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 to him as sheaves of grain (Genesis 37:6-7).  At other times, the meaning of the dream is straight forward, without symbolism, like when an angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary would give birth to Jesus (Matthew 1:20-21).

And sometimes within a dream God directly spoke to the person having the dream (1 Kings 3:5), whereas at other times God clearly used the dream (or “spoke through” the dream), even though God isn’t a “character” that spoke in the dream (consider again, Joseph’s dream of Genesis 37:6-7).

But does God still speak through dreams?

Someone might protest that, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The implication here is that God used to speak through dreams, but that God doesn’t speak that way any longer now that God has spoken through Jesus. Some people would add that God definitely doesn’t speak that way now that we have the Bible—even though this is clearly not what the Bible is saying here.

The problem with the above protest is that God did still speak to people in many ways after Jesus ascended to heaven (e.g., Acts 10:19 and 13:2). Moreover, the Bible itself promises that after Pentecost, God would give dreams to people—”In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

So, yes, the Bible supports the idea that God still speaks through dreams today.

“ The Bible itself promises that after Pentecost, God would give dreams to people.

How often does God speak through dreams?

While the Bible does record dreams from God, it doesn’t include that many dreams. So I’m not sure that it happens on a regular basis.

I do not think every dream is from God. In fact, I dream regularly (almost every night!), and yet I can only think of one other time that I thought I had a dream from God.

I was preparing to speak at a church. The pastor had asked if I wanted to lead communion that Sunday since I was going to be the guest speaker. I don’t remember if we decided they would do communion another Sunday or if he was going to lead it. Either way, I ended up having a dream with me leading communion, and I took it as direction from God that I should lead communion.

I went, I preached, I led communion. Nothing miraculous happened—not that I expected it to. I’m still not certain the dream was from God, but I figure it probably was—I had a sense that it was. I likely prayed about it too.

How do I know I had a dream from God?

What about last night’s dream? I’m not certain it was from God either. But I woke up thinking it likely was. In this case, it was not something I had been thinking about recently and it seemed to come somewhat out of nowhere.

God doesn’t promise that when he speaks through a dream, it will be an out-of-this-world-crazy dream. It will not will always be obvious when God speaks to us in a dream, just like it isn’t always obvious when God is speaking to us in general.

Consider, for example, when Samuel was a boy—God literally spoke to him with an audible voice, and yet Samuel thought it must have been Eli the priest (1 Samuel 3). It wasn’t obvious to Samuel that God was speaking to him.

I am convinced that God speaks through dreams more often that most North American Christians think. The Bible states explicitly that we won’t always be aware of it:

For God does speak—now one way, now another—though no one perceives it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds, he may speak …” (Job 33:14-18)

What about discernment?

I certainly affirm that if we think a dream might have come from God, then we should submit that to a process of discernment. Jeremiah’s warning about some false prophets should give us caution:

I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?” (Jeremiah 23:25-26).

So, just as I wrote in my book Simply Spirit-Filled, we should test anything we believe we are hearing from God, including, of course, against the teaching of the Scripture.

And this discernment might involve more than just you. For example, Paul once had a vision at night (perhaps a dream) where he saw “a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (Acts 16:9). Afterward we don’t see Paul proclaiming what this meant for him and his fellow-travelers. Instead, we see that the group of them concluded “that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:10).

Side note—I find it interesting that the Bible doesn’t record Paul ever meeting this man (perhaps the vision was more symbolic or directional rather than foretelling the future).

Dream away

If God does speak through dreams sometimes, and it seems clear from the Bible that God does, then we should be open to discerning when God might have spoken through a dream, rather than living in practice as though it never happens. Unfortunately, the latter is probably the default position for many Christians, including even many Pentecostals and charismatics—well, at least in North America.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• Myth #1: “Prophecy is all About the Future”
• 5 Surprises About “the Anointing” in the New Testament
• There is Power in the Tongue, but Not for Declarations and Decrees

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author/editor of six books, including Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College & Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post When God Speaks Through Dreams… appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

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 does, at times, bless people. The theme is especially prominent in the Old Testament.

• “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you” (Proverbs 5:18, similarly Ruth’s husband in Ruth 1:9). My wife is surely a blessing to me!
• “The Lord blesses them with peace” (Psalm 29:11).
• “How blessed you are, O Israel! … He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword!” (Deuteronomy 33:29).
• “I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. …and I will give you long, full lives” (Exodus 23:25-26).

Overall, one can be blessed with a generally good and pleasurable life:

Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed” (Deuteronomy 28:3-6).

Wealth or Not?

Those who preach prosperity are correct that sometimes God blesses with riches and wealth:

• “The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).
• “And the LORD has greatly blessed my master [Abraham]; he has become wealthy. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys” (Genesis 24:35).

But the blessing of wealth is not a promise for every Christian. In fact, sometimes God’s blessing means that we have what we need, even when we don’t have much. Consider what the Bible says about the Israelites when they were wondering through the wilderness for forty years.

For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing” (Deuteronomy 2:7).

