Pentecostals magazine

PENTECOST FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

PENTECOST FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

David prayed in Psalm 71:18, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.” In the same way, I want to see the many in my generation who have experienced their Pentecost share that experience with succeeding generations. I have a focused passion for seeing Millennials and Gen Z have their Pentecost.

The Assemblies of God story is one of ordinary people of all ages who have done extraordinary things through the power of the Holy Spirit. In every century of the Church Age, Pentecostals have trusted the promises of Scripture and testified about what God has done in their lives.

Please join me in praying for the next generation to have two unique Pentecostal experiences in the Assemblies of God: May they encounter the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and may they have multiple key opportunities to hear the voice of the Lord as it relates to their own personal calling and what He wants them to do.

− DOUG CLAY GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT

The

General

Council of the Assemblies of God

CONTENTS

4..................................................What is Pentecost?

8...How to Receive the Baptisim in the Holy Spirit

13.........Passing Pentecost to the Next Generation

22.........................Nationwide Campus Awakening

26........................................Remember Your Calling

29...................“God Healed Me” – Kaylee Turley, 5

31.................................Holy Spirit Baptism for Kids

33.......................The Baby Who Inspired Laughter

35......................Healed from an Incurable Disease

37.............................Compelled to Reach the Lost

Mark Forrester

John W. Kennedy

Keith Surface

Dan Van Veen

© 2023 The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

WHAT IS PENTECOST?

One of the most vivid memories I have of a Pentecostal experience came when Bernard Johnson, a missionary evangelist from Brazil, prayed for me. He had an obvious prophetic anointing.

At the age of 8, while I stood at the altar, Johnson placed his hands on my head, and began to pray. The memory of that strong, undeniable Pentecostal experience is forever etched in my mind. I felt an overwhelming sense of the presence of God. That spiritual life encounter confirmed my calling into full-time Christian service.

Depending on your background or experience, Pentecost may convey a day, a movement,

the Greek word for 50, since the Jewish feast of Pentecost (also called Feast of Weeks or Shavuot) came 50 days after Passover. In that context, Pentecost was a celebration of the first harvest.

For Christians, Pentecost is a holiday in which we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early followers of Jesus. Before the events of the first Pentecost, which happened a few weeks after Jesus’ death and Resurrection, there were followers of Jesus, but no movement that could be meaningfully called the Church. So, from a historical perspective, Pentecost was the day the Church was established. It’s also true from a spiritual perspective, since the Spirit brings the Church into existence and empowers it. Pentecost is the Church’s birthday.

If Christmas marks the birth of Jesus, Pentecost marks the birth of the Church. If Easter marks the day when Jesus was raised from the dead, Pentecost marks the day when the message about Jesus began to be proclaimed all over the world.

a feast, a doctrinal position — or possibly, nothing at all. The word itself comes from

Interestingly, in Christmas and Easter, Christ is the primary figure people came to observe. They came to the manger. They came to the

DOUG CLAY

“Being Pentecostal means living in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.”

empty tomb. In Pentecost, the Church is the prominent focus. Instead of coming and seeing, it’s about going and telling, which is why Pentecost and missions go hand in hand.

Being Pentecostal means living in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. He helps us to live with an awareness of the presence of Jesus. Pentecost also helps us to understand the value of the Church in today’s culture. At times, people may think the Church is unnecessary. Pentecost, however, is a vivid reminder of the truth that the Church is central to God’s work in the world. He invites us to be on mission with Him!

and sharing with one another in need (Acts 2:42-46). The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 was given to a gathering of believers.

That’s not a coincidence. It underscores the Church’s critical role in the advancement of the gospel. Too often in American culture, people live as if the Church is merely optional. This mentality would have us believe that if we have a personal relationship with God, church involvement is sort of secondary. But Pentecost is a reminder that His Spirit was poured out upon the community of God’s people. An invitation to join Him on mission resulted.

Imagine the extraordinary scene with which the Book of Acts opens. Jesus’ followers have seen Him die a violent death. They’ve seen Him resurrected and triumphant. In Acts 1:6, they ask, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Surely, the promised Messiah was about to do something big! His answer likely surprised them. He told them to gather and wait to be empowered by the Holy Spirit for service and mission.

It’s extremely significant that the Holy Spirit fell on individuals who had gathered (Acts 2:1). The early followers of Christ shared life together and concentrated on teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, corporate prayer,

Acts is the only historical narrative in the Bible demonstrating what the New Testament church life looks like. It is candid, revealing God pouring His Spirit upon imperfect people, yet encouraging by showing the potential of Spirit-led living. Acts is our authoritative model for church life.

The history of the Church over the past 2,000 years is not a record of its evolution. Rather, it demonstrates the spiritual battle in which God’s Spirit arises to restore the Church to its rightful place. God launched the Church from the beginning at Pentecost fully developed, not as a spiritual infant that grew to adulthood later. In periodic renewals in the Church, no new truth was added by

1.PentecosthelpsusseetheChurchasthe agencythatGodisusingtoexpandHis Kingdom.

2.PentecosthelpsusinterprettheBook ofActsastheplaybookforahealthychurch inanyculture.

“Spiritual renewal is one of God’s ways of bringing His church into alignment with His intended purposes.”

God, but rather timeless truth became timely as the Spirit gave life and restored. Spiritual renewal is one of God’s ways of bringing His church into alignment with His intended purposes.

3.PentecostviewsSpiritbaptismasa distinctiveworkofgraceinthelifeofa Christian,separatefromthesalvation experience.

The Book of Acts goes out of its way to demonstrate the availability of an aftersalvation anointing of the Spirit for ministry. At salvation, the Spirit comes to live inside all Christians (Romans 8:9), but afterward, Jesus

This pattern in Acts is seen in the individual lives of Peter, Paul, and Barnabas. Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit just moments before his martyrdom (Acts 7:55). The Spirit filled him again so he could see a vision, speak boldly, and endure suffering with victory and joy.

4.Pentecostshowsthevalueandpurposeof speakingintongues.

Acts 2 paints a vibrant image of what happened at Pentecost as Christians gathered. The sound of a violent wind surrounded them. Something with the appearance of flames of fire separated and rested on their heads. Then, they were filled with the Spirit and began speaking in tongues.

Speaking in tongues serves many purposes, as illustrated throughout Acts and the epistles.

SpeakingTonguesisthe first outward sign of theinfillingoftheSpirit

desires to pour the Spirit outwardly upon us for increased ministry anointing (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Jesus’ command for the disciples to wait (Acts 1:4) for power from on high points to a distinct experience needed after salvation. In addition, there was a subsequent need for people who had experienced Spirit baptism to be refilled repeatedly for specific situations and tasks.

