WesleyGospel Ministries

From his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
–Acts 19:12 (KJV)–

After years of reflection and input from others, whether directly or indirectly, I’ve come to the conclusion that reading, or binging rather, on the sermons of great evangelistic preachers from the past is the best way to fan into flame the gift of God, and do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 1:6; 4:5). This doesn’t mean that all of their sermons are useful, but only the ones that deal with the following themes:

– REPENTANCE.

– PENAL SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT.

– JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE.

– REGENERATION.

– SANCTIFICATION.

– ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

The following names will be familiar to followers of Living Waters, readers of Bridge-Logos books, or Southern Baptist pastors. I put my priority on these sermon collections, in this order…

1. CHARLES H. SPURGEON LIBRARY (BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1970s).

2. THE CHARLES G. FINNEY MEMORIAL LIBRARY (KREGEL, 1960s).

3. THE WORKS OF JOHN WESLEY (BAKER, 1996), vols. 1-3.

4. THE SERMONS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS (HENDRICKSON, 2005).

5. SERMONS OF GEORGE WHITEFIELD (HENDRICKSON, 2013).

It might be good to refer to all of the works of John Bunyan as well, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, who had a definite influence on Spurgeon’s preaching. But in terms of gospel preaching material in particular, I put the priority on the Spurgeon, Finney, Wesley, Edwards, Whitefield order. And my reason for this is pretty simple. It’s their SERMONS I’m interested in, not their other writings so much in this consideration. Because it’s in their SERMONS that you really find them PREACHING THE GOSPEL, not merely teaching or talking about stuff. It is within their SERMONS that you find them actually PREACHING. It’s in their sermons that they act on that urging, “SPIT IT OUT MAN!” And so in their evangelistically themed sermons, they find a way to spit the soteriology out and make it spiritually palatable for their listeners. Of course when it comes to theological correctness and accuracy, I’m always going to side with Wesley’s soteriology as my filter, as expressed in Harald Lindstrom’s Wesley and Sanctification (Zondervan, 1984). This means I would have to sometimes reject the eternal security in Spurgeon and Whitefield, the occasional Pelagianism in Finney, and the predestinarian determinism in Edwards. Anywhere that the Calvinist TULIP finds expression would need to be rejected and anywhere that cessationist thoughts are expressed by Edwards or anyone else. So long as conditional security remains in the backdrop of the keeping power of God, so long as the continuation of miraculous gifts are understood as presently possible, so long as the sinful nature is openly admitted and the need for the blood of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are constantly pressed, and so long as salvation from eternal punishment and freedom from all sinful addictions are preached thoroughly, then I think we have a healthy theological structure for preaching the Gospel. –J.B.

Originally from here.

The Global Wesleyan Alliance is a Christ-centered community of Wesleyan Arminian holiness denominations and organizations that strengthens the prophetic voice and amplifies the missional fruitfulness of its members as they communicate and demonstrate the transforming message of scriptural holiness by:

Engaging in other lawful activity consistent with it’s tax exempt status as a corporation organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes or corresponding sections of any future federal tax code.

Creating a greater community through intentional relationship building between organizations, leaders and congregations.

Collaboration in fulfilling Christ’s mission through pooling resources, sharing best practices, recommending standards to enable mutual recognition of ministerial credentials, joint resources development and publishing, and ministerial job placement.

Convening events and conferences for the promotion of holiness, discipleship, church healing and multiplication, leadership development, prayer denominational or judicatory leadership and networking, and issues of mutual concern.

Communicating with one another through sharing calendars, news, and information about special events, and issuing joint statements (subject to the endorsement by individual partner organization) addressing contemporary moral and spiritual issues.

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ORGANIZATIONS

• Association of Independent Methodists – 119 churches; YOUNG EARTH CREATION.
  
• Brethren in Christ, USA
  
• Church of Christ Holiness USA – 154 churches; YOUNG EARTH CREATION; ALL BLACK.
  
• Church of God (Anderson)
  
• Church of God (Holiness) – 120 churches; YOUNG EARTH CREATION; has a Bible Study Resource Library page–good spiritual fruit. Also a member of the InterChurch Holiness Convention. They have ITINERANT EVANGELISTS.
  
• Church of the Nazarene – NOT YOUNG EARTH.
  
• Churches of Christ in Christian Union – NOT YOUNG EARTH.
  
• Congregational Methodist Church
  
• The Wesleyan Church – 1,463 churches; YOUNG EARTH CREATION. They have ITINERANT EVANGELISTS.
  
• Evangelical Methodist Church
  
• Free Methodist Church
  
• International Fellowship of Bible Churches – 29 churches; YOUNG EARTH CREATION.
  
• Missionary Church – 463 churches; YOUNG EARTH CREATION.
  
• Salvation Army
  
• The Evangelical Church
  
• The Methodist Protestant Church

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By way of comparison, Dr. Shelton Smith has told me by email that he estimates about 20,000 IFB churches exist in the USA. There’s about 13,000 Assembly of God and 6,000 of Church of God (Cleveland) in the USA–that is, at least 19,000 classic Pentecostal churches. –J.B.

Originally from here.

Firefly, a Pennsylvania company with law enforcement expertise, said 210 people were interviewed during its 4 1⁄2-month investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct at IHOPKC and cover-up by its leaders. Every survivor and witness included in the report came forward voluntarily to share their stories, it said. In addition to the allegations against Bickle, the report said the investigation turned up 16 cases of sexual abuse and misconduct perpetrated by people associated with IHOPKC but not directly related to Bickle. “These findings highlight a broader issue within the organization that requires immediate attention and action,” it said.

Among the investigation’s findings:

1. Bickle used prophetic language to speak to victims, isolated them from others, bought them gifts, visited them in church-supplied apartments where they lived, frequently touched and kissed them and created circumstances in which they would see him undressed and aroused.

2. Abuse was allowed to persist unchecked, often with perpetrators being protected rather than held accountable.

3. Many victims were subjected to “Matthew 18” meetings, a reference to a conflict resolution procedure laid out in the Gospel of Matthew. In those meetings, the victims “were pressured into face-to-face confrontations with their accusers to determine who was lying.” “These meetings not only compounded the emotional distress of the victims but also undermined the integrity of the investigation process,” the report said. “Many victims felt intimidated and coerced, which led to further trauma and a sense of injustice. As a result, the credibility of the testimonies collected during these meetings was compromised.”

4. Bickle committed spiritual, emotional and sexual abuse starting as early as the 1970s, grooming and developing inappropriate relationships with women “while using ‘Matthew 18 Meetings’ to conceal, minimize, and silence victims of sexual abuse within the church.”

5. Bickle and IHOPKC’s Executive Leadership Team downplayed reports of sexual abuse, forced victims to confront their offenders and discouraged them from going to law enforcement authorities. “Their actions, or lack thereof, contributed to an environment where victims felt unsupported and vulnerable,” the report said. “This indifference not only exacerbated the trauma experienced by the victims but also allowed the perpetrators to evade accountability and continue their misconduct.”

6. Instead of being supported, staff members who reported sexual abuse of others to their supervisors often faced retaliation, such as being transferred to other positions or having their work hours reduced. Firefly said it reviewed more than 6,000 documents directly related to the case, and a Firefly representative visited IHOPKC to observe worship and praise activities.