The Promise of Our Father: Of Purity, Power and Unity in the Holy Spirit
About this ebook
The past one hundred years or so have seen great advances regarding the spread of the gospel all over the globe, where it thrives amid adversity. However, some prosperous Western democracies have seen the numbers of Christians peak and then decline. Seemingly high-powered ministers, along with some of their enthusiastic followers, have succumbed to corruption (in their personal lives, in their finances, or both). Reacting against the ever-increasing perversion all around us, some groups have pursued increasing legalism, leaving them virtually powerless. Many congregations have failed to retain young people and are dwindling as the older saints die off. Church splits have reached epidemic proportions. and have become the bane of Christianity.
How do we return to the purity, power, and unity of the early congregations described in the book of Acts? They turned the world upside down in just a few years, even without any of our modern tools or media. What will it take to finish fulfilling the Great Commission according to the will of God and for there to be a perfect bride, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, when our Lord Jesus Christ returns?
According to Luke, before Jesus ascended, he told his disciples, behold, I shall send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye are endued with power from on high. This promise is still valid. If we are to be clean and effective witnesses for our Lord Jesus Christ, we will be wise to not leave home without being endued with power from on high.
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About the author
At the age of four, while his family was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Russell Stendal prayed and asked God to call his parents, Chad and Pat, to be missionaries. God answered that prayer and within just a few years the whole family was on the mission field in Colombia, South America. He became an accomplished jungle pilot and married a beautiful Colombian lady named Marina. They have four children, Lisa, Alethia, Russell Jr., and Dylan, plus six grandchildren.
When Russell was 27 years old, Marxist guerrillas of the FARC kidnapped him for 142 days. The story of his kidnapping is told in the book he wrote titled Rescue the Captors. His reason for the title is because he realized that his captors were more captive than he was. There was a possibility he would be released, but most of his kidnappers were young people who had been taken from their families, given a weapon, and taught to kill. They had little hope of survival.
To reach all the actors of the armed conflict, including his former captors, Russell established a radio ministry to air programs into the dangerous war stricken areas of Colombia with messages of peace and hope. He has also written more than 50 books in English and Spanish.
In 2017, he was awarded the Shahbaz Bhatti Freedom Award, (given to Pope Francis the year before) for his tireless efforts towards spreading peace and reconciliation in Colombia (in the context of promoting religious freedom). Russell travels extensively as a guest speaker in conventions around the world. His speaking is unique in that he is very sensitive to the Lord’s voice and does not hesitate to deliver the message imparted to him, no matter how uncomfortable that may be to him or to others. Most of the books he has published were transcribed directly from the radio messages he has preached in Spanish and beamed into virtually all of the war torn areas of the countryside.
Russell is the editor of the Jubilee Bible translation that has been published in English and in Spanish. Well over a million copies of this Bible have been donated and distributed into the most needy areas of Colombia and Venezuela.