This happened to the whole church in Acts 4:31: “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” These were the same believers who already had been baptized in the Spirit at Pentecost, yet they experienced a fresh infilling to speak boldly.

We see in Acts 2, 10, and 19 recurring instances of tongues as confirmation of the baptism in the Spirit. The signs of wind and fire don’t occur again in the Book of Acts, but the sign of tongues continued to mark the baptism in the Holy Spirit and those in the Early Church. In fact, tongues became the normative sign throughout Acts that believers had experienced Spirit baptism.

Notice that all heard the sound like wind. All saw the sight like fire. All felt the Spirit come to rest upon them. All spoke with other tongues. This speaking in tongues was not the public gift requiring interpretation and limited by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:30. This was prophetic confirmation showing a new era of Spirit-influenced speech which would mark the Church.

The confirmation aspect of tongues is made clear in Acts 10 when Gentile believers were baptized in the Spirit at the house of Cornelius. The apostles knew they had experienced Spirit

“Pentecost views Spirit baptism as a distinctive work of grace in the life of a Christian, separate from the salvation experience.”

baptism, according to verse 46, “For they heard them speaking in tongues . . .”

Tonguesenableusto worship Godbeyondour natural abilities

In Acts 2, 10, 19, and in 1 Corinthians 14:16, we see speaking in tongues also served a purpose of adoration, or praising God and declaring His deeds. While we may not always know what is being said while praising God in tongues, it is clear from Scripture that praise is a key component.

Speakingintongues strengthens usspiritually

Perhaps you have been in a church service and heard someone deliver a message in tongues, followed by an interpretation of that message. What you have witnessed is the spiritual gift of tongues, as described in 1 Corinthians 14. The apostle Paul treats this spiritual gift in a corporate setting differently than the personal use of tongues for a Spirit-baptized Christian. In this setting, Paul describes it as always needing interpretation, as it serves a primary purpose of edification, which means “building up.” Without interpretation, it’s not possible for those hearing it to be edified, so Paul places parameters around its use.

Tonguesenableustopraymoreeffectivelyfor others

Yet another purpose of speaking in tongues is in prayer. Romans 8:26-27 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Through simple faith and reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can go beyond our limitations and allow the Holy Spirit to pray through us.

I ask you the same question Paul asked the believers at Ephesus: “Have you received since you believed?” My prayer for you is that you would experience the Spirit’s fullness. Spiritempowered life did not end in the Book of Acts. The same Holy Spirit who empowered the Early Church and gifted them for ministry stands ready to be poured out on you in this generation.

Doug Clay is general superintendent of the U.S. Assemblies of God.

HOW TO RECEIVE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

TIM ENLOE

Receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit is actually very easy. Jesus desires to baptize every Christian in His Spirit, and we desire His will for us.

The only qualification needed to experience Spirit baptism is that you are saved. There is nothing else you need before you ask Jesus to fill you with His Spirit. If you are struggling with some sort of sin issue, repent, ask Jesus for fresh forgiveness, and proceed to seek Him. He will not withhold His Spirit’s power from you.

The most important step in receiving the Baptism is to get as close to Jesus, the Baptizer, as you can.

Do you feel more freedom when you pray in the company of others? Then call a few friends to pray with you. Do you find that praying alone enables you to have fewer distractions and less self-consciousness? Then get alone to pray. Either way, Jesus will meet with you. The three phases in receiving Spirit baptism are vulnerability, awareness, and cooperation.

VULNERABILITY

There is an underlying principle in receiving anything from God, namely, vulnerability. Vulnerability toward God involves humbling ourselves when receiving from Him. How did we experience salvation? We first realized that we could not fix our own sin problem and then called on Jesus to save us. We humbled ourselves and prayed. If you have received a physical or emotional healing in the past, what did you do to welcome this miracle? Very likely you prayed. The Bible says, “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, NLT). We receive from God most often through prayer. If you want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, you need to draw near in prayer. Prayer is a state of vulnerability. Prayer declares, “I cannot meet this need in my life, but I believe God can.”

As the Scripture above explains, the reason we come to God is because we believe that He exists and responds to our seeking.

Our job in receiving anything from God is to become increasingly more vulnerable with

Him. Pray out loud, lift your hands, voice your passion for Him, do not hold yourself back. Give your best effort to lowering your guard, moment by moment trying to yield more and more to Him. Raise your voice a decibel or two and lift your hands an inch higher. You may need to pray vulnerable prayers, expressing how much you need God. Do it for a few minutes before you sense the next phase beginning to happen.

AWARENESS

After some time of vulnerable, vocal prayer, you will become aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence falling upon you or stirring you deeply. Jesus is responding as you cry out vulnerably.

His presence will not scare you. You will not be out of control. You will recognize His presence because you have sensed Him before. Most likely, your new awareness of His presence will be stronger than usual.

You may sense that He falls upon you, then His presence lifts. This is not because you have made a mistake; this is a common experience.

You will find that if you choose to draw near in vulnerability again, His presence will fall upon you again.

He is surrounding you with His presence so you will have just enough courage to know that He is with you as you step into the final phase.

COOPERATION

Now that the Holy Spirit is being poured out upon you, you must learn to cooperate with His gentle leading. He will not make you speak in the supernatural language called “tongues”; you must learn to follow His promptings. He will nudge you and give you just enough faith to try to speak out loud in the new language, but you must choose to cooperate with Him. Your goal is to offer your physical ability to speak for His use, not yours. As long as you are speaking words and sentences you understand in English, Spanish, or whatever language you may know, you will be speaking out of your intelligence. Your goal is to try to speak out of your Spirit where He is stirring you.

Often, at this point, people begin to experience different types of prompting from the Holy Spirit. Typically, they will get a prompting of some strange sounds or syllables. This is when they should begin to try to speak. If this happens, say the sounds out loud. Your brain will try to talk you out of it, but trust the Holy Spirit’s leading when He is upon you! Sometimes people feel a physical urge to speak, but are not quite sure what to say. Cooperate with this physical prompting; take a step of faith and try to give your raw sound to this inner prompting. You may grunt or sputter for a few moments, but relax and you will find new syllables beginning to emerge. Yield to the new words; let them flow.

You will find that when you begin to speak in this new, unknown language, your mind can still think, and may even begin to try to rationalize what is happening. This is normal. The apostle Paul explained, “For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying” (1 Corinthians 14:14, NLT).

