Backup of The Pentacost #26 - Zion Christian Ministry · 2010. 3. 26. · Once again, summer has...

THE PENTECOSTISSUE #26 September 2008

communicated these words to her teacher; “Oh, I am

so glad you told me His name, for He has often

spoken to me!”³ God spoke to Helen regardless of her

inability to use natural senses. Although revelation

from God may not always involve reading the pages of

the Bible, all revelation that God gives to man will not

disagree with what the Bible says.Helen Keller is just one life which proves the

knowability of God. God is vaster than the oceans,

however, He can be known in part by finite men and

women. In fact, He wants to be known by such.

Knowing God comes about by placing faith in God's

Son, Jesus Christ. God bless you, as you step out in

faith and do just that.

Shawn Stevens

References :Holcroft, Thomas. The Doctrine Of God. Oakland: Western Book Co., 1978.Zodhiates, Spiros. Was Christ God? Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1994.3. Spiros Zodhiates, Was Christ God? (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers,1994), 12.

It is September, and it is now ready. Thank you for

your patience. God Bless you.

Also, the Azusa Series article on “The Life and

Ministry of Lucy Farrow” in Issue # 24 contained a

quote from The Apostolic Faith Magazine. It says

that the quote came from the September 1907 Issue,

however, the correct Issue was May of 1908, on page

2.

Shawn Stevens

.

IN THIS ISSUE

THE CHRISTIAN HERITAGE OF CANADA

...................................................................3

CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

.............................................................6

A PLEA FOR THE GODLY

.............................................................6

THE KNOWABILITY OF GOD

...........................................................10

AZUSA SERIES - A POINT OF

CLARIFICATION

...........................................................12

Once again, summer has come and gone and the fall season is now here. Welcome back to The Pentecost magazine, which is now starting up again after a two-month summer break. From September to November, we will be running with the theme of Christian heritage and revival in Canada. We are also beginning a series of articles on the doctrine of God. Our last series of articles was on the Azusa Street Revival. Although the Azusa series is now ended, I will probably pick it up again some time in the future. It is great to be back and to have you reading with us again! God bless you!

Shawn Stevens

THE PENTECOST

ZionShawn Stevens

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 933,Lynden, WA 98264 USA

Phone

Email [email protected]

604.533.4168

Christian Ministry

ZionShawn Stevens

Mailing Address


Phone


604.854.8141

Christian Ministry

My prayer for you all, as you read these next issues of The

Pentecost outlining the biblical foundations of Canada and

the men and women who counted the cost to stand for

Jesus and bring about revival in Canada, is that you will be

inspired and encouraged to fulfill the calling that the Lord

has on your life and see your nation change.

Ramona Stevens

but it is not the full picture of God’s character. God is a

personal God who loves men and women. One view is

that this emphasis on transcendence traces back to the

teachings of Augustine (354-430).2 Regardless of where

this view began, and acknowledging that God does in

some ways veil Himself from sinful man, the fact still

remains that God can be known, and desires to be

known, by men and women.

How does a person know God? The only way

that we can come to know Him is through faith in His

Son, Jesus Christ. Once faith in Jesus Christ is

established in the hearts of men and women, a new

spirituality is opened up to men and women where they

receive knowledge of God through revelation into God’s

Word, the Bible, and through the experience of faith.

The Bible teaches that God is a Spirit. A spirit can only

be understood by another spirit. That is why, when God

created man, He gave him a spirit, a soul and a body. It 2. Thomas Holcroft, The Doctrine Of God (Oakland: Western Book Co., 1978), 6.

is by God’s Spirit communicating with human spirits that

He makes Himself known. That is why Paul tells us:

But as it is written:

‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,Nor have entered into the heart of manThe things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep

things of God. (1 Corinthians 2: 9, 10).

The senses of hearing, touch and smell are all ways in

which our physical body takes in information. However,

God is not restricted to these senses in order to

communicate with our spirit. A touching story is that of

Helen Keller. Although she was born blind, mute, and deaf,

she learned to communicate with a teacher. The teacher

would put Helen’s hands on the teacher’s throat and lips and

Helen came to understand her speech. One day, the teacher

made efforts to share with Helen spiritual truth about God.

When she did this, Helen’s face lit up and she

vast and awesome. Although no man will ever

understand Him fully (with the exception of Jesus Christ

who is both God and man and who does understand),

there are those who understand Him in part. The

tortoise did not know the full totality of the ocean, but he

did know the ocean enough, from having swum in it for

years, to be able to talk about it. God is like the ocean,

only vaster. Although no one (but Himself) knows Him

fully, there are still those who know Him in part, those

who swim in this ocean.

There have been many men in history who have

challenged the claim that men can know God.

