Healing Scriptures presents clear instructions on how to take God's medicine -- His Word -- so it can become healing and health to the believer's flesh!

Pentecostalism is the fastest growing religious movement in the world, currently estimated to have at least 500 million adherents. In the movement's early years, most Pentecostal converts lived in relative poverty, leading many scholars to regard the new religion as a form of spiritual compensation. Yet the rapidly shifting social ecology of Pentecostal Christians includes many middle-class individuals, as well as an increasing number of young adults attracted by the music and vibrant worship of these churches. The stereotypical view of Pentecostals as ''other-worldly'' and disengaged from politics and social ministry is also being challenged, especially as Pentecostals-including many who are committed to working for social and political change-constitute growing minorities in many countries. Spirit and Power addresses three main questions: Where is Pentecostalism growing globally? Why it is growing? What is its social and political impact? The contributors include theologians, historians, and social scientists, bringing diverse disciplinary perspectives to these empirical questions. The essays draw on extensive survey research as well as in-depth ethnographic field methods, with analyses offering diverging and sometimes competing explanations for the growth and impact of Pentecostalism around the world. This volume puts Pentecostalism into a global context that examines not only theology and religious structures, but the social, cultural, and economic settings in which it is, or is not, growing, as well as the social and political development of Pentecostal groups in different societies around the world.

Joseph W. Williams examines the changing healing practices of pentecostals in the United States over the past 100 years, from the early believers, who rejected mainstream medicine and overtly spiritualized disease, to the later generations of pentecostals and their charismatic successors, who dramatically altered the healing paradigms they inherited. Williams shows that over the course of the twentieth century, pentecostal denunciations of the medical profession often gave way to ''natural'' healing methods associated with scientific medicine, natural substances, and even psychology. By 2000, figures such as the pentecostal preacher T. D. Jakes appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, other healers marketed their books at mainstream retailers such as Wal-Mart, and some developed lucrative nutritional products that sold online and in health food stores across the nation. Exploring the interconnections, resonances, and continued points of tension between adherents and some of their fiercest rivals, Spirit Cure chronicling adherents' embrace of competitors' healing practices and illuminates pentecostals' dramatic transition from a despised minority to major players in the world of American evangelicalism and mainstream American culture.

Why would a gun-wielding, tattoo-bearing "homie" trade in la vida loca for a Bible and the buttoned-down lifestyle of an evangelical hermano (brother in Christ)? To answer this question, Robert Brenneman interviewed sixty-three former gang members from the "Northern Triangle" of Central America--Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras--most of whom left their gang for evangelicalism. Unlike in the United States, membership in a Central American gang is hasta la morgue. But the most common exception to the "morgue rule" is that of conversion or regular participation in an evangelical church. Do gang members who weary of their dangerous lifestyle simply make a rational choice to opt for evangelical religion? Brenneman finds this is only partly the case, for many others report emotional conversions that came unexpectedly, when they found themselves overwhelmed by a sermon, a conversation, or a prayer service. An extensively researched and gritty account, Homies and Hermanos sheds light on the nature of youth violence, of religious conversion, and of evangelical churches in Central America.

In The Labor of Faith Judith Casselberry examines the material and spiritual labor of the women of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., which is based in Harlem and one of the oldest and largest historically Black Pentecostal denominations in the United States. This male-headed church only functions through the work of the church's women, who, despite making up three-quarters of its adult membership, hold no formal positions of power. Casselberry shows how the women negotiate this contradiction by using their work to produce and claim a spiritual authority that provides them with a particular form of power. She also emphasizes how their work in the church is as significant, labor intensive, and critical to their personhood, family, and community as their careers, home and family work, and community service are. Focusing on the circumstances of producing a holy black female personhood, Casselberry reveals the ways twenty-first-century women's spiritual power operates and resonates with meaning in Pentecostal, female-majority, male-led churches.