You will not understand the supernatural words you are speaking. It is normal to have a mix of intellectual questions and spiritual sensation. Your brain will not recognize the new language and will likely doubt its authenticity; yet your spirit will be released in a new way, and you will likely sense an inner strength.

From this day forward, you can start and stop speaking in tongues as easily as choosing to yield to the Spirit or not. You do not need to yell or cry; sometimes our emotions connect, and sometimes they do not. Emotions (or the lack of them) do not validate the concrete sign that He has given to you.

Whenever you are praying in the Spirit, you are practicing yielding your voice to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. It will become more natural for you to follow Him in the days ahead.

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING

Sometimes it can feel difficult to receive something from God because of our misunderstandings or sense of overwhelming unworthiness. If you feel like you are struggling or that there are a million reasons why you can’t experience this gift, it’s all right. Jesus wants to empower you with His Spirit. He will help you, and He will fill you. As long as you continue to seek Him, He will navigate around any barriers you put up and any hang-ups you have, as long as you continue to pray to receive the gift you don’t feel you deserve. And don’t ever stop seeking to be filled.

Tim Enloe serves as the AG national evangelist representative. This is a modified excerpt from the 2018 book, Goodbye Chicken, Hello Dove (E.M. Publications).

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PASSING PENTECOST TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Q & A: NEXTGEN AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

AG News, the official news agency of the Assemblies of God, asked a panel of ministry leaders to discuss the Holy Spirit and the Next Generation (NextGen), which includes children, teens, and young adults. Participants are:

Marcus L. Arrington, 44, is lead pastor of The Embassy Center MKE in Milwaukee. He also serves as associate director of the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Marquette University. Arrington and his wife, Crystal, have two children, Jacen and Makaila.

Cynthia Gandhi Dobbs , 38, and her husband, Destry, lead the Tulsa Metro Chi Alpha. They have a 17-year-old son, Obadiah. Cynthia also serves as the cross-cultural missions resource specialist on the national Chi Alpha team and is director for the Network of Women Ministers for the Oklahoma Assemblies of God.

Norlan Hernández , 34, is director of the Jesse Miranda Center for Hispanic Leadership at Vanguard University. He also is founder and president of Faithful Teachings Inc., a

nonprofit that partners with local faith-based communities on holistic initiatives for the transformation of society in Latin America. His research interests include Latin American identity, theology, contextualization, leadership, and justice. Hernández and his wife, Isabel, are parents to Aella Mia.

Josh A. Wellborn, 47, serves as the Assemblies of God national youth director in Springfield, Missouri. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been making disciples who make disciples of the next generation for over 20 years. They have four children.

John W. Kennedy, AG News editor, posed the questions to the roundtable participants. Edited responses follow:

AG News: Why is the Holy Spirit seemingly sometimes more evident than at other times?

Cynthia Gandhi Dobbs: Sometimes God might decide to outpour in a way that makes an impression on people. When repentance and consecration are sought, His presence is more readily apparent. When worship is enforced with love toward Him, we can feel His love and therefore His presence radiating back to us.

Sometimes I have a raw desperation and hunger fueled by the need or struggle I may be experiencing. In those times, as I press in to seek the Lord, His presence is more palpable. He is near to the brokenhearted.

Marcus L. Arrington: Jesus explained that Holy Spirit would be with and in His followers (John 14:17). The apostle Paul states in Romans 8:11 that Holy Spirit, the power that raised Christ from the dead, is alive in Jesus’ followers. Although Holy Spirit is with us always, we are not always aware, because we are inundated with so many voices that compete for our attention. It requires that we “practice His presence” through praise, worship, and being still in times of prayer so that we recognize that still small voice of the Spirit (1 Kings 19:12,13).

Holy Spirit is not an “it.” Since I know He’s a person, I cultivate relationship with Holy Spirit. Hence, His presence is more evident to me. I can recognize His voice. I know what excites Him and what grieves Him. I know when He’s near or far away.

Norlan Hernández: People’s efforts in seeking the presence of the Holy Spirit is a major reason why the Holy Spirit’s presence is seemingly sometimes more evident than other times. A genuine desire and a relentless pursuit of the Holy Spirit’s presence creates the internal conditions necessary to experiencing His presence more. Additionally, context, or the totality of our surrounding — time, society, culture, finances, family — impacts our desire and effort to seek the Holy Spirit’s presence. Contexts, such as disaster created by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, create a profound need to not only understand the realities they are facing, but also to find hope and deliverance.

AG News: Is the Holy Spirit more active in some countries than others?

Hernández: The Holy Spirit is active in the people, communities, and countries that seek

“We need to be filled with God’s power to live holy, to love purely, and to act courageously in the midst of lions.”

Cynthia Dobbs

Him. The realities of the needs of countries in the Global South, generally speaking, are much greater than those in the North. Violence, poverty, and corruption exist at higher levels. Hence, people in these contexts face a greater need for hope and deliverance. It is out of these conditions that a desire to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit is birthed. People rely on the Holy Spirit’s presence to find peace amidst wars, love amidst hate, sustenance amidst dire need, healing amidst lack of access to medical resources.

Josh Wellborn: This can be the sense that many American Christians get when they go on a missions trip, or when they read about miraculous signs and wonders happening overseas, especially in developing nations.

The Bible says repeatedly that materialism is harmful to spiritual growth. It would follow that countries (or any place) where people are seeking God that are not confounded by materialism will have greater success at hearing from God through the Holy Spirit.

Dobbs: The Bible says that when the enemy comes against us like a flood, the Spirit raises up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19). The greater the darkness, the stronger the light. The greater the spiritual blindness, the stronger the Holy Spirit’s presence to reconcile men and women to God.

AG News: How can Pentecost be passed to a new generation?

Hernández: Think of culturally appropriate ways to do so. For example, storytelling is a tradition that many cultures — such as the Native American and indigenous communities — utilize for passing down knowledge. For

such communities, being intentional about sharing the stories of experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit for the first time and its impact on lives is one way Pentecost can be passed down. Other communities lean more on written records to ensure Pentecost is passed down to the next generation.

They can document testimonies, personal reflections, and case studies of when families and communities experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit. These contextual efforts will have a better chance to outlive any person or generation. They will be embedded within the cultural practices and traditions of the community. They will be easily reinforced.

Dobbs: By living a Pentecostal lifestyle visibly in front of them, to be unashamedly expressive about the Holy Spirit. Young people hunger and thirst for an authentic relationship with God. Being ashamed of the Holy Spirit because we are afraid of what might happen if people experience unexplainable things has cost us too much.