Philosophers, such as Plato, taught that God was beyond

finding out. Even Middle Age theologians, such as

Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274), taught that knowing and

describing God must be done indirectly and that we

come to know him through analogy and inference. The

medieval concept of God was that He was greatly

transcendent (medieval mysticism is an exception to

this) and ineffable (too overwhelming to be

communicated in words). This is not entirely untrue,


Its landscape is covered with snowy mountain

peaks, broad open plains, shimmering, pristine lakes

and mighty roaring rivers. It is the land of endless

forests, the land of the beaver, and the land of the

maple leaf – Canada. It stretches 5,500 kilometers

from the Yukon Territory and the Alaska border to

Cape Spear, Newfoundland. Yet with all of its

grandeur, only ten percent of its land mass is

permanently settled and populated. Those who settled

this great land and country were a mixed sort. They

came from different countries and even different

continents; they came from different social

backgrounds; they came from different language

groups. However, they all came to a virgin land which

was too large for any one person or group to subdue. It

would take a united effort to form what is now The

Dominion of Canada. It would also take more than

human effort or ingenuity. It would take God and a

living faith in God to lay solid foundations for this

young country. From its beginning to its present, God

has been very active in Canada. Likewise, there are

many in Canada's history who had such faith in God as

to lay down proper foundations. Canada has drifted

from these foundations, but the final chapter of her

history has not yet been written. In this article, we will

trace some of our steps backwards in time to the faith-

filled lives of some early Canadians.

Before Canada was even organized into a

nation, God was moving in and through the lives of

people on its native soil. Immediately prior to the

United States War of Independence (1776), many

British Loyalists moved North and settled in the area

of Nova Scotia. They were fleeing the tumult of a war

which was about to break out, but did not know that

t h e y w e r e s t e p p i n g i n t o a r e v i v a l ! A

Congregationalist, named Henry Alline, ministered in

that region and carried a strong evangelistic message.

Hundreds of souls were saved in what became known

as The New Light Revival. The revival began to spread

to other Atlantic provinces. One minister who

preached in Saint John, New Brunswick, said of that

city; “...one can hardly go through the streets of this

city without hearing the voice of praise or seeing the

young men assembling together for prayer.”¹Just as God was moving in pre-Confederation

Nova Scotia, and other provinces, He was also moving

through missionaries in Labrador close to the same

time. In 1752 the Moravian missionary, Christian

Erhard, and some helpers, came to the Eskimos of

Labrador. Unfortunately, they were killed by them.

Erhard was followed by another missionary, Fens1. Joshua Marsden, quoted in Rev. Barry P. Boucher, Canada's Spiritual Heritage, http://www.watchmen.org, retrieved December, 2004.


Holy, Holy, Holy all the saints adore Thee,Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;Cherubim and Seraphim falling down before Thee,Which wert and art, and evermore shall be.

Reginald Herber (1783 - 1826)

A story was once told of two tortoises. One

tortoise lived in a well and the other tortoise lived in

the ocean. One day, the tortoise that lived in the ocean

took a journey on land and fell into the well. There,

the well-tortoise met the other tortoise and heard

from him about the ocean. The well-tortoise swam

around a section of the well and asked if the ocean was

as large as this section of the well. The ocean-tortoise

said that it was larger. Next, the well-tortoise asked if

the ocean was as large as the whole of the well. Again,

the ocean-tortoise said that it was larger. Then the

ocean-tortoise said to the well-tortoise “Your

understanding is small. As to the ocean, though you

spent many years in it, you would never be able to

explore the half of it, nor reach the limit, and it is

utterly impossible to compare it with this well of

yours.”¹ In this sense, God is like the ocean. He is 1. Spiros Zodhiates, Was Christ God? (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers,1994), 58-59.

Haven, who worked this pioneering field. By the end

of the 18th century the gospel was well established in

Labrador.Just as Erhard and Haven were committed to

sharing the gospel with pre-Confederation Canada’s

natives, so was the great explorer and map maker,

David Thompson. Thompson, famous today for his

maps of western Canada, (some of which are still in

use today), suffered great hardships in his frontier

exploration. What was his motivation? He wanted to

share his faith with natives, so he carried his Bible

with him into the bush and held services. When

asked why he endured the difficulties of such a life,

he said; “...so that these physically impenetrable

barriers may be traversed and the Gospel be

spread.”²While David Thompson endured hardship in

sharing his faith with natives in western pre-

Confederation Canada, the missionary, Henry Bird

Steinhauer, did the same in the Hudson Bay

Territories. Steinhauer, a native himself, raised in a

Methodist school, became a great minister to his own

people. In 1843 he moved to Norway House at the

northern tip of Lake Winnipeg. He began reaching

out to the Cree Indians but his mission was not easy.

All around him was starvation, the deaths of

children, smallpox and tribal war. However, he

persevered and his faith made a real impact. He died

in December of 1884. When a rebellion sprung up

the following year, to honor his friend, Steinhauer,

“the man of God who taught peace”, one native chief

did not involve his tribe in the conflict.³2. David Thompson, quoted in Canada: Portraits of the Faith website, http://ca.geocities.com, retrieved February, 2004.3. Michael Clarke, Canada: Portraits of the Faith, (1998), 47.

Erhard, Haven, Alline, Thompson and

Steinhauer were men whose lives were godly examples

for others to see and follow. Their pre-Confederation

witness was followed and many others had deep

experiences of Christian faith that carried over into the

Confederation period. One such person was Sir

Samuel Leonard Tilley. Tilley was a committed

Christian. He was also the premier of New Brunswick

and a Father of Confederation. When the Fathers of

Confederation were discussing the drafting of the

British North America Act (1867), they spent time

discussing what the new country should be called.

After reading Psalm 72.8, which says; “He shall have

dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River unto

the ends of the earth.”, Tilly was drawn to the word

dominion. He proposed calling the young country

“The Dominion of Canada.” Enough of the other

founding Fathers liked this, and The Dominion of

Canada was agreed upon. Just as Tilley wanted to see God have dominion

over Canada, so did Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882).

Ryerson was a Methodist minister, but he was more

than a minister. He has been called the “Founder of

Public Education in Ontario.” He was the first

principal of Victoria College in Coburg, Ontario.

Upon being inaugurated to that position, he said that

the school would have “...a balanced curriculum,

infused with the ‘fundamentals of Christian

theology...’”4 He said that the Ontario school system

was to be a “Christian public school system.”5

4. Michael Clarke, Canada: Portraits of the Faith, (1998), 45.5. Canada: Portraits of the Faith website, , retrieved February 2004.http://ca.geocities.com

disaster. The centurion decided not to harbor the

vessel, disregarding Paul’s warning. The storm

worsened to the point that the crew gave up hope that

they would survive it. In the midst of this crisis, the

stability and godliness of Paul was noticeable to all. He

assured them that there would be no loss of life, for an

angel had told him that he would be brought before

Caesar. Paul instructed them to run the ship aground

onto a certain island. Some of the crew thought it would

be best for them if they escaped from the ship. Paul

warned the centurion that “…Unless these men stay in

the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 27.31). The

centurion immediately cut away the ropes to the escape

raft. After a prolonged time at sea, Paul encouraged

everyone on board that they should eat, and that

everyone would survive. In the presence of all of them,

he thanked God for their food. In the end, they all made

it to land with no loss of life. (see Acts 27). Even though Paul was a prisoner on this voyage,

in the midst of a perilous crisis, he became a

leader. We know of no one else on the boat who had a

relationship with God, one that could bring security and

stability to this situation. While the others feared for

their lives, the godly Paul trusted God for deliverance.

He not only trusted in God for deliverance, he

experienced that deliverance. His deliverance also

meant the deliverance of the others with him. I believe that the world in which we live is much

like the vessel in the storm. As secular society voyages

farther and farther away from God, through unbelief

and worldliness, her stability and security is vanishing.

Society is unraveling and self-destructing as it continues

on its present course. Many within society are

concerned about the high waves that are crashing

furiously against the boat. There had better be some

Pauls, some Daniels and some John the Baptists to show

the way back. They are needed to bring stability and

security to those who are without it or, at least, to help

those who are without it to find that stability and

security in God. John, Daniel and Paul are no longer

with us, but Christian, have we not the Spirit of Christ?

Have we built our house upon the rock of hearing and

obeying the words of Jesus? Are we an unshakable reed

amidst the wind? Do we have an excellent spirit? Is it

true of us that none of these things move us, and that we

don’t count our lives dear to ourselves? Could it be that,

even now, God is preparing us in response to those who

plead for the godly?

Shawn Stevens

-4-

http://ca.geocities.com/

Some years later, The 1896 Ontario Public

School Act stated; “...it shall be the duty of every

teacher of a public school to teach diligently and

faithfully all of the subjects in the public school...to

maintain proper order and discipline in his pupils in the

pursuit of learning; to include, by precept and example,

respect for religion and the principles of Christian

morality and the highest regard for truth, justice, love

of country, humanity, benevolence, sobriety, industry,

frugality, purity, temperance and all other virtues.”6

I have listed a number of examples of early

Christian leaders who had godly influence upon

Canada in Canada’s past. Many examples could be

given of modern Christian leaders who have

influenced Canada. I will mention one, Ernest

Manning (1908-1996). Manning was a

fundamentalist lay-preacher who helped William

Aberhart (“Bible Bill”) to found the Social Credit

Party, a party which won Alberta’s provincial election

in 1935. When Aberhart passed away in 1943,

Manning filled the position of premier. As well as

being the premier of Alberta, Manning was the host

of a Christian radio program called Back to The

Bible Hour. During the 1950s and 1960s the program

was broadcast, not only in Alberta, but across

Canada. Manning was very evangelistic and told his

6. Ibid

audience of their need to be born again. After his

broadcasts, he would sign off as “The Premier.” Some

did not like the way Manning combined his faith with

politics, or the way he signed off as “The Premier.”

