I love listening to Charity Gayle, a member of the United Pentecostal Church that has been able to reach into circles that do not value the power of Pentecost. As an Assemblies of God guy, I still love Pentecostal worship. I want to fly the Pentecostal banner, not my expression of it.
I have been following Charity since a friend of mine in the United Pentecostal Church told me about a group known as People and Songs. They were about singing songs that were to Jesus, not people’s theological axes to grind. So many of our “worship songs” are theological statements to music; not actual worship.
I can’t say that there were not some of them that I struggle with such as Cleansed. There were a few things that I went, “hmm…” However, knowing the differences between the Assemblies of God and United Pentecostal Church, I understood the process.
All in all, I enjoyed the worship that was being put out by Charity Gayle. It was refreshing and it was boldly Pentecostal, something that is really lacking in our churches. A lot of churches just don’t value the move of the Spirit anymore. Our “worship service” is more a filler to let people who are late get to church. It grieves me.
How Pentecostal is Charity Gayle?
She is the daughter of the pastors of New Life Church that is a United Pentecostal
Church just outside of Buffalo, New York. She was raised in the heart of Pentecostal worship and has a great value for it.
At the center of her worship is the presence of the anointing, praying in tongues and walking in the might and authority of Jesus. The value of the name of Jesus is fundamental to her music and that is something that everyone can learn. In a time where psychology has taken root in our lyrics, I speak Jesus draws us back to the core of life.
It reminds me of the early days of my faith. I was saved in the Brownsville Revival and saw the power of God fall night after night. I also would visit a Pentecostal church in my town on Sunday nights. Miracles happen and the anointing of the Lord would come upon us for hours.
I have been in several meeting where Charity Gayle was leading worship, namely the Pentecostals of Alexandria, and saw the anointing come. There was not an hype, emotionalism, or pushing of theology. It was just people going beyond the veil. It was nothing that I had not seen at the Brownsville Revival.
The truth is that Charity Gayle is Pentecostal and that is something that I believe we should celebrate even if we disagree on some doctrinal things. There is power in the name of Jesus and she keeps that at the forefront of everything she does as a worship leader.
It is my prayer that she does not lose that when she visits churches that do not value the anointing of Jesus and the move of the Spirit.
Throne Room and Pentecostalism
One of my favorite songs is when she sings Throne Room Song. It is about going from the world into the throne room of God. (Revelation 4) What happens when we go beyond the veil and enter into the presence of the Lord? The truth is that we are on holy ground and the Spirit moved all around when we call on the name of Jesus.
When we sing to the Lord, all of the angels, creatures and elders join us in crying out to Jesus in his holiness. In our worship, the nearness of the Spirit comes very real. Holiness is branded deep within us and we are transformed by the anointing.
The emphasis is on the running to the Throne Room. This is very much a common message in Pentecostal circles. You can sing this song at any Assembly of God church and no one will think twice. The theology of it is pure.
I have seen this song done in many churches outside of the United Pentecostal Church and it has always ended up with the Spirit moving. I was at Family Worship Center in Louisiana when the power of the Spirit fell in Jimmy Swaggart’s meetings.
There are other amazing songs by Charity Gayle but this one is one that I believe is special. It is anointing and breaks the yoke of sin and bondage no matter what context it is done in. Thank you, Jesus for the anointing.
Worship destroys pride!
One of the greatest needs among Pentecostals right now is humility. The century old division of people who became the United Pentecostal Church and the Assemblies of God is mainly rooted in pride. Both sides have had some very wrong things to say about the other. However, I am hopefully that those walls are coming down.
One of the ways God is bringing them down is through worship. There was a day that a worship leader from the United Pentecostal Church would have never been given a microphone in an Assembly of God. In the same vein, seeing someone that believes in the Trinity to preach in churches of the UPCI. Arms linked together, the Pentecostal movement is becoming of one heart and one mind.
Music has a way of taking bricks out of the wall that divide us. As the message of Pentecost is turning to tunes that we sing on Sundays; more bricks would come out until the wall is completely in ruins.
This has been something that is long overdue. It is a passion that I have to see Pentecostals everywhere to lift up holy hands next to each other in worship of Jesus and praying in the Spirit. It is not being of one spirit when we have everyone but the ones we have disagreement. We need the United Pentecostals present too.
I believe God is using people like Charity Gayle and to a lesser degree, Tommy Tenney to bring about unity.
Her music is awesome full of the power of God .The world needs more music like does.
Is Gayle lgbt affirmative?
Hope not. God loves all people but He does not condone sin. He came to set the captives free. hallelujah
Are you ?