Make room for young people to ask questions about the Holy Spirit. Hold services dedicated to learning more about and receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Train every believer

to pray for others to receive the Baptism. If we walk in the power of the Spirit and combine our declarations of the gospel with powerful demonstrations of healing, freedom, and personal consecration, the younger generation will learn by our example.

Arrington: Initially, Pentecost can be passed to a new generation through teaching, holy

“Young people hunger and thirst for an authentic relationship with God.”

Josh Wellborn

living, and demonstration. Some call this “cultural transmission.” Pentecost is a manifestation of the culture of heaven in the earth. The predominance of the Spirit of God and subsequent healings, miracles, mighty preaching, generosity, love, and the fear of God is heaven on earth (Acts 4:32-35). Pentecost must be conveyed as more than speaking in tongues and exuberant worship. It’s a lifestyle of freedom and grace whereby believers move at the direction of the Spirit of God.

Wellborn: The best way to pass spiritual

God loves us perfectly, unlike earthly parents, despite their best efforts. Earthly parents may buy their children a new iPhone or a new outfit. As wonderful as those gifts may be, they pale in comparison to the Holy Spirit. He empowers. He transforms. He performs miracles. He intercedes. Why be afraid of a gift like that?

Wellborn: Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Comforter or our Advocate. Young people should understand that the Holy Spirit is speaking to them about what they feel in their hearts about morality, love, passion, calling, and God’s will for their lives (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is your helper and lives in your heart (John 14:17).

Dobbs: God will not give us a harmful thing when we ask Him for a good thing (Luke 11:913). We don’t need to be afraid that we will be influenced by strange spirits when we ask God for the Holy Spirit because Jesus anticipated our fear and told us the solution.

heritage is to authentically live what we believe in community with the next generation. So much of the spiritual heritage we pass to the next generation is caught by the example we set in the way we live out our spiritual practices. If we want students and children to catch Pentecost, we must live it out.

In addition, the things of God should be taught (Deuteronomy 6:6,7): Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home, when you are on the road, when you go to bed, and when you get up.

AG News: Why does a young person not need to be afraid to seek the Holy Spirit?

Arrington: The average young person isn’t afraid of gifts. In fact, most clamor to receive gifts. Holy Spirit is a gift from God the Father who is in heaven.

AG News: What advice do you have to young people who don’t think they need the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Arrington: Jesus instructed the disciples to wait and receive a gift from the Father before they launched out in ministry (Luke 24:49). To live, lead, and serve as God would have them, they needed something more. Jesus knew they would face many difficulties. So, they needed power to endure these difficulties (e.g., ridicule, abuse, rejection, physical punishment). Jesus also wanted to ensure that His disciples could heal and help people the same way that He did. His power gives Christians the edge over enemies.

The world is becoming more anti-Christ

“The best way to pass spiritual heritage is to authentically live what we believe in community with the next generation.”

Marcus Arrington

and morally bankrupt. Christian values that were once embraced are no longer tolerated. The current social context and the threat of exposure through social media requires courage. The power of the Holy Spirit provides the boldness that’s needed. Many young people are confronted with peer pressure, media influences, desires to fit in or conform, and questions about gender identity. We need to be filled with God’s power to live holy, to love purely, and to act courageously in the midst of lions.

Hernández: Intentionally going through a discipleship program on the Holy Spirit with their youth pastor/leader would be a tremendous help. Talk to people about their experiences with the presence of the Holy Spirit. These stories will inevitably include testimonies of transformation, hope, and deliverance. Go on retreats that focus on spending time with God and seeking the presence of the Holy Spirit. These must be coupled with a commitment to discipleship.

Wellborn: Jesus makes it clear to His disciples that they need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Scripture makes it clear that baptism in water and in the Spirit are experiences for all believers. In the Book of Acts, there are a several physicalevidences: the sound of a rushing wind, fire, and tongues (Acts 2:2-4). We don’t see that exact pattern appearing again in Scripture, but we do see the experience of speaking tongues as a pattern when Christians are baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:46, 19:6).

AG News: What difference should the Holy Spirit make in the life of a Christian?

Hernández: From the very inception of our confession to the Christian faith, the Holy Spirit is already at work. The Holy Spirit will continue to make a difference by guiding, directing, comforting, and influencing us. The Holy Spirit is an active agent in our lives — as active as our family and friends. The Holy Spirit should be part of our decision-making

process. Young people can consult the Holy Spirit about who to date, what to do about problems they face, how to approach relationships they’ve shattered, what major to pursue in college, what internship to take, what career to invest in. Our words, actions, and behavior should reflect our Christian conviction.

Wellborn: I am more interested in the longterm evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit — a life marked by power for Christian living, being both sensitive and obedient to the voice of the Spirit. Christians can truly represent God’s love for others when they use the giftsoftheSpirit promised to all believers (1 Corinthians 12:1-31).

Dobbs: The Holy Spirit should produce godliness. We will be able to see clear evidence of spiritual maturity, and an abundance of the fruit of the Spirit in a Spirit-filled believer. The Spirit gently points out our weaknesses and helps us grow out of them. He convicts and comforts in the same breath. A Spirit-filled believer will have a palpable burden for the lost. A desire to share the good news will motivate Spirit-filled believers to live selflessly.

Arrington: Holy Spirit should bring about total transformation. The apostle Peter, for example, was a totally different man after being filled with the Holy Spirit. There was a shift in his character. He went from being the man who repeatedly denied knowing Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75) to being one of the premier leaders of the Early Church. He preached boldly (Acts 2:14-40; 3:12-26) and stood up to religious people who opposed the message about Jesus (Acts 4:8-20).

Norlan Hernández

COMPASSIONATE INNOVATION WITH GLOBAL REACH

EQUIPPING AND DEPLOYING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SPIRIT-DRIVEN LEADERS

EVANGEL UNIVERSITY

NATIONWIDE CAMPUS AWAKENING

DEANN ALFORD

During the 2022-23 school year, E. Scott Martin ended his talks at Chi Alpha student gatherings nationwide with what he calls a twominute warning.

“Get your wits about you,” the senior director of the U.S. Missions university campus ministry said before appealing to those who haven’t yet surrendered their lives to Christ. “Stand right now if you want to make a profession of faith.”

Martin, 60, doesn’t call for heads bowed and eyes closed; everybody’s watching. Even so, without fail, at campus Chi Alpha meetings and the group’s multistate Student Awakening Leadership Training (SALT) conventions alike, phenomenal numbers of students stood. And the sense of urgency is palpable.

