

  • I am convinced that the house church rather than the sanctuary church was the New Testament norm.

  • I am convinced of the normalcy of tent-making leadership.

  • I am convinced that the church exists in part to equip all of its members for ministry.

  • I am convinced that the leadership of the church should be shared for the health of the congregation.

  • I am convinced that top-down structures of leadership are unquestionably more efficient. Efficient in doing almost everything other than equipping, which is the primary task of leadership.

  • I am convinced that the process of appointing new elders is best done on the basis of recognizing who is already serving as an elder in the church.

  • I am convinced that any local church that takes seriously Jesus as the Senior Pastor will not permit one man to become the titular head of the church.

  • I am convinced that the essential qualifications for ministry in the church have little or nothing to do with formal education and everything to do with spiritual maturity.

  • I am convinced that the church is a multi-generational family, and hence one of the things that makes the church the church is the presence of children, parents, and other adults.

  • I am convinced that because every local church has all the spiritual gifts it needs to be complete in Christ, believers should be exposed to the full expression of the charisms (grace-gifts) when they gather, in contrast to specialized ministries that center around singularly gifted people.

  • I am convinced that the local church is the scriptural locus for growing to maturity in Christ, and that no other training agency is absolutely needed.

  • I am convinced that the local church ought to be the best Bible school going.

  • I am convinced that Paul’s letters were not intended to be studied by ordinands (a candidate for ordination) in a theological college but were intended to be read and studied in the midst of the noisy life of the church.

  • I am convinced that the church is a theocracy directly under its Head (Jesus Christ), and that the will of the Head is not mediated through various levels of church government but comes directly to all His subjects.

  • I am convinced that the goal of leadership is not to make people dependent upon its leaders but dependent upon the Head.

  • I am convinced that since all believers are “joints” in the body, ministry is every believer’s task.

  • I am convinced that pastor-teachers, as precious gifts of Christ to His church, are to tend the flock of God by both personal care and biblical instruction, equipping God’s people for works of service both in the church and in the world.

  • I am convinced that the role of pastor-teacher is a settled ministry in a local congregation.

  • I am convinced that leaders should communicate that every part of the body is interrelated to the other parts and indispensable; every member will be appreciated, every charism will be treasured.

  • I am convinced that the whole church, the community of all the saints together, is the clergy appointed by God for ministry.

  • I am convinced that everyone needs to be equipped for his or her own ministry both in the church and in the world. If the church is to become what God intended it to be, it must become a ministerium of all who have placed their faith in Christ. The whole people of God must be transformed into a ministering people. Nothing short of this will restore the church to its proper role in the kingdom of God.

Think about it.

It’s a lot to think about and to be honest, over the last couple years I have been becoming convinced of many of the same points as well.

What about you?