That was not a time of wealth and abundance! But they were blessed.

Claiming and Declaring Blessings

All of the above blessings are not guaranteed for every Christian. God doesn’t bless everyone in the same way. That’s why I’ve used phrases above like “God’s blessings can include,” and “sometimes God blesses with riches.”

So, how can we ensure we receive God’s blessing? We can’t.

It is very clear that the Bible never says we need to claim God’s blessings as though they are all rightfully ours.

(I have no Bible verses to quote here because it isn’t in the Bible—that’s my point.)

The Bible also never says that God will bless us only if we have enough faith.

And it certainly never says that we will receive God’s blessing only if we decree or declare them over our lives.

(The Bible verse you are thinking of doesn’t work if you consider it’s context.)

In many respects, God’s blessings are not promised to us. At least not all of them. Rather, to some extent, we receive God’s blessings as gifts that come from God’s grace. The result is that we can even speak of receiving “one gracious blessing after another” (John 1:16).

The Secret to Receive God’s Blessing—For Real!

At the same time, the Bible does make it clear that many of God’s blessings are in response to what we do—and in that sense, I’m not so sure blessings are only gifts.

If there is any secret to receiving God’s blessing, it is this—living a righteous life, in obedience to God. This is a theme from the beginning to the end of Scripture.

God told the Israelites on many occasions, “You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 11:27). We also read, “You bless the godly, O LORD” (Psalms 5:12). And “The LORD … blesses the home of the upright” (Proverbs 3:33). This includes, specifically, those who are generous with the poor (Proverbs 14:21 and 22:9).

Jesus taught that those who are humble, just, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers will be blessed (Mathew 5:2-12). And in the book of Revelation, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book” (Revelation 22:7).

In direct contrast to those who receive blessing in response to their obedience, Jeremiah informed those around him, “Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things” (Jeremiah 5:25).

I say that living in obedience to God is the “secret” to blessing, because I don’t get the sense that prosperity preachers give as much emphasis to obedience as they typically do to having faith. Having said that, if we rightly understand faith, then our faith should lead us to obedience.

The Problem of Blessing

The reality is that even godly living doesn’t guarantee God’s blessing…at least not in this present life. And a lack of blessing doesn’t necessarily point to disobedience. For example, consider that “the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life” (Job 42:12), even though he first experienced significant suffering.

I also often remind myself that some of the heroes of faith who are listed in Hebrews 11 faced a lot of challenges in life, like being destitute, mistreated, tortured, put in prison, or cut in half (verses 35-37)! This happened even though they were “too good for this world” (Hebrews 11:38). Where was there blessing?

We might call this the problem of blessing—but really it is just another instance of the problem of evil.

And to make matters worse, those who are disobedient to God, sometimes seem “blessed.” We take caution from the prophet Malachi:

You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying His commands or by trying to show the LORD of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.” (Malachi 3:14-15)

And, here again, the problem of blessing rears its ugly head.

Answers to the Problem of Blessing

What can we say about those who do not seem so “blessed,” especially if it seems that they are living in complete obedience to God? Maybe they are even “entirely sanctified” (if you believe in that).

I can think of at least three possible answers.

1. Maybe the person is not blessed in the same way as you, but maybe you are looking for the wrong blessing. In other words, maybe God is blessing them in ways that aren’t immediately obvious to you.
2. We trust that God in his wisdom, love, and sovereignty, knows best when it comes to how and when to bless people.
3. We understand that God will also provide blessing in the afterlife.

A Blessing for YOU

I will close this #Blessed blogpost with a blessing for you.

The Lord “will bless those who fear the LORD, both great and lowly. May the LORD richly bless both you and your children. May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalms 115:12-15).

Amen.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• 10 Bible Verses You Can Legitimately Declare Over Your Life
• There is Power in the Tongue, but Not for Declarations and Decrees
• 10 Ways to Pray the DEMONS out of Your Heathen CAT

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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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post The Secret to Reclaiming the Blessing of God appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

We have students from BC to NS, but we are still waiting from some from NWT, Yukon, and Nunavut. These are programs like:

• Master of Arts in Pastoral Counselling
• Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership
• Sisterhood Women’s Cohort
• Horizon Plus, unique partnership programs (some available online) like
  • Bachelor of Arts in Media Ministry
  • Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies and Health Services
  • Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies and BioTechnology
  • And more…

Master of Arts in Pastoral Counselling

This 48 credit program can be completed in 2 to 10 years. It equips ministry leaders to serve as counsellors in a variety of ministry-based settings: local church, chaplaincy, non-profit organizations, or with their own practice.

Since it aims to integrate expertise in counselling with a biblical worldview, the program has a stronger foundation of biblical and theological studies than most graduate counselling programs.

The program is designed to help students meet the academic requirements for gaining professional recognition as a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.

Watch the MA in Pastoral Counselling introduction video here.

Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership

This 48 credit program can be completed in 2 to 10 years. It prepares competent Christian leaders for church, lay ministry, and other workplace roles by combining graduate-level leadership training, biblical and theological studies, and a specialized area of studies or specialized ministry apprenticeships.

Sisterhood Women’s Cohort (graduate studies only)

In partnership with Sisterhood Ministries Canada, Horizon is offering an innovative educational cohort that empowers women in ministry and everyday life to bring transformational change to their churches, communities, and world.

The women’s cohort provides a unique opportunity for women to study the bible, theology, and ministry leadership in a context of mutual encouragement and support. Participants will take four graduate courses together over a two-year period. Courses can be used toward the completion of a Graduate Certificate or one of Horizon’s MA programs.

Women who enter the program with the intention of using the degree for professional or lay ministry, and who demonstrate a financial need, can apply for a bursary of $500.00 for each cohort course from Horizon College & Seminary.

Watch the Sisterhood Women’s Cohort introduction video here.

Horizon Plus, unique BA partnership Programs (some available online)

I know of no programs like these in Canada.

Students will receive Christian formation and leadership training as well as training in a focused area such as

• Practical Nursing,
• Computer Systems Technology,
• Continuing Care Assistant,
• Mental Health and Addictions Counselling,
• Business Studies,
• and many other options.

In these 3 and 4-year programs, students graduate with both a bachelor’s degree from Horizon and a Diploma or Certificate  from either Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Edwards School of Business of the University of Saskatchewan. Or, students might choose to combine studies at Horizon with studies from another community college across Canada.

Depending on the area of focus that the students choose, they will graduate from Horizon with one of these degrees:

• BA or BTh in Media Ministry
• BA in Christian Studies and Health Services
• BA in Christian Studies and BioTechnology
• BA or BTh in Mental Health and Addictions Ministry
• BA in Christian Studies and Applied Technology
• BA in Christian Studies and Office Administration
• BA in Christian Studies and Support Services
• BA in Christian Studies and Industrial Arts
• BA Christian and Business Studies
• BA or BTh Entrepreneurial Ministry

New College Scholarships (Undergraduate Only)

Horizon has several college scholarships available and have recently added 2 NEW scholarships for new full-time students:

• Emerging Leader Scholarship, 1600.00 Applied to account
  • Available to new Horizon undergraduate students (Canadian Residents only), including transfer students, who have demonstrated leadership in any setting, such as school, church, camp, or employment.
• Service-Based Scholarship, $1600.00 Applied to account
  • Available to new Horizon undergraduate students (Canadian Residents only), including transfer students, who have served in any setting, such as school, church, camp, or employment.

Visit Horizon.edu for more information.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• 7 Ways the PAOC’s Proposed Statement of Faith Adds Pentecostal Spice
• The Changing of the PAOC’s Statement of Faith … Again
• Pentecostal(?) Eschatology in the PAOC’s Proposed New Statement of Faith

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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Horizon’s new Unique M.A. and B.A. Programs (in person and online) appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

This guest article is written as a second part of Andrew Gabriel’s article: “No, Indigenous Canadians Don’t Just Need Jesus: Reconciliation Requires More.” I recommend readers read his article first. In his article, Andrew is not saying that we should remove Jesus from the process of reconciliation, but rather that we need to recognize the complex legal, political, and social factors that exist.

Please join me in a written prayer inviting Jesus to speak to us in spaces that we may not have invited him to speak to us before:

……..

Lord, as Christians, we want to be able to meaningfully contribute to reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples, but we need you to lead us and guide us.

Jesus, help us be better reconcilers between one another

Lord, we know that once we accept you into our lives, we are far from perfect. We are a work in progress over the course of our lives. Teach us to love our neighbors and to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19-27).

Some churches see all conflict as an attack of the enemy that must be destroyed, rather than an opportunity for deeper understanding and shared growth. Teach us the difference between constructive and destructive conflict. Teach us how to have constructive healthy conflict and see reconciliation in general interpersonal relationships in Churches across Canada.

• Source: https://www.academia.edu/7079018/Constructive_Conflict_Destructive_Conflict

Jesus, help us clearly address both sides of conflict between nations

Let us not place the responsibility for conflict resolution solely on the nation that has been offended by requiring them to forgive us.

Jesus, you have the vantage point of seeing conflict between nations throughout history. Anglican priest, Desmond Tutu, was assigned by Nelson Mandela to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. From a Christian perspective, Tutu realised the importance of focusing on our shared humanity so as not to demonize the enemy. Lord soften our hearts.

As humans, we are capable of committing extremely horrifying acts of aggression to one another. We don’t like to think about this part of our nature. We especially don’t want to associate this part of human nature with the nation to which we belong.

In order to address the ‘Truth’ required for Reconciliation we must overcome our human instincts to avoid the uncomfortable conversations about the past and present actions of our nation. It requires the humility to accept the truth of what happened and the love to begin to resolve this problem. This is against our nature, so we need the help of someone above our fallen nature to help us. We need you, Jesus.