However, the fact still remained that Manning was a

Christian and he was the premier. Manning’s program

was hugely popular and reached an estimated peak of

between 20,000 and 25,000 households. In 1961 the

radio program was rated number one in Halifax.From Erhart and Haven to Alline and

Steinhaurer, many pre-Confederation Canadians

stood for God and for the Christian faith. Their legacy

continued into Confederation as leaders, like Tilly, had

a public burden for Canada to be under God’s

dominion. Even the public school system in Ontario, at

one time, reflected godly principles and values. Also,

Christian spiritual and political leaders, such as

Manning, did what they could to turn Canada back to

the Bible. Our generation of Canadians has much

ground to regain from the erosion of our nations early

days of faith. May the Lordship of Jesus Christ be

recognised once again, and may Canadians shout with

one voice that God shall have dominion from sea to sea.

Shawn Stevens

References:

Kryskow, Faytene C. Stand On Guard : A Prophetic Call & Research On The

Righteous Foundations of Canada. Vancouver: Credo Publishing, 2005.Van Die, Marguerite. ed. Religion and Public Life in Canada : Historical and

Not only was John an example of godliness and

stability, but so was the Prophet Daniel. In another

message, we will discuss the excellent spirit that led

to Daniel’s promotion under three kings. We will

examine his godly wisdom, his purity, his courage,

his hunger to learn of God, his seriousness about

spiritual things, his mourning over sin and his

practice of petitioning God for mercy. The excellent

spirit of Daniel made him indispensable in Babylon.

When Nebuchadnezzar had his troubling dreams,

only Daniel had revelatory understanding to explain

them. When Daniel did explain Nebuchadnezzar’s

first dream, Nebuchadnezzar responded in this way:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face,

prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they

should present an offering and incense to him. The

king answered Daniel, and said, ‘Truly your God is the

God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of

secrets, since you could reveal this secret.’ Then the

king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts;

and he made him ruler over the whole province of

Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men

of Babylon. Daniel 2.46-48

Similarly, when Daniel was the only one who could

explain to Belshazzar the meaning of the supernatural

handwriting on the wall, Belshazzar responded in this

way; “Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they

clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold

around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning

him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

(Daniel 5.29). Both Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar

recognized the importance of a godly and stable man,

such as Daniel.As well as Daniel being an example of godliness

and stability, so was the Apostle Paul. There are many

examples of him displaying these qualities throughout

his ministry years. Even upon hearing prophecies that

chains and tribulations awaited him in Jerusalem, we

hear him say; “But none of these things move me; nor

do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my

race with joy, and the ministry which I received from

the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of

God.” (Acts 20.24). On one occasion he was traveling

aboard a ship as a prisoner. Paul, and those with him,

encountered rough weather and Paul warned the

centurion present that the voyage would end in a

the godly; “For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

But the LORD upholds the righteous.”(Psalm 37.17)

Jesus also taught about the stability of those who heard

and obeyed His words. In the form of a parable, He

said:

‘Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and

does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his

house on the rock: ‘and the rain descended, the floods

came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it

did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ‘But

everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not

do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house

on the sand: ‘and the rain descended, the floods came,

and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.

And great was its fall.’

Matthew 7.24-27

We can see this kind of stability in the godly

example of John the Baptist. John began preaching in

the wilderness of Judea, calling people to repent. We

learn from the Scriptures that he was a fulfillment of the

Isaiah prophecy which told of “The voice of one crying

in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make

straight in the desert … ' ” (Isaiah 40.3). On one

occasion, Jesus questioned a listening multitude about

what they thought of John. He asked; “…What did you

go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the


Most Canadians are unaware that, when

singing Canada’s national anthem today, they are

singing an abbreviated version of the original song.

Our national anthem was written as a poem by Robert

Stanley Weir in 1908. With the exception of the

phrase God keep our land glorious and free, which was

added in 1980, it read:

O Canada, Our home and native land!True patriot love in all thy sons command;

With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The true North, strong and freeFrom far and wide, O Canada

We stand on guard, for theeGod keep our land,Glorious and free,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.O Canada! Where pines and maples grow, Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow

How dear to us thy broad domain,From East to Western Sea,

Thou land of hope for all who toil!Thou true North, strong and free!

Canada! Beneath thy shining skies,May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,

To keep thee steadfast through the yearsFrom East to Western sea,

Our own beloved native land!Our true North, strong and fee!

Ruler Supreme, who hearest humble prayer,Hold our Dominion in Thy loving car,

Help us to find, O God, in Thee,A lasting, rich reward,

As waiting for the better dayWe ever stand on guard.

Taken from Stand on Guard

Reference:Kryskow, Faytene C. Stand on Guard: A Prophetic Call & ResearchOn the Righteous Foundations of Canada.Vancouver: Credo Publishing, 2005, page 196


Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

Psalm 12.1

In a Psalm to God, King David laments the

disappearing of godly and faithful men. He knows that

godly men and women have stability in their own lives,

and bring that stability to their nations. A

disappearance of this kind warrants cries to God, both

in his time and in ours. From God’s Word, we learn that the grace of

God teaches “…us that, denying ungodliness and

worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and

godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope

and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior

Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might

redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for

Himself His own special people, zealous for good

works.” (Titus 2.12-14). One result of living a godly life is the acquiring

of wisdom. We learn of God that “He stores up sound

wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk

uprightly;” (Proverbs 2.7). This wisdom gives the

Christian stability while walking through an unstable

world. The very arm of the Lord stabilizes and upholds

wind?” (Matthew 11.7). I believe that the answer to

this question is “No.” John was anything but “a reed

shaken by the wind.” He was not blown over by the

winds of adversity, nor by the winds of change, nor by

the winds of false doctrine. John stood firm and

declared boldly the wisdom that he had learned from

God. He was not afraid to rebuke the Pharisees (see

Matthew 3.7-9). Even King Herod feared and

respected John. Though Herod held John in prison,

he protected him from Herod’s wife, Herodias, for

some time. In Scripture, we read; “Therefore

Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him,

but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing

that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.

And when he heard him, he did many things, and

heard him gladly.” (Mark 6.19-20). Throughout his

time of ministering in the desert of Judea, and

throughout his time of imprisonment and martyrdom,

John was a godly, stable and unshakable reed.

Some years later, The 1896 Ontario Public

School Act stated; “...it shall be the duty of every

teacher of a public school to teach diligently and

faithfully all of the subjects in the public school...to

maintain proper order and discipline in his pupils in the

pursuit of learning; to include, by precept and example,

respect for religion and the principles of Christian

morality and the highest regard for truth, justice, love

of country, humanity, benevolence, sobriety, industry,

frugality, purity, temperance and all other virtues.”6

I have listed a number of examples of early

Christian leaders who had godly influence upon

Canada in Canada’s past. Many examples could be

given of modern Christian leaders who have

influenced Canada. I will mention one, Ernest

Manning (1908-1996). Manning was a

fundamentalist lay-preacher who helped William

Aberhart (“Bible Bill”) to found the Social Credit

Party, a party which won Alberta’s provincial election

in 1935. When Aberhart passed away in 1943,

Manning filled the position of premier. As well as

being the premier of Alberta, Manning was the host

of a Christian radio program called Back to The

Bible Hour. During the 1950s and 1960s the program

was broadcast, not only in Alberta, but across

Canada. Manning was very evangelistic and told his

6. Ibid

audience of their need to be born again. After his

broadcasts, he would sign off as “The Premier.” Some

did not like the way Manning combined his faith with

politics, or the way he signed off as “The Premier.”

However, the fact still remained that Manning was a

Christian and he was the premier. Manning’s program

was hugely popular and reached an estimated peak of

between 20,000 and 25,000 households. In 1961 the

radio program was rated number one in Halifax.From Erhart and Haven to Alline and

Steinhaurer, many pre-Confederation Canadians

stood for God and for the Christian faith. Their legacy

continued into Confederation as leaders, like Tilly, had

a public burden for Canada to be under God’s

dominion. Even the public school system in Ontario, at

one time, reflected godly principles and values. Also,

Christian spiritual and political leaders, such as

Manning, did what they could to turn Canada back to

the Bible. Our generation of Canadians has much

ground to regain from the erosion of our nations early

days of faith. May the Lordship of Jesus Christ be

recognised once again, and may Canadians shout with

one voice that God shall have dominion from sea to sea.

Shawn Stevens

References:

Kryskow, Faytene C. Stand On Guard : A Prophetic Call & Research On The

Righteous Foundations of Canada. Vancouver: Credo Publishing, 2005.Van Die, Marguerite. ed. Religion and Public Life in Canada : Historical and

Not only was John an example of godliness and

stability, but so was the Prophet Daniel. In another

message, we will discuss the excellent spirit that led

to Daniel’s promotion under three kings. We will

examine his godly wisdom, his purity, his courage,

his hunger to learn of God, his seriousness about

spiritual things, his mourning over sin and his

practice of petitioning God for mercy. The excellent

spirit of Daniel made him indispensable in Babylon.

When Nebuchadnezzar had his troubling dreams,

only Daniel had revelatory understanding to explain

them. When Daniel did explain Nebuchadnezzar’s

first dream, Nebuchadnezzar responded in this way:

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face,

prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they

should present an offering and incense to him. The

king answered Daniel, and said, ‘Truly your God is the

God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of

secrets, since you could reveal this secret.’ Then the

king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts;

and he made him ruler over the whole province of

Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men

of Babylon. Daniel 2.46-48

Similarly, when Daniel was the only one who could

explain to Belshazzar the meaning of the supernatural

handwriting on the wall, Belshazzar responded in this

way; “Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they

clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold

around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning

him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

(Daniel 5.29). Both Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar

recognized the importance of a godly and stable man,

such as Daniel.As well as Daniel being an example of godliness

and stability, so was the Apostle Paul. There are many

examples of him displaying these qualities throughout

his ministry years. Even upon hearing prophecies that

chains and tribulations awaited him in Jerusalem, we

hear him say; “But none of these things move me; nor

do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my

race with joy, and the ministry which I received from

the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of

God.” (Acts 20.24). On one occasion he was traveling

aboard a ship as a prisoner. Paul, and those with him,

encountered rough weather and Paul warned the

centurion present that the voyage would end in a

Haven, who worked this pioneering field. By the end

of the 18th century the gospel was well established in

Labrador.Just as Erhard and Haven were committed to

sharing the gospel with pre-Confederation Canada’s

natives, so was the great explorer and map maker,

David Thompson. Thompson, famous today for his

maps of western Canada, (some of which are still in

use today), suffered great hardships in his frontier

exploration. What was his motivation? He wanted to

share his faith with natives, so he carried his Bible

with him into the bush and held services. When

asked why he endured the difficulties of such a life,

he said; “...so that these physically impenetrable

barriers may be traversed and the Gospel be

spread.”²While David Thompson endured hardship in

sharing his faith with natives in western pre-

Confederation Canada, the missionary, Henry Bird

Steinhauer, did the same in the Hudson Bay

Territories. Steinhauer, a native himself, raised in a

Methodist school, became a great minister to his own

people. In 1843 he moved to Norway House at the

northern tip of Lake Winnipeg. He began reaching

out to the Cree Indians but his mission was not easy.

All around him was starvation, the deaths of

children, smallpox and tribal war. However, he

persevered and his faith made a real impact. He died

in December of 1884. When a rebellion sprung up

the following year, to honor his friend, Steinhauer,

“the man of God who taught peace”, one native chief

did not involve his tribe in the conflict.³2. David Thompson, quoted in Canada: Portraits of the Faith website, http://ca.geocities.com, retrieved February, 2004.3. Michael Clarke, Canada: Portraits of the Faith, (1998), 47.

Erhard, Haven, Alline, Thompson and

Steinhauer were men whose lives were godly examples

for others to see and follow. Their pre-Confederation

witness was followed and many others had deep

experiences of Christian faith that carried over into the

Confederation period. One such person was Sir

Samuel Leonard Tilley. Tilley was a committed

Christian. He was also the premier of New Brunswick

and a Father of Confederation. When the Fathers of

Confederation were discussing the drafting of the

British North America Act (1867), they spent time

discussing what the new country should be called.

After reading Psalm 72.8, which says; “He shall have

dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River unto

the ends of the earth.”, Tilly was drawn to the word

dominion. He proposed calling the young country

“The Dominion of Canada.” Enough of the other

founding Fathers liked this, and The Dominion of

Canada was agreed upon. Just as Tilley wanted to see God have dominion

over Canada, so did Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882).

Ryerson was a Methodist minister, but he was more

than a minister. He has been called the “Founder of

Public Education in Ontario.” He was the first

principal of Victoria College in Coburg, Ontario.

Upon being inaugurated to that position, he said that

the school would have “...a balanced curriculum,

infused with the ‘fundamentals of Christian

theology...’”4 He said that the Ontario school system

was to be a “Christian public school system.”5

4. Michael Clarke, Canada: Portraits of the Faith, (1998), 45.5. Canada: Portraits of the Faith website, , retrieved February 2004.http://ca.geocities.com

disaster. The centurion decided not to harbor the

vessel, disregarding Paul’s warning. The storm

worsened to the point that the crew gave up hope that

they would survive it. In the midst of this crisis, the

stability and godliness of Paul was noticeable to all. He

assured them that there would be no loss of life, for an

angel had told him that he would be brought before

Caesar. Paul instructed them to run the ship aground

onto a certain island. Some of the crew thought it would

be best for them if they escaped from the ship. Paul

warned the centurion that “…Unless these men stay in

the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 27.31). The

centurion immediately cut away the ropes to the escape

raft. After a prolonged time at sea, Paul encouraged

everyone on board that they should eat, and that

everyone would survive. In the presence of all of them,

he thanked God for their food. In the end, they all made

it to land with no loss of life. (see Acts 27). Even though Paul was a prisoner on this voyage,

in the midst of a perilous crisis, he became a

leader. We know of no one else on the boat who had a

relationship with God, one that could bring security and

stability to this situation. While the others feared for

their lives, the godly Paul trusted God for deliverance.

He not only trusted in God for deliverance, he

experienced that deliverance. His deliverance also

meant the deliverance of the others with him. I believe that the world in which we live is much

like the vessel in the storm. As secular society voyages

farther and farther away from God, through unbelief

and worldliness, her stability and security is vanishing.

Society is unraveling and self-destructing as it continues

on its present course. Many within society are

concerned about the high waves that are crashing

furiously against the boat. There had better be some

Pauls, some Daniels and some John the Baptists to show

the way back. They are needed to bring stability and

security to those who are without it or, at least, to help

those who are without it to find that stability and

security in God. John, Daniel and Paul are no longer

with us, but Christian, have we not the Spirit of Christ?

Have we built our house upon the rock of hearing and

obeying the words of Jesus? Are we an unshakable reed

amidst the wind? Do we have an excellent spirit? Is it

true of us that none of these things move us, and that we

don’t count our lives dear to ourselves? Could it be that,

even now, God is preparing us in response to those who

plead for the godly?

Shawn Stevens

-4-

http://ca.geocities.com/

vast and awesome. Although no man will ever

understand Him fully (with the exception of Jesus Christ

who is both God and man and who does understand),

there are those who understand Him in part. The

tortoise did not know the full totality of the ocean, but he

did know the ocean enough, from having swum in it for

years, to be able to talk about it. God is like the ocean,

only vaster. Although no one (but Himself) knows Him

fully, there are still those who know Him in part, those

who swim in this ocean.

There have been many men in history who have

challenged the claim that men can know God.

Philosophers, such as Plato, taught that God was beyond

finding out. Even Middle Age theologians, such as

Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274), taught that knowing and

describing God must be done indirectly and that we

come to know him through analogy and inference. The

medieval concept of God was that He was greatly

transcendent (medieval mysticism is an exception to

this) and ineffable (too overwhelming to be

communicated in words). This is not entirely untrue,


Its landscape is covered with snowy mountain

peaks, broad open plains, shimmering, pristine lakes

and mighty roaring rivers. It is the land of endless

forests, the land of the beaver, and the land of the

maple leaf – Canada. It stretches 5,500 kilometers

from the Yukon Territory and the Alaska border to

Cape Spear, Newfoundland. Yet with all of its

grandeur, only ten percent of its land mass is

permanently settled and populated. Those who settled

this great land and country were a mixed sort. They

came from different countries and even different

continents; they came from different social

backgrounds; they came from different language

groups. However, they all came to a virgin land which

was too large for any one person or group to subdue. It

would take a united effort to form what is now The

Dominion of Canada. It would also take more than

human effort or ingenuity. It would take God and a

living faith in God to lay solid foundations for this

young country. From its beginning to its present, God

has been very active in Canada. Likewise, there are

many in Canada's history who had such faith in God as

to lay down proper foundations. Canada has drifted

from these foundations, but the final chapter of her

history has not yet been written. In this article, we will

trace some of our steps backwards in time to the faith-

filled lives of some early Canadians.

Before Canada was even organized into a

nation, God was moving in and through the lives of

people on its native soil. Immediately prior to the

United States War of Independence (1776), many

British Loyalists moved North and settled in the area

of Nova Scotia. They were fleeing the tumult of a war

which was about to break out, but did not know that

t h e y w e r e s t e p p i n g i n t o a r e v i v a l ! A

Congregationalist, named Henry Alline, ministered in

that region and carried a strong evangelistic message.

Hundreds of souls were saved in what became known

as The New Light Revival. The revival began to spread

to other Atlantic provinces. One minister who

preached in Saint John, New Brunswick, said of that

city; “...one can hardly go through the streets of this

city without hearing the voice of praise or seeing the

young men assembling together for prayer.”¹Just as God was moving in pre-Confederation

Nova Scotia, and other provinces, He was also moving

through missionaries in Labrador close to the same

time. In 1752 the Moravian missionary, Christian

Erhard, and some helpers, came to the Eskimos of

Labrador. Unfortunately, they were killed by them.

Erhard was followed by another missionary, Fens1. Joshua Marsden, quoted in Rev. Barry P. Boucher, Canada's Spiritual Heritage, http://www.watchmen.org, retrieved December, 2004.


Holy, Holy, Holy all the saints adore Thee,Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;Cherubim and Seraphim falling down before Thee,Which wert and art, and evermore shall be.