I do not think so. She is UPC, and although they embrace all people. they do not embrace nor affirm that lifestyle. They are an Apostolic Pentecostal Holiness organization. If that is what you are looking for, I am sure you can find it in some churches. I am sure she does judge people, that is only the Lords work.
Correction to my comment. I am sure she does NOT judge, not I am sure she does judge. Typo, sorry.
Her music, the way she worships is from the heart. All she wants to do is lift up the mane of Jesus.yes she is pentecostal if you need to give it a name. But there again so was the first church, it was born at pentecostal,and the church today is also pentecostal, or should be. Keep it strong sister. God Bless.
We are called to judge with righteous judgment. Judge righteously. According to the Word of God. True Born Again, followers of JESUS CHRIST will absolutely judge Homosexuality as Sin and Sin to be repented of not celebrated. This culture today uses “ Judge Not” as a cloke to hide behind and justify evil wicked sin.
Wonderful article. Growing up Pentecostal Holiness, I saw the overwhelmingly positive side to it, but there are negatives, that if not contained, threaten to douse the movement of the Spirit. Thank you for this piece. Your sister in Christ, Living in the Ozarks
This entire article is based on a false premise. The issue of doctrine is not small. The issue is not a minor difference in belief. UPC do not believe in the Trinity. Oneness (modalism) has been considered false teaching and cultic for thousands of years in the church. We are told to clearly follow the teaching of the apostle’s doctrine and Jesus said to make disciples teaching them to obey all I have commanded. The very great commission (command) of Jesus includes to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are baptized into a specific doctrine of who God is. UPS and other modalist deny this fundamental truth whole heartedly. Yes, it matters. They worship and sing to a different Jesus.
Quite the opposite the word of God says though we or an angel from heaven teach any other gospel than that we have teached let him be accursed. Baptism has always been in Jesus name until the Catholic Church started changing things. Do your research and seek God for true revelation Shema yisrael adonai eloheinu adoni ehad. Luke 24:47 acts 9:1-5. Acts 4:12.
Jesus is God manifest in the flesh.
All of God.
The fullness of the Godhead.
You are correct we have a different Jesus.
Jesus is God.
So what is the truth here?
There is only one Jesus Christ✝️ he was born from a Virgin Mary, he died on the cross, then rose from the dead in 3 days.
How is there another Jesus?
I’m asking honest hearted and sincerely… not to argue, but in all honesty… this is very confusing to Christians?
Some people believe in the trinity and say Jesus is 1/3 of the trinity. There’s also other people that believe that Jesus is God and there are tons of scriptures that support that. Is really not another Jesus, some people view him as one part of the trinity and others see him as what he is, God in the flesh. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Jehova of the Old Testament is Jesus of the New Testament. Jesus said, me and my father are one. If you have seen me you have seen the father. For into us a son is born and unto us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER. the prince of peace. And the Bible is full of scriptures that reveals to us the oneness of God. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Jesus said study the scriptures. Keep studying the word.
Acts 2:38 Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins…
You are so wrong and misguided. What is The Name (singular) of The Father Son and Holy Ghost? Father is not a name, son is not a name and Holy Ghost is not a name. Jesus is The Name. Every count of a baptism by the Apostles in The New Testament was done In Jesus Name. We take His Name on us at baptism. That’s where the blood is applied. Salvation is in no other Name other than Jesus. All The fullness of The Godhead dwells In Jesus. Pentecostals do not worship or preach a different Jesus. They are people of The Name. Most definitely not a cult.
The scriptures plainly teach who God is over and over. In Revelations Jesus says before Abraham was I Am when explaining who He is. When God spoke through the burning bush that was not consumed He said to tell the people I Am that I Am. There are many many verses plainly teach that Jesus is the Father Son and Holy Ghost. Hear oh Israel the Lord our God is One Lord. “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”
John 14:9 KJV Pretty plain right?
Isaiah 35:4-10 says, your God will come and save you Israel. The signs would be the many healings he would do, like blind eyes opened, deaf ears will hear, the lame walk.
Then it was fulfilled when Jesus came as described in John 7:19-23
When Jesus affirmed he is the Coming One of Israel to the disciples of John.
The True Jesus is not the second person of the Trinity… He is the First and the Last and beside Him there is no God. See Isaiah 44:6 &
Revelation 1:17-18
Check your bible and see with an honest heart. God bless!
Moments ago, I was weeping in worship. Now, seeing the in-fighting in these comments, my heart is grieved. And I’m very strong in the Lord. I pray no baby believer sees any of this.
