Dr Paul Allen

Does the Holy Spirit Choose Not to Baptize People, or Are People the Problem? From a Pentecostal perspective, including that of Donald Gee and other scholars, the issue is not that the Holy Spirit chooses not to baptize certain people but that individuals may encounter personal barriers to receiving. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a promise available to all believers, not a selective gift withheld by God. God’s Desire to Baptize All Believers Pentecostals believe Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift available to all who believe in Christ. Acts 2:39 states: "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." (NIV) This verse supports the view that Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not limited to a select few but is meant for all believers. Scholars such as Donald Gee emphasize that God does not withhold the Holy Spirit arbitrarily; rather, the responsibility often lies with the individual (Gee, Pentecost , 1932). Human B...

A resolution is not a good intention. It is not a half-hearted “maybe I’ll give this a shot.” We all know how such intentions end: aborted. And quickly. A half-hearted intention is usually a functional intention to quit. A  resolution  is a tenacious yes to something you really want. Resolved people are, by definition, resolute. They are willing to pay a strenuous and demanding price to achieve a desired joy set before them. Resolved people will not allow deterrents and distractions to ultimately prevent them from their goal, whereas irresolute people end up being driven and tossed by circumstantial winds and whims. Necessary, Revealing, Costly, Dangerous Resolutions are necessary. Nothing difficult is accomplished without them, which includes almost everything worth doing or having. Resolutions also are revealing because they demand devotion, and we cannot willingly devote ourselves to something we don’t really want (at least not for long). So, what we resolv...