In The Labor of Faith Judith Casselberry examines the material and spiritual labor of the women of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., which is based in Harlem and one of the oldest and largest historically Black Pentecostal denominations in the United States. This male-headed church only functions through the work of the church's women, who, despite making up three-quarters of its adult membership, hold no formal positions of power. Casselberry shows how the women negotiate this contradiction by using their work to produce and claim a spiritual authority that provides them with a particular form of power. She also emphasizes how their work in the church is as significant, labor intensive, and critical to their personhood, family, and community as their careers, home and family work, and community service are. Focusing on the circumstances of producing a holy black female personhood, Casselberry reveals the ways twenty-first-century women's spiritual power operates and resonates with meaning in Pentecostal, female-majority, male-led churches.

Unique, Powerful Way All Believers Can Experience Breakthrough

In the Bible, Moses sang. Miriam sang. So did Deborah, David, Mary, Paul, the angels, and so many more. The Israelites went to war singing; they sang over victories, over happy moments and hard moments. They knew something we've lost sight of: When we learn to sing God's words back to Him, we align the deepest spaces of our hearts with the deepest places of His--and we experience breakthrough. So why do we relegate singing the Word to just worship teams?

Julie Meyer, a Dove-nominated artist and worship leader, has been teaching all believers how to do just this. She shows that you don't need to know how to read music or even sing in tune. All you need is Scripture and a willingness to engage God in song. As you do, you will see heartache turn into hope, despair into destiny, fear into fearlessness. You stand on the Word, pray it, and even memorize it. Now it's time to sing it.

Practical Help for Recognizing and Listening to God's Voice Bestselling author James Goll takes readers on an adventure into the heart of what it means to hear God, and how to do it. Over the course of this journey, both beginners and those who have been listening to God for years will explore biblical principles about prayer, starting from square one. Real-life illustrations inspire and excite readers to have expectant hearts by learning to: * draw near to God * trust that he wants to speak * overcome obstacles that block his voice * avoid being misled by words not coming from him * cultivate a lifestyle of hearing him God is speaking to you--today. Grow in assurance that he wants you to hear.

aAn exceptional book in that it tells the story of the failure of a faith-based movement rather than its success. In a richly textured narrative, the authors describe the limitations of religious charisma when it confronts the harsh reality of a business-minded board that requires accountability. This book is fascinating reading for anyone who wants to understand the interplay between spirit and flesh, vision and economic reality.a
--Donald E. Miller, Executive Director, Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California

What does it mean to live out the theology presented in the Great Commandment to alove God above all and to love your neighbor as yourselfa? In Blood and Fire, Poloma and Hood explore how understandings of godly love function to empower believers. Though godly love may begin as a perceived relationship between God and a person, it is made manifest as social behavior among people.

Blood and Fire offers a deep ethnographic portrait of a charismatic church and its faith-based ministry, illuminating how religiously motivated social service makes use of beliefs about the nature of Godas love. It traces the triumphs and travails associated with living a set of rigorous religious ideals, providing a richly textured analysis of a faith community affiliated with the aemerging churcha movement in Pentecostalism, one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic religious movements of our day.

Based on more than four years of interviews and surveys with people from all levels of the organization, from the leader to core and marginal members to the poor and addicts they are seeking to serve, Blood and Fire sheds light on the differing worldviews andreligious perceptions between those who "served in" as well as those who were "served by" this ministry.

Blood and Fire argues that godly love -- the relationship between perceived divine love and human response -- is at the heart of the vision of emerging churches, and that it is essential to understand this dynamic if one is to understand the ongoing reinvention of American Protestantism in the twenty-first century.

Across Africa, Christianity is thriving in all shapes and sizes. But one particular strain of Christianity prospers more than most-Pentecostalism. Pentecostals believe that everyone can personally receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as prophecy or the ability to speak in tongues. In Africa, this kind of faith, in which the supernatural is a daily presence, is sweeping the continent. Today, about 107 million Africans are Pentecostals-and the numbers continue to rise. In this book, Ogbu Kalu provides the first ever overview of Pentecostalism in Africa. He shows the amazing diversity of the faith, which flourishes in many different forms in diverse local contexts. While most people believe that Pentecostalism was brought to Africa and imposed on its people by missionaries, Kalu argues emphatically that this is not the case. Throughout the book, he demonstrates that African Pentecostalism is distinctly African in character, not imported from the West. With an even-handed approach, Kalu presents the religion's many functions in African life. Rather than shying away from controversial issues like the role of money and prosperity in the movement, Kalu describes malpractice when he sees it. The only book to offer a comprehensive look at African Pentecostalism, this study touches upon the movement's identity, the role of missionaries, media and popular culture, women, ethics, Islam, and immigration. The resulting work will prove invaluable to anyone interested in Christianity outside the West.

When you talk to God, do you ever feel as if you are not getting through? You're not alone. At some point, most believers find themselves grappling with difficult questions like Would God really talk to me personally? and How do I know it's truly God talking, and not my own thoughts? But here's the good news: Hearing God is simpler than you think. It's possible to have a relationship with God that involves both speaking and listening. In fact, it's God's desire; He wants to talk to you. In this revised and expanded edition of a classic work, author and teacher Steve Sampson shows you how to pray not just wishing you'd hear God's voice--but expecting to hear it. Sampson's uncomplicated, practical perspective will help you cultivate the two-way conversation with God you've always longed for. Before long, you'll hear Him speaking into your circumstances and relationships, expressing His love for you and showing you the next steps to take in your life. Don't settle for a one-sided conversation with God. Break through this barrier and develop a sensitive heart that hears--and responds to--God's still, small voice. "With clarity and humor, Steve takes you on a journey to the place of profound simplicity in Christ where hearing Him is as natural as breathing."--Bishop Mark J. Chironna, M.A., Ph.D., Church on the Living Edge, Orlando, Florida

Revised and expanded version of the best seller.

Deception, witchcraft, and occult practices reign worldwideem dashand these evils have even infiltrated the Christian church! So, fasten your seatbelt as you read the most provocative book of our time, in which you will learn to recognize:

• Ministers who use intimidation and fear
• Controlling power in families
• Spiritual discernment and its many uses
• Manipulative media techniques
• Distractions coming from Satan

It's time to take a stand and engage in spiritual warfare. Bishop Bloomer shows how to prevent others from unfairly taking advantage of you.

Practical Keys to Transforming the World around You In a world where evil dominates the headlines, we are often left wondering, Will good really triumph over evil? Or are we hurtling toward oblivion? It's here, during this very hour--when political chaos seems to reign and the media persecutes anyone who disagrees with them--that God is searching for men and women who long for an infusion of boldness that possesses their souls, who will take a stand and be a voice for the Kingdom. His vision for the future is not bleak, and he is readying a heavy rain of transformation and revival. Here is the guidance and inspiration you need to become a vessel that catches the downpour of the Spirit's rain--and helps release God's Kingdom like a flood.

Redeem Your Timeline!

Haunted by your past? Anxious about the future? The omnipotent God of the Bible is not confined by the limits of time. He is not ashamed of your past or uncertain about your future. Every moment of your life is always held in the palm of His hand.

Troy Brewer – pastor of OpenDoor church, founder of Troy Brewer Ministries, and dynamic prophetic voice – shares a revolutionary teaching on your relationship to time.

As a believer, you can invite Jesus into your personal timeline to supernaturally redeem your past and miraculously prepare your future. Because past sins have been erased, the pain of trauma, abuse, and heartbreak can be redeemed. Future fears can be put to rest, as stress, anxieties, and uncertainties are surrendered to Him.

Redeeming Your Timeline guides you through a personal encounter with Jesus to…

• Overcome paralyzing guilt and shame.
• Conquer the crippling fear of failure.
• Silence the whispers of anxiety.
• Break free from the bonds of childhood trauma.
• Experience freedom from panic attacks.
• Discover deep, lasting inner peace.

Begin Your Supernatural Journey into the Courts of Heaven

What does it mean to make your case in the “courts of Heaven?” In recent years, God has raised up Robert Henderson as a prophetic voice, calling Christians to pursue breakthrough by using the courts of Heaven prayer blueprint.

God is more willing to answer our prayers than we will ever know! The problem is that we face a legalistic accuser and adversary—the devil—who wants to prevent these prayers from coming to pass. Your victory against him is not fought on a battlefield; it’s won in the courtroom.

When your prayers are answered, God’s purposes are fulfilled on the Earth.

In this all-new message, Henderson gives you practical keys that will enable you to boldly access the courts of Heaven and state your prayer cases with confidence.
 
You will:

• Understand the three dimensions of prayer
• Discover the 3 keys to unlocking your breakthrough in the courts of Heaven
• Learn the 6 prophetic declarations that Jesus’ blood makes on your behalf
• Cancel the devil’s accusations by releasing the supernatural power of your testimony

This book explores the interconnections between Christianity, sexuality and citizenship in sub-Saharan Africa, chronicling the ways in which citizenship in the region has undergone profound changes in recent decades as a result of growing interaction between Christianity and politics, the impact of the HIV epidemic, debates about women's reproductive rights, and the growing visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities. Case studies examine the emergence of Christianity, especially in its Pentecostal-Charismatic forms, as a public religion, and how this emergence has meant that Christian actors, beliefs and practices have increasingly come to manifest themselves in the public sphere. The contributors assess how many political and religious leaders are invested in a popular ideology of the heterosexual family as the basis of nation-building, and how this defines narratives of nationhood and shapes notions of citizenship. Additional case studies focus on the emergence of sexuality as a critical site of citizenship and nationhood in postcolonial Africa, and address the difficulties that LGBT communities face in claiming recognition from the state. Offering case studies from across sub-Saharan Africa and spanning several academic disciplines and critical perspectives, this book will be of interest to researchers seeking to understand the complex intersections of religion, sexuality, politics and citizenship across the region. This book was originally published as a special issue of Citizenship Studies.

Premier Renewal Leaders Present Complete, Accessible Guide to Healing Ministry
The Bible is full of accounts of miraculous healing. And God is moving as amazingly today as he was back then. Thousands are being healed all over the world--and his children are part of it.
For the first time, premier renewal leaders Bill Johnson and Randy Clark team up to equip Christians to minister healing. Grounded from start to finish in Scripture, Johnson and Clark lay out the rich theological and historical foundation for healing in the church today. Full of inspiring stories, this book offers practical, proven, step-by-step guidance to ministering healing, including how to
- understand the authority of the believer in healing
- create an atmosphere of faith
- receive words of knowledge
- implement the five-step model of healing prayer

The ministry of healing is not reserved for a select few. God's miraculous healing is part of the Good News--and every believer can become a conduit for his healing power.

Frank D. Macchia argues that the Son of God baptized (and continues to baptize) humanity in the Spirit by pouring forth the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. All four Gospels and the book of Acts describe how the Son is sent of the Father and empowered by the Spirit to fulfil this mission; Macchia in turn claims that Christ succeeds by incorporating others into himself and into the love of the Father. The Spirit-Baptized Church proposes a richly pneumatological ecclesiology that is dominated by a Pentecostal confessional concern, while also open to a larger ecumenical conversation. The volume focuses not only on the dogmatic (Trinitarian) foundations and election processes of the Spirit-baptized church, but also on its marks and witnessing practices. As an exceptionally detailed study of the Spirit-baptismal metaphor, this volume is a valuable resource for scholars of ecclesiology, Pentecostalism, and systematic theology.

Get Set Free from What Holds You Back!

Do you or a family member…

• Exhibit anger issues?
• Suffer mental illness?
• Have a history of abuse or chronic illness?
• Face failure after failure?