The ‘Reconciliation’ of Truth and Reconciliation similarly requires us to move past our human instincts for revenge. Our fallen humanity is the reason why yesterday’s victims can become tomorrow’s oppressors. We need to move beyond our human instincts to a place where we can forgive and live in peace together with our oppressors. This is against our nature, so we need the help of someone above our fallen nature. We need you, Jesus.

Lord, help us understand how to correctly apply your Word to this conflict in Canada

Jesus, you are neither a citizen of Canada nor a citizen of any Indigenous nation. Yet, in 1 Peter 2:12,13 you admonish us to honor God by living as good citizens of whatever nation we belong to. Canadian society is imperfect, but we’ve built institutions for ourselves to provide a structure for those with economic, social, and political power. We’ve written a constitution and agreed to hold ourselves to it. We’ve agreed to follow the values, ideas, and rules our governments represent. We pray that every Christian within these institutions follows your true words and not false words attributed to your name.

For centuries, the doctrine of discovery and terra nullius has been taught as the true word of God. This doctrine taught that if Indigenous Peoples were not farming the lands that were discovered by the early settlers from European nations, then the Indigenous People could be considered ‘flora and fauna’ and title to these lands could be obtained by mere discovery. The interests of the settlers’ nations were given authority from the Church until the authority of these concepts were transferred to case law. Words misattributed to your name were used as the basis for decisions made by the judicial branch of Canada’s government until 2014.

Lord, help us see the full scope of Christian involvement in reconciliation

Conflict resolution on any scale is never successful when the offending party unilaterally defines the scope of the problem and the solution. Give non-Indigenous Christians the humility to define reconciliation from the perspective of Indigenous Christians. Lord, speak to the hearts of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Christians to use our imperfect institutions to provide equal living standards to members on either side of the Treaty relationship.

We thank you Lord that Christians are learning that the 94 Calls to Action aren’t enough, these calls are just a starting point. Let us now begin to reflect on the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, the Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples (commissioned after the Oka Crisis in 1990), the nation-to-nation agreements known as the treaties, and other documents from a Christian worldview.

Help us understand treaties in the way treaties and covenants are expressed in scripture. A nation doesn’t sign treaties with people groups. Treaties in North America are nation-to-nation agreements that were made in good faith and were guided by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 The long history of treaty making in this land is reflected in our Canadian Constitution in section 35. Treaties are not meant to be forgotten. Teach us to honor you by living as good citizens of Canada by honoring our word and our Canadian institutions.

Lord, help us do better at introducing you to Indigenous Peoples

As was the case with Terra Nullius, we have not fairly represented you to Indigenous Peoples for centuries. We have associated you with the selfish and destructive policies of the Indian Act such as residential schools.

Let us be true representatives of you in this world by sharing the full context of scripture, including the Old Testament prophets who call for justice in this world. As Roy Hession writes in The Calvary Road, let us draw closer to one another by drawing closer to you in the same way that the spokes of a wheel draw closer to each other as they draw closer to the center.

Lord, as Christians, we want to be able to meaningfully contribute to reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples, but we need you

to lead us

and to guide us.

Soften our hearts.

In your name we pray,

Amen.

Jimmy Thunder, MBA, serves as the director of economic development for Norway House Cree Nation, adjunct faculty at Horizon College and Seminary, board member of Circles for Reconciliation, and founder of Reconciliation Thunder, a non-profit that uses social media to support Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. He has been a guest speaker at the University of Manitoba, community organizations, churches, CHVN radio, CHEC and faith-based conferences, and he has been published in Christianity Today and Faith Today.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• No, Indigenous Canadians Don’t Just Need Jesus: Reconciliation Requires More
• Pentecostal Women in Ministry, What they Want, and #MeToo
• Some Indigenous Reflections on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada

The post Yes, Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Christians Just Need Jesus: Reconciliation Requires Jesus’ Lead appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

They correctly observe, “We can’t change the past.” They may feel that even if all of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) 94 Calls to Action were carried out, it would not be enough to satisfy Indigenous people. They emphasize that “the answer to the hurt, the pain, the emotional wounds, the trauma, the tears…is still JESUS.”

Isn’t the Answer Jesus?

Reading the above quotes will make some people fuming mad. But, in order for Canada to move forward toward reconciliation, we must listen and respond to one another with patience and humility.

Other people who read the above quotes are probably saying to themselves. “Amen!” or (if their Canadian) “Yes, I know, eh?” And, in some respects, I agree with the sentiment—all people, including Indigenous people, can find hope, healing, and restoration in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the hope of the world!

Nevertheless, even if every Indigenous person found healing in Jesus, reconciliation would still be necessary between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. SO MUCH can be said, but this is only a blog post.

The Jesus Answer Alone is Insufficient

An analogy might be helpful here.

What if a foreign country (you pick a country) started sending lots of people to settle in Canada today? What if there were eventually so many of them that they decided to take control over your country? What if they replaced your system of government with theirs? What if they wouldn’t let you vote? What if they forbade you from forming political organizations?

What if they gave you a new name in their language? What if they forced you to live in a certain area and said that you couldn’t leave without their permission?

