“Pentecostalism promotes healthy lifestyles and serves as the largest detox center for Latin American men. Men who join these churches often stop hard drinking … or gambling or womanizing.”
This is the reason for its popularity. These people truly had a conversion to Jesus. Their lives changed dramatically and others saw their change and wanted Jesus in their lives as well.
You shall know them by their fruits.
The churches that I have gone to that believe in the gifts of the spirit have also taught the Bible in accuracy.
Some of the people blogging on this site don’t understand the gifts of the spirit so they criticize them. I know a guy who criticized pentecostals, though he claimed to be a Christian and was living with his girlfriend. I do believe he had a love for Christ but lacked the strength to say no to this sin in his life. He would have done well to embrace the holiness of God that I have seen from people praying in the Spirit.
I believe the gifts of the Spirit are for today and I believe every word of the Bible and I believe in living the words of the Bible and in personal Bible Study as well. And the people who I have met who also believe this are strong, Word abiding Christians who love the Lord and who follow the Bible.
When I was a kid, we had a minister and his family stay with us while they were in a revival. Bro. H. Richard Hall, his wife, Amelia and a young man who was a musician for them, Don Warren. They are terrific people. Although I have not seen them since the 1950’s, I found them on the Internet. Bro. Hall died about 2001 but the other 2 remembered me. They did not remember my dad putting chocolate in his buttermilk though. He was busy talking to them plus some other ministers. Back then, we never knew how many to cook for. Wonderful, wonderful memories. How they linger. I treasure them.
You make a good point. I spend about 6 months a year in Colombia and non Catholic churches are booming.
Of this I do not have an opinion....but I am alarmed at the attemps of the islamanazis to gain a foot hold in S America. They dont do well there for a variety of reasons..one is that Latins tend to be very strong willed with their choice of churches.
Amen. My thoughts and experience as well.
Ephesians 1:3 (KJV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: