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...

By Rachel McDonald Following Jesus’s command to love our neighbour can be challenging for all of us, but Gen Z may struggle differently than other generations. One simple reason is that we don’t know our neighbours. We can order anything from Amazon instead of asking the family next door. But there’s a deeper issue than our tendency to rely on technology over people—the meaning of love has changed. While philosophers and poets have pondered the nature of love for centuries, my generation states their definition as fact: love is to accept someone, and acceptance is to never criticize who she is and what she does. Fellow Gen Zers, we can’t rely on our generation to tell us what love is. We must look to the gospel. Here are three ways the gospel teaches us to love others. 1. Let your light shine. No generation has liked being told they’re sinners, but now even disagreeing with others is often equated with hating them. If some Christian beliefs are considered toxic, if praying for someone ...