The Best Is Yet to Come

It was just seven years ago that we celebrated our PCG Centennial. Now we are in the middle of our first decade of PCG 2.0, our second-century of the PCG, and in the middle of our prophetic Decade of Harvest! Now, we have another big milestone to celebrate. We are celebrating the 100th volume of the Pentecostal Messenger and approach its 100th birthday!

The Pentecostal Messenger has been a source of connection and inspiration for thousands of churches and tens of thousands of ministers these past 100 years. Our biggest announcements and events were documented here. Some of our best inspiration and revelation were distributed in The Messenger. We have celebrated our greatest accomplishments through the articles and photographs in The Messenger these past 100 years. I personally have been fed by the Pentecostal Messenger for almost 50 years now, and I look forward to each publication. We have had some talented and anointed staff members these past 100 years. Many times, their work was done late at night and over the weekends, just to meet the deadline. They may not have been appreciated or acknowledged enough, but today I want to say thank you to each one of them and thank you to their families. The work they accomplished was historic, meaningful, and deeply appreciated! Leading a movement is hard and sacrificial work. Documenting a movement is also hard and sacrificial. In this 100th volume, we want to say thank you to all the leaders and Pentecostal Messenger staff members of the past!

When thinking about our history, I see how God has poured new wine into new wineskins over and over for us. There have been many changes and much progress through the years. Our core gospel truths have stayed the same, but the variety of structures, locations, leaders, conventions, and proclamations over the years have shaped us into who we are today. We are One Mission and One Movement improving and adapting day by day.

Sometimes we can reminisce and think the older is better, but maybe the best is yet to come. Jesus taught us about that in Luke 5:37-39, saying,

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, “The old is better.”

It is hard for us to stretch into new things, even when God is the one initiating them, but “hard” is something we have learned to do. Our history has proven this! We can do the next hard thing too!

The future looks bright for the PCG, the Pentecostal Messenger, and the people in this global movement. I believe God is building upon the heroic leadership of our former leaders, and God is up to something wonderful and transformational, again.

You may remember me talking about a prophetic word regarding our IMC building, which said this: “Just like the raven fed Elijah, the IMC will feed the PCG. What was once a scavenger will become a source of sustenance and blessing.” Last year we began to see things turn around, and this year, in just five months, we have already seen an increase of $17,102 in monthly income, which stems from the fact that we have now been able to completely lease out the entire building (aside from five small rooms in a corner of the third floor)! Over the span of one full year, we will realize an increase of more than $119,094 above projection for this year's budget line on tenant payments. God's prophetic words come true! We are also seeing wonderful financial gains in some of our departments as well. We have some new potential on the horizon with the re-launch of our church coaching/planting ministry, and we trust that more blessings and favor are in our future!

The past has been wonderful and is worthy of our celebration, but I believe God has big plans for us in the future too. The best is yet to come!