“Never in 40 years have I seen this many

people coming to Christ and the ease with which it’s coming,” says Martin, who rules out “COVID blowback” from three years of restrictions on in-person gatherings. In a word, it’s awakening.

More students attended SALT conferences this school year than ever before, with scores getting baptized in the Holy Spirit and baptized in water.

“Supernatural manifestations of God are coming in such a gentle, responsive way to the people,” Martin says. Those manifestations include confession that allows students to be set free from all manner of bondages from addictions. Students are making commitments to vocational ministry as never before.

A divine heads-up came to Martin in 2016 as a prophetic word that college campuses were about to experience the greatest

student awakening in history, but this time accompanied by discipleship and covering. In a December 2022 Zoom call with leaders of other U.S. campus ministries, Martin says all reported seeing more students come to Christ.

But prayer served as the midwife that is birthing that prophetic word into reality.

“It’s not our creativity, though there is that,” says U.S. missionary Severin Awori Lwali, Chi Alpha international director. “It is not just our polished preaching and the words of man, nor experience and training, though that’s necessary. It’s what Jesus is doing.”

Lwali, 47, an ordained AG minister, says God is joyfully answering the prayers of His people.

The unprecedented response is occurring likewise in areas that historically have resisted the gospel — places that U.S. missionary Todd V. Lucas describes as the proverbial “spiritual wet blanket we’re often having to fight through and overcome.”

Lucas, 42, an ordained AG minister, pioneered citywide Chicago Chi Alpha, which now

has a presence on four campuses in the nation’s third largest city. He singles out the academically elite Northwestern University and the progressive, artsy Columbia College Chicago as schools where there’s been a noticeable uptick in a hunger for God’s presence. “Students there are truly seeking to see things that are real and authentic,” he says.

Momentum he’s witnessed ramp up over the past year manifested at the annual Chi Alpha SALT Great Lakes gathering in January in Lombard, Illinois. Lucas says it represents the best response he has ever seen in terms of attendance and the presence of God — a comment he heard echoed by other campus directors. Among the 75 Chicago attendees, there was unprecedented hunger among Christians and non-Christians alike, according to Lucas. At SALT altar calls, students surrendered to lordship, discipleship, holiness, honoring God, and decisions to enter into fulltime ministry in AG U.S. or World Missions.

“In Chicago, we like to say that every meeting is an altar,” Lucas says. “Whether it’s small groups, one-on-one, or just hanging out, we believe that the presence of God can and will

manifest in spaces that aren’t classic service spaces — where God changes us and does something remarkable.”

hunger, greater desire for Jesus to heal and set them free from things that have bound them,” Lwali says.

While international students are saying yes to Jesus, altar calls may look different for them, especially students from nations where governments, culture, or both restrict the gospel.

“Internationals may not stand up for an altar call, but may respond one on one in a trust relationship with their campus pastor and fellow students,” Lwali says. “I’m seeing international students say yes to Jesus — take me wherever You want me to go.”

At SALT, the altar extended after the conference, as students continued worshipping, praying, and prophesying over one another. The overflow from SALT has been spontaneous campus worship gatherings and prayer meetings among attendees at Northwestern and Columbia College.

His take on the atmosphere is that it’s become conducive for awakening and abandonment to Christ’s agenda.

“In a space where darkness is common, the light is that much more precious and rare and the quality is that much stronger,” Lucas says. “We’re seeing that special breed of those God is raising up in this hour.”

Lwali, who spoke at Great Lakes SALT, says every student who responds to Christ is on a journey.

“Jesus has already been at work, but with international students, the process is typically longer,” he says.

Lwali, originally from Kenya, says that he’s seeing rising numbers of students from abroad respond to Christ’s invitation to salvation.

“More are being called to be set apart for Christ and His purposes in abandonment of dreams and for what He wants — greater

He cited at a recent conference that students from different African countries responded to the Holy Spirit’s call to India.

“There’s an authority that God has given us to walk in and invite people into what Jesus is doing through His Holy Spirit among the students,” Lwali says. “Sometimes it’s just a matter of giving an invitation.”

Deann Alford is a journalist and author. She attends Glad Tidings of Austin, an Assemblies of God congregation in the Texas capital. This article first appeared on AG News

“Never in 40 years have I seen this many people coming to Christ and the ease with which it’s coming.”

A MISSIONS FRONTIER

Long thought of as a missionary-sending nation, the United States has become one of the most overlooked mission fields on earth. Representatives of every race, culture and creed inhabit this nation, and all need the Savior.

Assemblies of God U.S. Missions brings the hope of Jesus to various relational, ethnic, cultural, and needs groups within the United States. The Holy Spirit is our guide.

Adult & Teen Challenge, U.S.A.

Offering hope through the power of Christ to those with life-controlling issues

Chaplaincy Ministries

Ministering outside church walls in the moments people need Christ’s hope and truth the most

Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, U.S.A. Making disciples on secular college and university campuses

Church Mobilization

Developing and revitalizing churches and mobilizing RV volunteers

Intercultural Ministries

Reaching culturally diverse groups, including ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and more U.S. Specialized

Telling the story of U.S. Missions, ministering to children, and serving AG districts

Youth Alive®

Equipping middle and high school students to reach other students for Christ

“We dare not stay so safe within the walls of our church buildings that we become unable or unwilling to hear the cries of the dying.”

— Malcolm Burleigh, U.S. Missions executive director

REMEMBER YOUR CALLING

JOHN ZICK

Those who have grown up in the faith know a salvation call in children’s church typically means the same kids come to the front repeatedly, sometimes every week if a salvation call is offered. Even if they’ve already accepted Christ months (or years) before, they respond to the altar call every time to ensure that they are, in fact, saved. Or maybe they don’t fully grasp what “being saved” means.

I can relate. The first 10,000 times I responded to the salvation call in children’s church, I did so because I feared going to hell. But one day after I prayed, I felt different. Even at age 7, I clearly remember feeling excited to give my heart to Jesus. I couldn’t wait to tell my parents — again. They sensed this time was different, too.

We prayed together, wrote the date in my Bible, and from that moment on I felt the call of ministry on my life. Even though I didn’t audibly hear God’s booming voice or experience a dove landing on my shoulder, I had a peace about what I call a defining moment in my journey.

Whatever your age, you most likely have experienced a defining moment in your life as well. Let me clarify: As Christians, we are all called to ministry. Every one of us has been created to “go.” Jesus commanded His followers to “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15, NLT). We all play a part in God’s plan to cover the earth with the love of Jesus.