Ted sadly you are incorrect. I would study the word to show yourself more approved as the bible speaks. The oneness movement is not modalism, but sadly some trinity” people will call it that, as the will call it the Jesus Only Movement. I believe in a Triunity of One God. I was baptized as a child Methodist and latter confirmed in the Presbyterian faith, and latter baptized again in the name of Jesus.
You see the early church baptized in the name of Jesus. Colosians 2:9-10 says: 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
That said in Matthew 18;19 when Jesus spoke to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The original as well as these versions, name is singular not plural. It does not say NAMES!
Go back to the Shema: Deut 4-4-15 but it starts with 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
The doctrine of the trinity was not even around in the early church until the Council of Nicea.
I personally believe in One God who is manifested in 3 persona’s or personalities- However I do not believe in 3 different separate Gods!! That is not the Triune God, that would be like Tritheism like Mormons ( LDS) believe.
The UPC and Oneness groups have an issue with the word person. And rightfully so. They say that God is a spirit as the word says, and he cannot be a person as you and I configure, that would be blasphemous. The word of God says that God is a spirit. He manifested in Jesus as both God and Man. But to say the Father, Son and Holy Spirit one God is a person or persons like you and I is wrong.
There are many scriptures to support baptism in the name of Jesus, and that is what the early church did, if it was so bad and wrong, would Peter have said in Acts 2;38 to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus? What about other scriptures where people were baptized in the name of Jesus. Were they baptized incorrectly.
,
You my brother are making divisions. Any person or denomination including trinitarians or oneness that do that are in error. Lets read what scripture says.
Hebrews 6:1-3 King James Version (KJV)
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.
Love CG and her music.
It ministers Jesus….
The Bible is Full of things we cannot fully understand. I am sure true believers all believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. To understand the Trinity is beyond our comprehension, yet a marvelous Truth. The prior comment posted regarding worshiping in tears and then saddened by the comments regarding The Trinity is worthy. They will know we are Christian by our love.
When I think of God I am moved to tears by all of His greatness, goodness, faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness, grace… and on and on. The same as when I think on the greatness of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Think on this our Blessed Hope and forget the semantics
Can you explain salvation itself, why Am I adopted as a son, why were my eyes opened, why did I respond to the call of God, why….
Can anyone really explain in a way that makes human sense Apart from God Choosing to reveal Himself to us.
Oh yah, God really got a catch when He Saved Me
I’m a trinitarian charismatic pastor. I was raised Church of God, some family members are UPCI, and others are in different denominations. Most oneness people don’t deny that God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirt. Most trinitarians don’t believe that the F,S,HS are three different beings. They/we believe God is one God, eternally existing as F,S,HS. I have no issue with Jesus’ name baptism. I also have no issue with F,S,HS being used in baptism, because the person being baptized is confessing Jesus as Lord. The late TF Tenney and Anthony Mangun, the pastor of POA, have strongly influenced my life. The divide between OP and Trinitarians is not as big as some think. Jason Greene
I just came across your comment. I left the OP church and am now in a wonderful non denominational trinitarian church where I feel the Lord strongly and am being fed. But I struggle. Last Sunday, my new pastor baptized in Father, Son, Holy Ghost and all I could do was cry bc from what I was taught in the UPC years ago, these people were being baptized wrong. In the UPC, I was taught that if it’s not specifically in Jesus name, then it “doesn’t count.” This way of thinking led me to become a Pharisee and that’s why I left. I was always measuring people up to Acts 2:38. Now, I reached out to an old UPC friend and she told me to stop going to my new church bc it’s “not in truth.” She said that bc some of my views about receiving the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues as evidence, and if it’s for salvation, have changed, that means I’m being deceived, falling away, backsliding. I don’t know what to do. In my heart, I feel that if you truly have faith I’m Jesus in your heart, and although you were baptized in F,S,HG, it is essentially in Jesus name anyway. Does that sound crazy? Can we really put something as important as that in the hands of another human being to say the right words over you? Am I falling away by believing that? Just curious of your thoughts. I have no one to talk to..
Tracey,
Of all the comments I’ve read, your comment is close to my heart, I do believe that you are genuinely sincere in your asking for guidance with what you believe.
Two scriptures quickly came to mind…
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Matthew 28:19 KJV
This scripture here God himself gave me the revelation of this particular scripture, and it means something when it comes directly from God.
As I was studying one evening, reading this scripture after I read it, the Lord clearly spoke to me, and said “ Look at the words (in the name of) he said to me It says Name not Names, that it is Singular and not Plural
Therefore, in reference to baptism, he said, to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. He showed me that I need to know what is the Name of the Father? What is the Name of the Son? What is the name of the Holy Ghost?
John 10:30- “I and my FATHER are one.”
