I just had a book published that I co-edited. I saw a few of the contributors posting pictures on social media of their copy of the book, and I just opened a package with my own copy today. I’m grateful those who contributed to the volume and for the wisdom of my co-editors, Frank Macchia and Terry Cross. Karl Barth and Pentecostal Theology: A Convergence of the Word and the Spirit, edited by Frank D. Macchia, Terry L. Cross, and Andrew K. Gabriel. London: T & T Clark, 2024. The book is published in the growing academic book series Systematic Pentecostal and Charismatic Theology. The book ..read more

I recently presented on the topic of “The Dynamic Intensity of the Spirit.” It was part of a Horizon College & Seminary faculty panel on the topic of “Revival and Awakenings.” In my presentation, I explained that even though God is omnipresent and God does not change, the presence of God in the Holy Spirit can become more intense in some times and places. Based on this, I concluded (in part) that we can and should value, and even expect, revivals and awakenings at times and places when the Spirit is present in intense ways to work in the Church. My presentation was 18 minutes, and it beg ..read more

I had a dream last night that I think was probably from God. No, I’m not going to tell you the content, but I do want to give some theological reflection on the experience and how we might respond to such dreams. For some people, a claim that God has spoken through a dream seems naïve. And yet, the Bible reports many instances where God spoke through dreams. Dreams in the Bible At times God spoke through a dream to warn a person (Genesis 20:3 and 6) or to give encouragement to a person (Genesis 28:12-15). Sometimes the dream seems to be symbolic of something, like Joseph’s brothers bowing down ..read more

(and my contributions) Both of the books I mention here are “new” in the sense that they were published in 2020. I waited to mention them here because they were first published only in a hardcover format and with a price of over US$200—yikes! (This is not unusual for academic books.) Now that some time has passed, both books are available as paperbacks (and ebooks) for around US$40. T&T Clark Handbook of Pneumatology, edited by Daniel Castelo and Kenneth Loyer. Just shy of 370 pages, this book contains 37 essays on the Holy Spirit. They cover different section of the Bible, key themes in p ..read more

This is an important one for any pastor, worship leader, and others who have a leadership role for corporate worship services. In this video I interview Dr. Josh Samuel from Master’s College & Seminary in Ontario, Canada. A fair amount of our discussion focused on how we can facilitate authentic experiences of the Holy Spirit in corporate worship. Leave a comment below by clicking here. You might also be interested in these posts: 4 Lessons from Worship in Liturgical Churches Pentecostal-Charismatic Theology of Worship 5 Surprises About “the Anointing” in the New Testament Andrew K. Gab ..read more

Have you heard the new song sung by Chris Davenport, Brandon Lake, and Cody Carnes? It’s called “Plead the blood.” You can take a look at the lyrics here. Here is another song that many people will love to listen to over and over again…even though some aspects of it seem biblically problematic. What’s on our Hearts I get it. The song “Plead the Blood” connects with our hearts. Chris Davenport, Brandon Lake, and Cody Carnes express our desires, fears, and longings to the Lord. The song is a plea for the well-being of “my children,” “my family,” “my future,” and “my body.” And in the midst of a ..read more

Next Wednesday, May 17, Horizon Seminary is hosing a FREE event (online or in person): Faculty Sharing: Hear the Heart Behind the Courses I invite you to listen in as our Faculty share about the upcoming courses and their passion behind them. More Info ___________________________ I also want to note that Horizon College & Seminary is adding to our current graduate programs, two NEW PROGRAMS: Master of Arts in Biblical & Theological Studies And Master of Divinity More Info   Leave a comment below by clicking here. You might also be interested in these posts: Horizon’s new Unique ..read more

Sometimes I hesitate to call myself “blessed.” I wonder, “if I am blessed because I have something, then what about those who don’t have the same thing? Does that mean God has not blessed them?” It makes me feel a little guilty. Furthermore, the idea of being “blessed” is sometimes associated with prosperity gospel teaching, where it can seem that Christianity, and even our salvation, can become self-focused—all about being #blessed. In this post I will face my hesitations to reclaim (or reaffirm) the blessing of God. The Blessings of the Lord Despite my hesitations, the reality is that God do ..read more

The PAOC has now published a commentary on its relatively new (May 2022) Statement of Essential Truths (SOET). Each chapter in the commentary covers a section of the SOET. Much like a commentary on the Bible, the chapters explain the wording in each sentence of the SOET. In addition, the chapters give some sense of how the doctrine has been considered by Pentecostals historically, the way in which the commentary is aiming to be intentionally Pentecostal, and also different contextual issues that each section is aiming to address. This includes cultural issues and issues that were raised by mem ..read more

There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. Now you know. May the peace of Christ fill your heart this Christmas. Leave a comment below by clicking here. You might also be interested in these posts: “Happy Holidays” Points to the Meaning of Life Advent Candle Readings for Families with Children The Significance of the Holy Spirit at Christmas: And What it says about Jesus’ and Our Identity Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology ..read more