God has created each of us with a unique and distinct purpose, meaning we all have a responsibility to share the gospel. Thankfully, we’re not all called to accomplish that in the same way. Some will do great things as teachers, janitors, architects, doctors, politicians, bus drivers, or road workers; the list goes on and on. We all have a specific purpose as we comprise the perfect body of Christ. Everyone has been uniquely knit together in his or her mother’s womb. As God fearfully and wonderfully created us, He

“God’s will and plan for your life is so much greater than anything you could conceive on your own.”

embedded the calling of our life within the fabric of our DNA.

We are reminded of this principle and its importance in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body — whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so, the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

Together as Christians, with all our different passions and abilities, we form that masterpiece. Because no one is designed the same in looks, passions, thoughts, or experiences, we’re not competing against each other. We complement one another to accomplish God’s will. So, whatever it is that God has called you to, go, but not alone.

It is easy in life to allow defining moments to become distant memories. What once excited you now seems daunting and draining. The very thing that once gave you passion is now taking energy you don’t seem to have. You may be in a season now where your faith is being challenged or you need a reminder of what you have been called to or even, if you are called at all. Return to your defining moment, whether that occurred as a child, a teenager, a young adult, or more mature in age. Remember the passion you had to serve God with all your heart. Remember the desire you had to tell everyone you knew about Jesus.

You may need to let go of something or reevaluate priorities in the calling God has given you in order to continue with great vigor and zeal. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart to reveal what these things or even these people may be. What the Holy Spirit reveals may be hard to accept, but obedience is worth it.

One defining moment in my life happened during high school as I started to leave the

house to join some friends for a party. As I opened the door, I sensed the voice of the Holy Spirit say, Youhavetochoose:Doyou wanttobepopularandkeepyourfriends, ordoyouwanttoliveforMe? I knew this

defining moment meant more than just a one-time decision about whether to go to a party. Rather I had to decide the direction I’d go in my teenage years and all the years to follow. This became a reality, and since then I have had many choices to make as an adult to honor God by removing myself from anything that could jeopardize the calling He has placed on my life.

Remember, you will have to say no to some things, even good things, so that you can say yes to the great things. The calling God has placed on your life is a great thing. So, do whatever it is He is calling you to do to fulfill it. God’s will and plan for your life is so much greater than anything you could conceive on your own.

John Zick serves as the national director of Ministerial Advancement (CALLED) for the Assemblies of God.

“God has created each of us with a unique and distinct purpose, meaning we all have a responsibility to share the gospel.”

BUDDHIST HINDU Priority

2.1 billion Buddhists and Hindus have yet to respond to the gospel. Assemblies of God World Missions is prioritizing a breakthrough among these cultures with the message and love of Jesus Christ. Join us.

Scan for information or visit agwm.org/bhp.

“GOD HEALED ME” – KAYLEE TURLEY, 5

BY DAN VAN VEEN

“Momma, Momma, my head, my head!” cried 5-year-old Kaylee Turley as she ran to her parents’ room, clutching her head in the early hours of Dec. 30, 2019.

Michele felt her daughter’s head — she was warm. Michele took a water-soaked cloth, softly wiped her daughter’s face, and gave her something for her headache.

After several minutes, Kaylee said she was hungry. Walking into the kitchen, Kaylee suddenly started vomiting and then collapsed. Shortly later, Kaylee roused, threw up again, and then went completely limp.

When they arrived at the emergency room in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the doctors did a CT scan; Kaylee was only slightly responsive. The results came quickly — Kaylee had bleeding on the brain, about one-third of it was already covered.

She was quickly prepped for a helicopter flight to the Little Rock Children’s Hospital.

As Don and Michele’s teenage son, Kayson, drove them to the Fort Smith hospital, Michele was contacting people, including her mother, Sharon Stockton, asking for prayer. Stockton, in turn, called their pastor, Robbie Willis, who quickly drove to the hospital.

Willis, who pastors Lavaca Assembly, knows God answers prayers as he was healed of Parkinson’s disease. The Turleys also

know about healing as Don had “terminal” brain cancer several years ago. Meanwhile, the number of people praying continued to swell.

When Michele and Kaylee arrived in Little Rock, Kaylee was immediately admitted into the children’s hospital’s ICU.

The children’s hospital CT scan revealed an answer to prayer — the bleeding had stopped. However, an angiogram revealed that Kaylee had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) — a tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain — that had probably been there since birth.

“She couldn’t sit up, she could hardly talk — just mumble — and she had no motion on her right side of her body,” Michele says. “The doctors told me that we were looking at a twomonth in-house physical therapy stay and they would have to do brain surgery to remove the AVM.”

As surgery couldn’t be done until the brain

swelling reduced, therapists began coming to Kaylee’s room. Little progress was made. Doctors showed Michele the scan that revealed the AVM. Prayers continued.

On Friday, Jan. 2, 2020, a musical therapist caught Kaylee’s attention. But then, something unexpected happened.

“She was suddenly alert,” Michelle recalls. “She began attempting to do stuff with the right side of her body.”

“By early Friday evening, Kylee was walking down the hall with assistance,” Michele says. “By Friday night they moved her out of ICU and into her own private room.”

On Saturday, doctors sent Kaylee home.

“Instead of two months, in less than a week she was home,” Michelle says, still marveling.

“We believe in God and we started praying,” Stockton says. “Every time we’d turn around, the doctors were changing their story . . . about her walking, her memory, how long she’d be in therapy at the hospital . . . I think the people at the hospital were just astonished.”

On Feb. 13, 2020, Kaylee went for her checkup and doctors were amazed at her progress. However, they still believed the AVM required surgery.

As the weeks passed, Kaylee no longer had the urge to be prayed for at church and didn’t want to go to physical therapy.

Kaylee’s reasoning? “Momma, why (go)? Jesus has already healed me.”

Michele communicated that belief to Kaylee’s doctor during the February visit and then again at the rescheduled visit (delayed due to COVID-19) in June 2020.

“He didn’t believe us at all,” Michele recalls. Perhaps not . . . yet.

On June 25, Kaylee went in for her MRI. The doctors could find nothing. An angiogram was scheduled.

“We thought the angiogram was being done in order to see the AVM,” Michele says. “What we didn’t understand was that the doctor doing the angiogram was also going to simultaneously do whatever surgery was needed to remove the AVM and repair the artery in Kaylee’s brain.”

Kaylee was not happy. She didn’t understand the need for surgery — God had healed her. However, the doctors insisted.

On July 27, the doctor began the angiogram/ surgery, but there was nothing to repair. The AVM had disappeared!

“This little girl is a miracle!” Stockton exclaims. “And we give God the glory.”