What if they took your children away to indoctrinate them in their culture and to “kill the Canadian in the child”? What if they wouldn’t allow you to practice your religion? And what if they wouldn’t let you speak your language any more? (These were all part of Canada’s Indian Act of 1876).

If this happened to you, would you feel like the answer to all this is Jesus? Jesus helps, but this “answer” is insufficient because there is a broken relationship not just with God, but also between people groups and nations. And a broken relationship between people requires reconciliation between people.

Let me put it another way, to go back to my questions above. Even if every person who lived in Canada before it was taken over was a Christian, and even if all these Christians (including you) forgave the foreigners who took over, I expect you would still think more needs to be done. And rightly so. In part because…

Reconciliation is Necessary, not Just Forgiveness

“ The “problem” is not just that Indigenous people need to forgive non-Indigenous people and heal.

The “problem” is not just that Indigenous people need to forgive non-Indigenous people and heal. This would imply that the “problem” is only a problem that Indigenous people have a responsibility to address. Crucially, it implies that Indigenous people are “the problem”—they just need to heal and forgive.

And this implies that non-Indigenous people bear no responsibility to address the problem.

The real problem is that the relationship between Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people is not right. Reconciliation is necessary. This is even more so the case because…

The Problem is Not all “The Past”

Every Canadian needs to realize that the problem is not all in the past. The last residential school did not close until 1996. Yes, that is the (recent) past, but the results of this are still very much with us, as are the results of the last couple of centuries.

And it is not just that the results of the past are with us. There are still problems today. It is well known, for example, that First Nations schools are underfunded and that many reserves lack clean drinking water. And people are becoming more aware that Canada has “staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.” Even the United Nations recognizes that Canada is continuing to fail Indigenous people… today.

This is not the past.

Reconciliation is still necessary, and…

Reconciliation Requires More than Jesus

This is true not only for Indigenous-non-Indigenous relationships in Canada, but also of our relationship with God.

Back in the first century, the Apostle Paul wrote that “God was in [Jesus] Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). However, he added that people needed to “be reconciled to God” (the next verse, 5:20).

What does this reconciliation with God require of us?

It requires repentance. Repentance includes an acknowledgement that we have done wrong.

However, repentance is not just confessing that we have done wrong. Moreover, for us to be reconciled to God, we can’t just be sorry for what we have done (2 Corinthians 7:9-11).

Repentance includes a call to action. It requires us to change. It requires us to turn away from our sinful actions, and to “turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance” (Acts 26:20, NASB)—in other words, to “prove they have changed by the good things they do” (same verse, NLT).

In summary, our reconciliation with God requires more than Jesus. It requires something of us. It requires us to repent—to acknowledge we have done wrong, to stop our sinful actions, and to do good. You might say it involves 3 calls to action.

Similarly, to address the broken relationship between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Canadians, it requires something of us. It requires us to acknowledge wrongs that have been and are being done, to stop sinful actions, and to do good. It requires truth and reconciliation. And it involves 94 Calls to Action and more.

Am I saying that Jesus can’t help us with this? No. I am simply trying to emphasize that reconciliation requires something of us—both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is Not Enough

Having a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is valuable. And it fulfills the TRC Call to Action #80. But, it was a relatively easy call to fulfil. The TRC had 93 other Calls for Action. Since the TRC reports were published in 2015, only 13 calls have been completed.

“ Since the TRC reports were published in 2015, only 13 of 94 Calls to Action have been completed.

Having one day for truth and reconciliation is not enough. The government of Canada must do more. You must do more. I must do more.

What does reconciliation look like? Click here to read an answer.

What can we do? To start, we can keep government accountable. And each person can do what is in their power to help fulfill the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action.

I’ve also listed some links with ideas of what you can do at the bottom of my last post.

Reconciliation will take time. It will take patience. As Murray Sinclair has said, “It took seven generations to get to this point where we are at, and it could take seven generations to make things better.”

Reconciliation is possible.

Jesus help us.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• Some Indigenous Reflections on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada
• 3 Ways the Holy Spirit Works Among Non-Christians
• Pentecostal Women in Ministry: Ambiguity and Affirmation in the PAOC

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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post No, Indigenous Canadians Don’t Just Need Jesus: Reconciliation Requires More appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

A Complicated History

Like the history of the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, my own history as an Indigenous person is complicated.

You see, due to racism, my father’s family hid the fact that they were Indigenous. While this is sad, it may have saved my father’s life. Given all the unmarked graves that were discovered at residential schools across Canada this past summer, I’ve wondered if my grandparents had not hidden their Indigenous identity, would my father have ended up in a residential school and died? …in which case, I would not be here (there were no unmarked graves found at the Shubenacadie residential school in Nova Scotia, but many children did die there).

As an adult, my father asked my grandfather if they were Indigenous. My grandfather smiled and said yes. By the time I was in high school (or earlier—I don’t remember), this was becoming part of my identity. Eventually I became a member of the Qalipu First Nation and a status “Indian.” And my children have grown up understanding their Indigenous identity. This is a little about me.