Reginald Herber (1783 - 1826)

A story was once told of two tortoises. One

tortoise lived in a well and the other tortoise lived in

the ocean. One day, the tortoise that lived in the ocean

took a journey on land and fell into the well. There,

the well-tortoise met the other tortoise and heard

from him about the ocean. The well-tortoise swam

around a section of the well and asked if the ocean was

as large as this section of the well. The ocean-tortoise

said that it was larger. Next, the well-tortoise asked if

the ocean was as large as the whole of the well. Again,

the ocean-tortoise said that it was larger. Then the

ocean-tortoise said to the well-tortoise “Your

understanding is small. As to the ocean, though you

spent many years in it, you would never be able to

explore the half of it, nor reach the limit, and it is

utterly impossible to compare it with this well of

yours.”¹ In this sense, God is like the ocean. He is 1. Spiros Zodhiates, Was Christ God? (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers,1994), 58-59.

IN THIS ISSUE


...................................................................3


.............................................................6


.............................................................6


...........................................................10

AZUSA SERIES - A POINT OF

CLARIFICATION

...........................................................12

Once again, summer has come and gone and the fall season is now here. Welcome back to The Pentecost magazine, which is now starting up again after a two-month summer break. From September to November, we will be running with the theme of Christian heritage and revival in Canada. We are also beginning a series of articles on the doctrine of God. Our last series of articles was on the Azusa Street Revival. Although the Azusa series is now ended, I will probably pick it up again some time in the future. It is great to be back and to have you reading with us again! God bless you!

Shawn Stevens

THE PENTECOST

ZionShawn Stevens

Mailing Address


Phone


604.533.4168

Christian Ministry

ZionShawn Stevens

Mailing Address


Phone


604.854.8141

Christian Ministry

My prayer for you all, as you read these next issues of The

Pentecost outlining the biblical foundations of Canada and

the men and women who counted the cost to stand for

Jesus and bring about revival in Canada, is that you will be

inspired and encouraged to fulfill the calling that the Lord

has on your life and see your nation change.

Ramona Stevens

but it is not the full picture of God’s character. God is a

personal God who loves men and women. One view is

that this emphasis on transcendence traces back to the

teachings of Augustine (354-430).2 Regardless of where

this view began, and acknowledging that God does in

some ways veil Himself from sinful man, the fact still

remains that God can be known, and desires to be

known, by men and women.

How does a person know God? The only way

that we can come to know Him is through faith in His

Son, Jesus Christ. Once faith in Jesus Christ is

established in the hearts of men and women, a new

spirituality is opened up to men and women where they

receive knowledge of God through revelation into God’s

Word, the Bible, and through the experience of faith.

The Bible teaches that God is a Spirit. A spirit can only

be understood by another spirit. That is why, when God

created man, He gave him a spirit, a soul and a body. It 2. Thomas Holcroft, The Doctrine Of God (Oakland: Western Book Co., 1978), 6.

is by God’s Spirit communicating with human spirits that

He makes Himself known. That is why Paul tells us:

But as it is written:

‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,Nor have entered into the heart of manThe things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep

things of God. (1 Corinthians 2: 9, 10).

The senses of hearing, touch and smell are all ways in

which our physical body takes in information. However,

God is not restricted to these senses in order to

communicate with our spirit. A touching story is that of

Helen Keller. Although she was born blind, mute, and deaf,

she learned to communicate with a teacher. The teacher

would put Helen’s hands on the teacher’s throat and lips and

Helen came to understand her speech. One day, the teacher

made efforts to share with Helen spiritual truth about God.

When she did this, Helen’s face lit up and she

THE PENTECOSTISSUE #26 September 2008

communicated these words to her teacher; “Oh, I am

so glad you told me His name, for He has often

spoken to me!”³ God spoke to Helen regardless of her

inability to use natural senses. Although revelation

from God may not always involve reading the pages of

the Bible, all revelation that God gives to man will not

disagree with what the Bible says.Helen Keller is just one life which proves the

knowability of God. God is vaster than the oceans,

however, He can be known in part by finite men and

women. In fact, He wants to be known by such.

Knowing God comes about by placing faith in God's

Son, Jesus Christ. God bless you, as you step out in

faith and do just that.

Shawn Stevens

References :Holcroft, Thomas. The Doctrine Of God. Oakland: Western Book Co., 1978.Zodhiates, Spiros. Was Christ God? Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1994.3. Spiros Zodhiates, Was Christ God? (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers,1994), 12.

It is September, and it is now ready. Thank you for

your patience. God Bless you.

Also, the Azusa Series article on “The Life and

Ministry of Lucy Farrow” in Issue # 24 contained a

quote from The Apostolic Faith Magazine. It says

that the quote came from the September 1907 Issue,

however, the correct Issue was May of 1908, on page

2.

Shawn Stevens

.

Backup of The Pentacost #26 - Zion Christian Ministry · 2010. 3. 26. · Once again, summer has...

Documents

Transcript of Backup of The Pentacost #26 - Zion Christian Ministry · 2010. 3. 26. · Once again, summer has...