Michele says the doctor showed her the scans — the first showing the AVM, the new scan showing no sign of any abnormality. He had no explanation.

And when Kaylee was finally wheeled back to the recovery room, Michele told Kaylee the good news that God had healed her, to which Kaylee, a bit exasperated, replied, “I told you, Momma!”

Dan Van Veen is news editor of AG News. He attends Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, where he teaches 4- and 5-year-old boys and girls.

HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM FOR KIDS

DICK GRUBER

I’ve spent the past 40 years teaching and leading children into the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If there is one thing I have learned it is, “Children need God’s power more than ever, right now!” So why wait until kids’ camp this year before allowing your children to enter into the fullness of God’s Spirit? You can lead them into this experience today.

CHILDREN AND THE BAPTISM

In Mark 1:8, John the Baptist stated, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus said in Acts 1:5, “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” What is the baptism in the Holy Spirit? In order to help children understand and receive, know what this experience is not.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is:

• Not the same as salvation. This is a separate and unique gift following conversion (Acts 19:1-6).

• Not for adults only. This empowerment is for every believer (Acts 2:39).

• Not natural. It is a supernatural experience. A child cannot be taught how to speak in tongues. Jesus is the Baptizer (Luke 3:16; Acts 1:4-8).

• Not just for Bible times. This experience is for today (Acts 2:39).

• Not an experience where tongues is optional. Those baptized in the Spirit will receive power and a prayer language. Children take their cues from the adults around them and often pray to receive tongues. Encourage them to pray for more of God’s Spirit and power. The tongues will follow (Acts 1:8; 10:44-47).

• Not a sign that you have arrived. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a beginning. The content of Acts occurred following Pentecost. The disciples prayed multiple times for more of God’s Spirit (Acts 2:4; 4:31).

• Not scary. God will do nothing scary to a child. I’ve found that once children overcome the fear of the unknown, it is easy for them to be filled to overflowing with the Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:16-18).

pressing prayer requests that are more important to her than being filled with the Spirit. Listen and pray about those felt needs first. Then pray about this gift.

• Let Jesus be the Baptizer. You can’t yell loud enough, shake hard enough, or hype yourself up enough to make God move any faster in a child’s life, so relax. Trust that God knows exactly when the child is ready to receive. Be there to encourage and bless.

• Love them. Spend some time encouraging and showing love to boys and girls who have not yet been baptized in the Spirit. It is critical that children leaving the altar after extended prayer, with no apparent result, be encouraged to walk away believing they should continue seeking this experience until it happens (Luke 11:13).

When praying with children for the baptism in the Holy Spirit:

• Let them come to Jesus. Praying for this should never be forced, rushed, or confusing. When children express a desire to receive, pray.

• Listen to them. Oftentimes, a child will have

I trust you will set aside times in children’s church to teach children about, and pray for, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Providing children with regular opportunities to enter God’s presence and seek more of His Spirit is part of a healthy children’s program.

Dick Gruber is a professor of children’s ministry at University of Valley Forge in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

“If there is one thing I have learned it is, ‘Children need God’s power more than ever, right now!”’

THE BABY WHO INSPIRED LAUGHTER

BY JENIFER METZGER

Upon receiving devastating news from a doctor about their unborn child, Benjamin and Lilly Dulany nevertheless determined to trust God with the child’s life.

Lilly Dulany, 36, was in the first trimester of her pregnancy with the couple’s third child when the family’s physician told her and her husband, Benjamin, 40, of health complications. The doctor warned that a bestcase scenario would be delivering a baby with severe cerebral palsy. More likely, according to the doctor, the baby would be born with severe deformities, no brain, and unable to survive.

The couple sought a second medical opinion, where they received the same diagnosis. Both doctors urged the expectant parents they needed to terminate the pregnancy.

The Dulanys, who lived in Drain, Oregon, where Benjamin worked as a youth pastor, struggled with the news about the baby they already loved and wanted. Fear ran rampant, causing the couple to fight. One day while arguing, Benjamin says God silenced them when He put Daniel 3:17-18 in his mind: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

The passage stopped the couple from bickering, and gave them a new outlook about the situation.

“Even if our son lived only long enough for us to hold him, we would not bow to the spirit of abortion,” Benjamin says. “We decided we would be anchored in God.”

After spending time in prayer together, they reached out to faithful Christian friends. Within 20 minutes, messages poured in with prayer and support. Friends Adam and Kierra drove from their home in Portland more than two hours away to be with the couple and to pray over them and the baby in Lilly’s womb.

“Hearing what the first doctor had told them, having fertility issues of our own, and knowing the fear that comes with those situations, I felt God leading us on the trip,” says Adam, 38. “Our only thoughts were toward obedience

to pray when the Holy Spirit asked us, and to hopefully bring peace, hope, and comfort with those prayers.”

Lilly says she repeatedly found comfort in the song, “No Longer Slaves,” which contains the verse, I am no longer a slave to fear, for I am a child of God.

The family stepped out of ministry and moved closer to family in the Salem, Oregon, area. They also found a doctor willing to deliver rather than abort the baby.

As soon as Lilly gave birth, the attending physician whisked the little boy away before his parents even got a look at him. From across the room, the Dulanys surprisingly heard the laughter of the doctor.

The doctor brought baby Isaac Dulany over

to the parents and told them their baby was perfectly healthy. Not only did he have no deformities, but he also had no markers for cerebral palsy.

“I was just dumbfounded,” Benjamin says. “I was thankful it was all over.”

After a six-month journey of stress as they raised their older two children — Eliana, now 10, and Daniel, now 7 — the Dulanys could relax.

The couple named the boy Isaac, which means “he laughs” (Genesis 21:3).

“God tells us to pray, but so often we just think that praying is the last step, or not really making a difference, or that it means we are helpless to help,” Schweitz says. “Prayer is not a small thing to do, even when we are physically in a position to help in a practical way. Why would we not seek the aid of the Creator of all? It should be our go-to first step.”

Isaac is now 5 years old and in Benjamin’s words, “The most adventurous child I’ve ever seen.”

Last year, Dulany became lead pastor of Harrah Assembly of God in Washington state.

Jenifer Metzger is a wife to Jeremy and mother to Lylea, Jacob, Jeremiah, Brittany, Grace, and Zach. She and her husband serve on staff at The Hill Ministries in Shawnee, Kansas. Jenifer also is a devotional writer.

“Even if our son lived only long enough for us to hold him, we would not bow to the spirit of abortion.”