The rest of what I will share below is certainly not the most important things that could or should be said on Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but they are some things that have been on my own mind recently.

Indigenous ≠ “Indigenous Spirituality”

People sometimes speak of “Indigenous spirituality” as though every Indigenous person shares the same spirituality. Given the variety of ways that Indigenous people practice their spirituality, it might be better to speak of Indigenous spiritualities. As an example of this, I was speaking with a friend this week who said that he grew up Métis and that “traditional Indigenous spirituality” was not part of his upbringing.

Another thing we need to realize is that MANY Indigenous people in Canada are Christian. This is a truth that must be included in discussions as we seek truth in truth and reconciliation. To cite one example, the rate of Indigenous people who identify as “Pentecostal” (my own Christian tradition) in Canada (3.4%) is nearly three times that of the rest of Canadians (1.2%).[1]

Should We Participate in Indigenous Spiritual Practices?

One thing that concerns me is that in the commendable attempt to support reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canada, people are often encouraged to participate in “traditional Indigenous spirituality.” In some cases, they are even pressured to. I learned recently of a teacher (non-Indigenous, I understand) who told a class that if they didn’t want to participate in a certain Indigenous practice, they better have a good reason not to, since we are living on treaty territory and the traditional land of the Métis people. How ironic that an individual at a Canadian educational institution (remember residential “schools”) is now pressuring students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to participate in Indigenous spiritual practices.

Because they care and want to be respectful and supportive of reconciliation, I suspect that many non-Indigenous Christians will be inclined to participate in such practices. I am concerned that they will do so without reflecting on the significance of this.

Many Indigenous Christians have reflected on this question. Some Indigenous Christians feel that they can participate in some “traditional Indigenous practices” in some places and at some times. That is, in certain situations they will recontextualize some Indigenous practices by infusing them with Christian meaning (here is one example with respect to smudging).

Some other Indigenous Christians are not comfortable with this approach. They feel that they can not engage in such practices regardless of the setting because they do not feel that they can divorce the practices from the spirituality that is most frequently associated with them. And so, for them, to engage in such practices would amount to inappropriately combining Christianity with another religion (syncretism).

The Canadian Church Has Much to Do

On a completely different note, I am reminded today that Christians, and churches specifically, need to contribute to reconciliation in Canada.

Many people, including pastors, might not realize that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action includes 4 that are directed at the Church (see numbers 58-61). Even if you or your church tradition did not run the residential schools, there is still work to be done.

Consider, for example, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC, with whom I am ordained). They did not run any residential schools. Nevertheless, in 2012, an official statement of apology, forgiveness and reconciliation between the PAOC and its Indigenous leadership was read and signed during the PAOC General Conference. This is certainly not the end of the PAOCs work toward reconciliation, but it is a valuable step.

I would add that it is not only the role of denominational leadership to address reconciliation—individual local churches also have a role to play.

What You Can Do

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, which represents many Christian groups in Canada, has a helpful page listing ways that churches and individuals can observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. See also action steps listed here and some ideas and resources here).

Also, take some time to listen to the stories of some residential school survivors. One example is here:

In conclusion, let us all follow Jesus teaching: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).

________________________________________

[1] Wilkinson, “Canadian Pentecostal Diversity,” p. 22.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• 3 Ways the Holy Spirit Works Among Non-Christians
• Stop “Applying the Blood of Jesus”…Because You Can’t
• Should Christians Declare or Decree Things over Their Lives?

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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Some Indigenous Reflections on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

Times of crisis can make us feel like “normal” prayers are not enough. They can make us feel like we need to pull out the big guns (spiritually speaking) to engage in heavy spiritual warfare. As a result, more and more people are declaring an end to COVID-19 and applying Jesus’ blood. Some are even putting the two practices together: declaring Jesus blood.

Red Ribbons as Symbols of Jesus’ Blood

I saw a social media post this week of a woman who tied a red ribbon outside her home (#RedRibbon). Her post stated that she was applying the blood of Jesus on the doorpost of her home and thereby declaring that COVID-19 will not enter her home or touch her family.[1]

She also quoted Exodus 12:13: “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

Power in the Blood

Yes, I AGREE that the blood of Jesus is powerful. But, as I’ve written previously, we cannot apply the blood of Jesus (“pleading” the blood of Jesus is a little different [2]). I won’t repeat myself here, other than to reemphasize that the Bible never says we have any control over the blood of Jesus, and it has no record of anyone ever applying the blood of Jesus. Instead, we read of God applying the blood of Jesus to us.

I should add that if you search the word “blood” in the New Testament, you will not find any references that speak of Jesus’ blood giving us physical protection. Instead, the Bible speaks of the blood of Jesus with respect to our salvation, and not with respect to inanimate objects like cars or houses.

“ In the New Testament, you will not find any references that speak of Jesus’ blood giving us physical protection.

[Side note: Some who seek to apply Jesus’ blood quote Revelation 12:11, which says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb…” However, if you read the context of this verse, it teaches that “they triumphed” (KJV, “they overcame”) because of what Christ had already done, not because of something “they” prayed, declared, or did with Jesus blood.]

Presuppositions of Applying the Blood for Protection from COVID-19

One thing that struck me right away is that the thinking in the social media post I mentioned above presupposes that:

1. COVID-19 is the result of an act of God’s judgment (like the 10 plagues were).
2. God is using COVID-19 to judge their neighbors (like God judged the Egyptians).
3. God has told us a certain means of protection from COVID-19 (spiritually applying blood to our doorposts).

If this isn’t apparent, read Exodus 12:13 again, which I quoted above.

I also thought this person’s declaration was a little selfish. Why only declare protection for her own family? Why not for her non-Christian neighbor? And if she really has control over Jesus’ blood, why not apply it over every house on her block?

[I recognize this might sound sarcastic, but these are my sincere questions.]

More Generous Declarations

Kenneth Copeland is more generous. He recently declared COVID-19 “destroyed forever” (see this video from the 1:40 mark). That’s good for everyone! As I said, very generous.

It seems COVID-19 has brought out the best of prosperity theology.

[Yes, now I’m being sarcastic.]

But, as I’ve written before, our words do not have the power of God—only God’s words do, because only God is omnipotent. To be clear, Copeland is not simply declaring the truth of Scripture. He is trying to change the world by killing a virus with the “spiritual power” of his words.

Harm from Declarations

Many people will copy this practice, some in seemingly harmless ways. They might not declare that COVID-19 can’t harm them—they might simply declare 10 lives for their cat, rather than 9. But when their declarations don’t come to pass, it will harm them. They might not die of COVID-19—but I bet some will—and when enough of their declarations don’t come to pass, their faith will be injured. Or they may loose their faith altogether. Or they might die.

You might be thinking:

I will make declarations and apply Jesus’ blood, but I’m still going to be careful. I will still practice physical distancing and wash my hands like I just got baby poo all over them.

But why?

IF a person can truly declare and apply the blood of Jesus over themselves for protection, then logically they should have nothing to be concerned about. Nothing. I mean, we are talking about the power of the divine Son of God! But this paragraph started with a big “IF.”

“ IF a person can truly declare Jesus’ blood for protection, then they should have nothing to be concerned about.

In some parts of the world, Christians continue to assemble in mass gatherings for “essential” worship services. Many of these people believe the blood of Jesus and their declarations will protect them from COVID-19.

Perhaps they haven’t heard that some Pentecostal  leaders in the Assemblies of God were diagnosed with COVID-19, and at least one was critically ill. Perhaps they haven’t heard that even people who gather at Pentecostal churches are contracting COVID-19. Perhaps they haven’t heard that Pentecostals pastors are dying from COVID-19 (here and here). Maybe they didn’t pray the right prayers or declare the right things. I think that conclusion would be offensive.

The reality is, Christians get sick—with the cold, pneumonia, and the COVID-19 virus. The flu is a virus too.

Friends, please, let’s stop pretending that “slightly off” teachings aren’t going to affect anyone. Theology matters. And in this case, it is a matter of life and death for some.

Sit on our Spiritual Hands?

Should we just sit on our spiritual hands and do nothing? Of course not.

Please:

• “Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life.” (Leviticus 19:16).
• Pray for God’s “kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This implies prayer for healing (Luke 10:9) and for a time of “no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
• “Do not worry” (Matthew 6:31) and know that “your heavenly Father” (6:26 & 32) will care for you.
• “Wash your hands, you sinners” (James 4:8) [totally taking that out of context just because it’s my favorite verse these days ]

And we can certainly “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).

Notes:

[1] Important footnote: I saw a similar social media post from someone who tied a red ribbon outside his home, but he explicitly said that it was nothing magical and that he knew the ribbon wouldn’t protect him. He explained that for him it was no different from wearing a t-shirt that indicates his faith in Jesus. This, I have no problem with, although it does concern me that it might influence others to take it a step further and assume their actions of tying red ribbons outside their homes actually do have protective power.

[2] “Pleading” the blood of Jesus is less problematic because “pleading” is an appeal for God’s action or protection. In contrast, “applying” the blood implies we have control over it, just like the Israelites had control over whether or not they applied literal blood over their doorposts (Exodus 12:7 & 22).

You might also be interested in these posts:

• Stop “Applying the Blood of Jesus”…Because You Can’t
• Should Christians Declare or Decree Things over Their Lives?
• Psalms for Divine Protection from COVID-19

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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Should I Declare the Blood of Jesus Over my Home to Stop COVID-19? appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

Is there power in the tongue? Of course….but…

I’ve written a couple of posts in the past about whether or not Christians should be declaring or decreeing things over their lives. In summary, if we are only declaring things that the Bible already says are true, then it can be okay. Nevertheless, if these things are already true, then we don’t really need to declare them—we can just thank God for them.

