Young Pentecostals

Young Pentecostals
I asked a friend whom I have never met personally except via the Internet to give me his impressions as an independent, objective observer of the Apostolic movement. Here was his reply:

1. Young Pentecostals are searching for an identity. They are not content.

2. The new generation wants toleration more than separation. Standards are artificial (made up) to them, not organic.

3. High school and college age kids have a catch phrase—“No one can live it.” This used to be the old Baptist cry.

4. There seems to be a general sense of “how do we know that we are right?”

5. The new generation as yet is not willing to set up the ancient landmarks again. They are Jacob, but not Israel.

My response and questions:

1) The Apostolic faith and practice, which is in line with the Word of God, provides sufficient identity—UNLESS it is identity with the world and postmodernism one is seeking. Why are some young ministers “not content”? Is someone stirring them up to stand against our traditional Pentecostal doctrines and standards? Are the “by invitation only” meetings of liberal thinkers going on around the country having an impact? Is someone telling the attendees that they should just wait and all the “old heads” will soon be gone and they will be able to make the necessary changes? Are they being told that the new generation of Pentecostals doesn’t have to adhere to the ministerial agreements and lifestyle positions we have agreed upon? Leadership down the line needs to curb such communication by simply saying, “If you don’t believe it, quit developing a fifth column in here. There is a great big world out there…go do your own thing somewhere else.” It is not time for divisiveness, but unity around the absolutes of Scripture.

2) Is it really true that the new generation wants toleration more than separation? Or is there a vocal few who are making most of the noise? Brother A. T. Morgan used to tell about a pond in Louisiana that was noisy with bullfrogs. They figured it was loaded with the nocturnal amphibians. They drained the pond and discovered that it was only two old bullfrogs doing all the croakin’. C’mon, young pastors. Stand up and be counted! Don’t let a few compromisers speak for you. Take note of where 90% of them are right now—nowhere! They are off the map. Are our standards contrived and not a natural and organic part of the body of Christ? Absolutely not. They were agreed on in conference “when we were in our right mind.” They are based on biblical principles and commandments, and relevant to our own age and current challenges we face today. Remember, Paul added “and such like” to the list of sins and activities to avoid in Galatians 5:19-21. The teaching ministry has the right and responsibility to define what “and such like” is in each generation.

3) “No one can live it!” This is a selfish cop-out and surrender to the flesh. Millions have lived it. What they mean is, “I can’t live it and do all the things I want to do.” A broader interpretation: “I don’t want to live it and this is my excuse.”

4) And “how do we know that we are right?” Those doctrines and practices that are essential to our salvation are not nebulous or indistinct. They are clear in the Scriptures. The Bible is our common denominator. All people in all generations from Pentecost until now are obligated to the same scriptural demands. Remove the authority of the Scriptures and no one will know the truth; everyone will have the same claim on being “right.” The more we diminish the authority of the Scriptures, the less we can claim to know absolute truth.

5) Is it really true that the new generation as yet is not willing to set up the ancient landmarks again? That may be true of a vocal few, and they would like to exaggerate the numbers, but I believe there are “7000 who have not bowed a knee to Baal.” Testing time will bring them out of the caves. They are Jacob, but not Israel? Have they not yet fought through the night and had their “thigh” experience? Has the fight gone out of them because some leaders have become benign and indifferent to the Apostolic message and values? That may explain the “southern direction” some have taken in recent years. As long as leaders are elected on the basis of “he’s a cool guy…his family has been around a long time…he has a household name…he seems to be open-minded about things…he is a loyal company man,” etc., rather than whether he loves the truth, stands for righteousness and the Apostolic message, and will speak out against drift, we will dilute the movement. As long as we give ministerial licenses to those who have not proved themselves to be loyal to truth and the biblical principles that our movement stands for, we can expect to see lots of Jacobs, but few Israels.

I invite young pastors to submit their own comments on the above thoughts.

I barrowed this from JR Enesy