Matt. 1:21- “And she shall bring forth a SON, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
John 14:17-18- “even the SPIRIT of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I WILL COME TO YOU.”
The second scripture that came to me after reading your comment is…..
Colossians 3:17- “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the NAME of the Lord JESUS, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
This is the scripture I gave my own brother when he struggled with the correct formula to use in water baptism, he attended a church that baptized, in the TITLES Father, Son, and Holy Ghost(which only repeated what Jesus said to do and not actually doing it) for the correct way is to apply the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost which is JESUS!
Also, in his NAME is where the BLOOD is, therefore, when the NAME of Jesus is called over you in water baptism, the BLOOD is automatically applied. It is the BLOOD THROUGH HIS NAME that washes away our sins. ( Sins remain attached to the human soul now through eternity if the blood through HIS NAME is not applied.)
“And almost all things are by the law PURGED WITH BLOOD; and without shedding of blood is no remission .”
Hebrews 9:22 KJV
“for THIS IS MY BLOOD of the new testament, which is shed for many for the REMISSION OF SINS”
Matthew 26:28 KJV
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the NAME of Jesus Christ FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 2:38 KJV
Going back to my brother:
After reading to him over the phone the scripture Colossians 3:17 he became so confused and so frustrated with not understanding the proper way to be baptized that he hung up the phone on me.
After hanging up the phone, he began to sincerely CRY OUT TO GOD saying “ Lord if what my sister is telling me is true, then give me a sign” It was then that his phone began to ring, and there was a man’s voice on the other end of the phone, and the man ask him a simple question. First of all, the man called him by his name,???? and said, How were you baptized?
My brother proceeded to say what do you mean? The man continued, and said YOU MUST BE BAPTIZED , in the NAME of JESUS!
Needless to say, my brother traveled to my home, which was over 100 miles from his home on an early Sunday morning when I open the door I was shocked and I said what are you doing here he smiled and said I have some unfinished business that need to be taken care of????
We went to church. My brother, was baptized in the NAME of Jesus for the remission of his sins, and God filled him with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, as the spirit gave him the utterance.
OMG!!!! TRACEY!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot begin to explain to you how I felt in that moment, EXCITEMENT is an understatement ????because that was my brother!!!!!!!
I sincerely hope this has helped you Tracy. I was smitten in my heart after reading your sincere comment. And I really felt like God impressed me to write everything that I have written for you.
HE HAS GREAT PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE TRACEY????
Modalism, the doctrine which holds that God expresses Himself in different modes at different points in salvation history, actually sits outside of Christian orthodoxy.
So there are problems with it as well as with any teaching that says tongues are required for salvation.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28 Jesus declares “baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost”. Colossians and elsewhere reference only “Jesus’ name”. Jesus is God made manifest in flesh – fully human and divine.
It’s a category error to see Trinitarianism as running counter to the Shema or that it teaches that there are multiple God’s. Jesus said “I and the Father are One. If you have seen me you have seen my Father” and also “I must go so that the Helper can come”.
In John 14:28 we see Jesus saying He was “going to His Father for the Father is greater than I.”
All of these texts and others mentioned in this thread point to differences in personhood and yet a completion of the perichoretic dance that takes place in the Trinity between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
So modalism is a heresy but in most contexts it is an issue of understanding Scripture. More discussion and teaching is needed on the doctrine of the Trinity. But we do need to allow God to be God – beyond, above greater and more infinite in wisdom than we can ever understand this side of glory.
Understanding God as both One and Tri-une is at the core and heart of Trinitarian theology. It does not teach a plurality of God’s or three God’s but Three persons in One – the Godhead. The Father begat the Son, the Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son (John 15:26 – I note this was the subject of another debate in the early church that resulted in the split between Eastern and Western church known as the Filioque Controversy.)
In the OT the Father sent the Spirit and God the Son is not mentioned as sending the Spirit until the NT. Now this issue is extremely challenging to grasp against the backdrop of Jesus being born in a specific time and space in human history while at the same time Jesus is Eternally Pre-Existent having been the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world and it was by and through Him all things were made that were made. The Incarnation is intricately involved in the process of understanding the issue of procession and also the dispelling the errors in modalism. But this is always done best in a Spirit of grace and humility. The Spirit brings us understanding and if we posture ourselves before with humility He will bring us to understand more about His nature and character.
If they baptize in the “name of” and the person being baptized understands the “name is” Jesus I would not question it. I do think on Colossians a lot though. “…Do all in the name of Jesus”. There is no exception there “… do all except baptize …”. I lean towards “in the name of Jesus” or “in the name of Jesus, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”.
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