Change Your Words, Change Your Destiny

At the same time, I’m concerned that many Christians are decreeing and declaring things that the Bible never promises and that they only wish for. Moreover, many think their decrees and declarations actually change their “destiny.” This I do not see in Scripture.

One might argue that the words that we speak about ourselves impact us, and, therefore, shape our destiny. This is very true. And I agree that we should be careful what we say about ourselves, both out loud and in our minds, because our self-talk does influence our actions, and therefore our words do affect our futures.

And yet, I don’t need the Bible to tell me this. Recognizing the impact of positive self-talk is simple psychology. And it is a far cry from saying that when we declare and decree things that we want to happen, they will happen (or at least should happen).

This doesn’t sound like something from the Bible, but more like something out of The Secret, a book that Oprah Winfrey was promoting in the early 2000s.

“ Recognizing the impact of positive self-talk is simple psychology.

Speak Things into Being

When I point out that there is no verse in the Bible where anyone ever says, “I decree and declare X over my life,” one question Christians sometimes raise is, “But don’t you believe the Bible when it says there is power in the tongue?”

Yes, I do. But we have to ask, what does the Bible mean when it refers to the power of the tongue?

Some Christians claim that because we are created in the image of God, we, like God, have the power in our tongues to speak things into being.

This is poor reasoning. God spoke the world into being literally out of nothing. No human has ever done that. And this is why no theologian in church history has ever suggested that being created in the image of God means that human words have creative power. Well…this, plus the fact that this idea has no biblical support.

“ No theologian has ever suggested that being created in the image of God means that human words have creative power.

Another thing—if we have the ability to speak things into being simply because we are created in the image of God, then any human being can do this, not just Christians, because every person is made in the image of God.

So the comparison of the power of God’s words and our words is not really helpful in this discussion. But the tongue is still powerful.

Power in the Tongue

There are indeed a number of verses in the Bible that talk about the significance of the “tongue,” that is, the power of our words.

The one I usually see cited says this:

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21, NIV).

What does “power” mean here?

If you look at this chapter, you will see that verse 21 is surrounded by verses that are all about how we treat other people. So when verse 21 says “the tongue has the power of life and death,” it means that we can hurt or encourage others by how we speak.

The second part of this verse says “And those who love it [the tongue] will eat its fruit.” Other Bible translations bring clarity to the meaning of this statement. For example, the CEV translates this, “Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.” And the NLT translates this, “those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Or if you prefer the KJV, “they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Biblical Truth

So, overall, Proverbs 18:21 is not talking about Christians speaking things over their own lives, but about being careful about how we talk to other people.

The Bible is right.

Our tongues are powerful. Our words have great influence on others. So be careful what you say, because your tongue can tear a person down, or build them up.

Leave a comment below by clicking here.

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You might also be interested in these posts:

• 10 Bible Verses You Can Legitimately Declare Over Your Life
• Is God For You…Not Against You?
• Should Christians Declare or Decree Things over Their Lives?

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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post There is Power in the Tongue, but Not for Declarations and Decrees appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

One of the things I emphasized is that Christians should not determine right and wrong based on what they or society “feels” is right nor on what seems to produce the best results for them or others. Notably, neither of these approaches to ethics require God. Instead, Christians should recognize that God determines what is right and wrong and, therefore, we should always be asking ourselves what God wants with respect to morality.

My sermon begins at the 58:55 mark at this link (or click on the picture below).

If you’re only looking for a laugh today, I may have knocked my notes of the pulpit at the 1:22:30 mark . Oops.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• Myth #4: “The Spirit-Filled Life = Success and Victory”
• MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying): Pentecostal Perspectives
• Shouldn’t Faith Always Result in Healing?

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 professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Sermon: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

I don’t want to let you down. So, here are 10 different prayers to drive the demons out of your heathen cat.

1. Pray a “hedge of protection” around your cat.
2. Also pray for a big, brick wall of protection with barbed wire on top.
3. Blow a shofar to blast your prayer into the feline realm. This will confuse the demons.
4. Pray for God to touch your cat “from the top of his head, to the soles of his feet.”
5. Grab your cats tail, pull as hard as you can, and yell, “come out!”
6. Place your hand on your cat’s head while praying, and push down on your cat’s head every now and then.
7. Say, “God, Lord, Jesus,” after every phrase.
8. Declare that your cat will have 10 lives instead of only 9 lives.
9. Pray that God gives your cat “travelling mercies.”

And last of all!

10. Humbly ask the Lord to turn your cat into a dog.

None of these methods will guarantee the health and well-being of your cat, but no prayer guarantees anything . . . no matter what technique you use!

There is room for teaching people how to pray—Jesus did it (Luke 11:1).

But beware.

“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are . . . full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God” (Matthew 6:7, The Message).

God bless you…even your cat.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• Demons Have No “Legal Rights”
• Spiritual Warfare, Demons, and Evil
• Should Christians Declare or Decree Things over Their Lives?

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 professor and VP of Academics at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post 10 Ways to Pray the DEMONS out of Your Heathen CAT appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.