HEALING FROM AN INCURABLE DISEASE

BY DAN VAN VEEN

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, there are currently no effective treatments that can stop deterioration or reverse the deficits caused by Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) — there are no cures.

However, Bill Poole, a member of New Stanton Assembly of God in Pennsylvania, disagrees!

Poole was diagnosed with polio when he was 13 months old. He recovered, but for as many as 40% of polio survivors, PPS awaits them 15 to 40 years following recovery. In 2013, Poole fell into that 40% when the trauma of a car accident brought on PPS in his body.

PPS appears to have similarities to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) as it causes extreme fatigue, increasing muscle and joint pains, progressive muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and loss of function/paralysis — including the ability to sing, talk, or even swallow. It can also potentially impact the ability to breathe.

Prior to PPS, Poole was an AG minister who enjoyed singing and preaching.

“I became so weak, that I could barely open a bottle of water,” Poole says. “I could no longer sing, preaching was out of the question, and swallowing had become increasingly difficult.”

Poole says the pain was constant and, at times, nearly unbearable; medication provided little relief. And for nine years, Poole has relied upon a cane to walk.

In September 2019, however, Ron Ingelido became pastor of New Stanton AG. The following February he was preparing a series on healing. He asked four congregation members — including Poole — who were believing God for healing, but hadn’t received it yet, to take part in a service.

“He was in pain constantly and it hurt him to talk,” Ingelido says of Poole. “He shared the struggles he had with me . . . he endured not only physical, but mental and emotional pain. But when I told him about what I wanted to do with the service, he volunteered — he told me that he knew God was going to heal him.”

In that February 2020 service, Poole painstakingly made his way to the platform, being assisted up the stairs. He shared some of his struggles with the congregation and his belief that God was going to heal his body.

COVID-19 then swept the United States. Church doors closed and for some, fear replaced — or at least degraded — faith.

However, Poole’s conviction that God was

going to heal him remained strong, though his body did not. As New Stanton began holding services again, Ingelido noticed that Poole was not attending regularly — his health was deteriorating.

“He just wasn’t feeling well enough to come to church,” Ingelido says. “There were times when he’d start choking and couldn’t breathe.”

But then Poole sent Ingelido an email he will never forget.

“He told me that he was coming to church that Sunday,” Ingelido recalls, “and that he knew God was going to heal him!”

On Sunday, May 29, 2022, as promised, Poole came to church. And during the altar service, he hobbled forward for prayer.

“We gathered around him and he was praying so earnestly,” Ingelido says. “Then tears started rolling down his face, and you could just sense that he and God were having a moment — that moment when God touched and healed him right then and there!”

Poole confirms the miraculous healing.

“I felt the power of the Holy Spirit like never before,” Poole says. “I could feel a charge of power come over me so strongly, it almost knocked me down.”

Ingelido says he watched Poole turn, walk back up the aisle, and hand his cane to his wife, Kimberly, and simply state, “I don’t need this anymore.”

Was it just a rush of adrenaline that gave Poole the power to walk down that aisle, unaided?

Not according to his doctors.

With PPS, the body’s deterioration is ongoing. It does not reverse. When Poole visited his doctors, they were amazed. His strength was far beyond what it had been. He no longer had any difficulty in talking or

swallowing. His cane? At home.

“Bill told me one of his doctors was so stunned, she said, ‘I need to go back to church!’” Ingelido says, laughing.

Since then, Poole has been at nearly every Sunday and Wednesday service, and readily shared his testimony with the congregation.

“I tell people that at New Stanton we are for real,” Ingelido says. “We’re real people, serving a real God, and making a real difference . . . when Bill shared his testimony, people were shedding real tears as they knew God had healed him — for real!”

COMPELLED TO REACH THE LOST

In November 1914, just a few months after the Fellowship’s founding, Assemblies of God delegates gathered for the second General Council in Chicago, where they committed themselves to the “greatest evangelism the world has ever seen.” Historically, Pentecostals have felt a compelling personal biblical conviction to share Jesus with non-Christians.

Sam Cochran and the founding of Light for the Lost is one notable example of the Holy Spirit’s impact.

On a Sunday evening in 1953, as Cochran prayed in the sanctuary of First Assembly of God in Santa Ana, California, he reported seeing a vision that forever changed the course of his life, and the eternity of millions of others.

Cochran told of beholding a massive crowd

of people from many countries reaching their hands upward, crying out desperately, “Give us the book!” Above them, slowly descending, came a hand from heaven holding a Bible.

Just before the Word of God reached the first outstretched hands, a trap door opened below the people. Pleas for “the book” turned into screams of terror and agony as they fell into an inferno.

Cochran knew the vision’s heartbreaking

DAN KERSTEN

meaning even as he watched it unfold. For the desperate crowd, it was too late. The end came before they could hear about or read the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the rest of his life, Cochran spoke before men’s groups and congregations describing the screams and palpable smell of burning flesh, which he could not forget.

After the vision ended, Cochran and several close friends met to discuss it. They felt the Holy Spirit telling them to begin raising funds for evangelism resources for missionaries to use overseas.

In the first year, they raised $313. In the 70 years since, the ministry they launched became known as Light for the Lost, and more than $370 million has been invested to resource Assemblies of God missionaries for evangelism worldwide.

In 2023, Light for the Lost will celebrate 70 years of evangelism partnership with missionaries through five platforms: print, audio, video, internet technologies, and apps.

“For seven decades, the frightening vision that Sam Cochran had at First AG in Santa Ana has inspired and motivated people across the Fellowship to make sure our missionaries always have the evangelism resources they need to communicate the gospel,” says Light for the Lost National Director Rick Allen. “We remain steadfastly committed to our

mandate to provide the resources and tools our missionaries need on the field, regardless of location, language, or cost.”

In the early years of Light for the Lost (LFTL), primarily men’s groups did the heavy lifting in terms of sharing the message and fundraising. Under the LFTL Councilman program, people contributed $15 monthly to underwrite the expense of the national LFTL office, which enabled more general offerings to reach the field.

Today, more than 1,000 councilmen continue to send in their “dues” each month. Additionally, women and young people from AG churches lend their support to LFTL. In 2022, a record $9,193,635 was invested in LFTL by people and businesses from many age groups and backgrounds.

The urgency for world evangelism that moved Sam Cochran and that core group of men to start LFTL 70 years ago is spreading. Our missionaries throughout the world look to LFTL for all kinds of evangelism resources, print and digital.

A 70th anniversary celebration for LFTL will be held at General Council in Columbus, Ohio, in August.

Dan Kersten is development and communications director for AG Men’s Ministries.

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