Revamping Missions Giving

...this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭14‬ NIV)

Imagine with me a wonderful world where the church determines that it will be a part of the fulfillment of the great commission (Matthew 28.18) Imagine that the 200 or so adults at CLC each gave $25 ($50 per family) each month to missions. Maybe they fast the meal or dine down (eat something simple and inexpensive rather than extravagant) so they can afford this act of giving to missions.

The missions coffers of CLC would be overflowing and we would be able to double the giving to our present missionaries! People from around the globe would hear the good news that there is a savior that came for them, disciples would be made and destinies would be changed. Medicine would be delivered, rebuilding would take place, people undergoing catastrophes would be met with resources and supplies. Imagine. God's blessing would be on his church and the church of Jesus would stand UNASHAMED  before the Lord. Imagine.

Your simple act of obedience can take this from imagination to reality. I dare you...

God's Will in Healing

A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ NIV)

This poor soul came down from the mountain for the express purpose of meeting with Jesus. Surely his faith and hope in Christ provoked the journey's start. He comes to Christ without some things that we often bring into his presence.

First, he comes without questioning the power of Jesus. There is no dealing with God. " if you heal me I will..." These are merely questions of his ability. The mountain man had come this way knowing that Jesus had healing power and divine authority.

Next, he comes without a question. He merely makes a statement of faith. "Lord, you have the ability to do whatever your will is." No doubt he has tried potions and cures that didn't have the power. But everything relies upon the character of this man Jesus. What kind of a God do you serve?

Finally, he comes without doubt. He has invested himself in the presentation of his need before the power that can heal. And there is no doubt that with a word Jesus can change this man's life forever. Total confidence brings him to the feet of the Healer.

I cannot imagine what my impression of Jesus Christ would be if he had ignored this man humbly kneeling at his feet. No, he is healed by his faith. Whatever your need today, bring it to the masters feet and trust that he will work out his healing will.

A Better Righteousness

Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭19-20‬ NIV)

The passages of the New Testament that are known as the Sermon on the Mount are masterful teachings of the Master Teacher Jesus. He is crafting out a vision of the " kingdom come". The Masters vision is informative, challenging, and a bit overwhelming for us. Jesus sees the kingdom defined by a number of issues that were relevant to his first century audience (and still resonate today!)

Here he defines what righteousness is. Certainly Jesus knows that his substitutionary death on the cross is going to impute righteousness to millions who come to him in faith. The Apostle Paul would later write that he who "knew no sin, became sin" that we might become the righteousness of God. Righteousness ( ie., right standing before God) is given freely to us all as we trust Christ for our salvation. But that is not what Jesus is addressing here.

No, Jesus is not speaking of an unseen transfer that is transacted in the heavenly realms. He is speaking of that which can be witnessed by mere mortals. The Pharisees had become a group more known for there creative ways of circumventing the intentions of the Divine Law than for their Radical Obediences. They were better with excuses than execution, more adept at sidestepping than stepping up, they were half hearted followers ignoring the audience of One that they were to live for. Jesus addresses than head on.

What concerns Christ is not our claim to follow Him but our practics. Rather than being "righteous in name only" as the Pharisees were Jesus challenges his disciples to depth, to full obedience, to uncomfortable obediences, and to living out their faith out loud. It seems to me that Jesus was demanding righteousness than showed up in the real world. Are we the real deal? Is our obedience limited by convenience? By public approval? By comfort? It is time for real faith for the real world!

Tick Tock

Honestly, it is meaningless. This marking of time as the calendar flips over from one year to another. It is a second, a minute, an hour, not unlike a thousand other in our lifetime. I did a funeral recently and read as my text Psalm 90. The text says "teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." I found a date calculator on my cell phone. I have been alive 20,795 days. Wow. How many of those were misspent? How many were wasted altogether? The one good thing about the new year is that it gives as a placemark where  we can ponder our lives.

I suspect I am on the down hill portion of my life. By this I mean that I have less days ahead to live than I have already lived, so I should want to make the most of those I have left. So I am taking a few moments to list some of the things I have done wrong in 2014 and looking to repair those for the next year.

1) DISCONNECT
 I feel that I have let my life become encumbered by technological "conveniences". I have several email addresses, a Facebook account, a twitter account, a cell phone that has texts, as well as answering machines and voicemail boxes. What a hassle these conveniences are! So I will stream line that for next year. Not sure how but that is a goal!

2) RECONNECT
Too often this year I have given myself a pass on my busy-ness. Many times I have cheated God, and cheated myself from missing my spiritually enriching times in his presence. I have substituted cheap imitations such as quick devotional reads and half hearted prayers. God's purposes are deep and my time in his presence needs to be fully attentive.

3) REACHING
I have a list of a few things that need to be accomplished this next year. The interesting thing is that each of these will demand a miracle. So I am believing for great blessing from God. I am stretching myself out toward the God who promised amazing things to those who call upon his name.

4) OUTREACHING
I have a conviction in my spirit that God is calling us to reach out more than ever before. I have witnessed the openness of several individuals this last year in speaking with them regarding spiritual issues. They probably don't buy my conservative politics, but they are genuinely interested in this man named Jesus. I want to try to represent the Lord in my conversations

5) SPEACH
I have to say that I have fallen prey at times to the slacking of verbal discipline. I have spoken when I should have been silent. Listened when I should have walked away. I have uttered useless and careless words. And I have let my anger grab my tongue too quickly. This year I am going to exercise that discipline better.

6) MARRIAGE
I have a wonderful wife. Sometimes (not often enough) I tell her that I am truly blessed by her character, compassion, faithfulness and love. But too often I take her for granted. She deserves more attention than I give her.

Okay, that is a pretty tall order ... Lord help me in 2015

Meeting Time

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭6-8‬ NIV)

In Mark 16 at the tomb the message given to the disciples was that the resurrected Christ would meet them in Galillee. There Heaven's power would be dispensed upon the group of Christ followers. There the Holy Spirit would baptize them into new intimacy.  There they would go from onlookers of the crucifixion to witnesses of the resurrected Christ. But notice the message was directed at the "disciples and Peter". Though Peter had denied Jesus he was specifically singled out among the followers. He had failed in the "sifting" moment and no longer was among those who followed Jesus. Guilt ridden for abandoning his Master, he no doubt was heading back to his old life when Jesus' invitation to meet him in Galillee came. What tremendous news! That Christ accepts the failed follower; that restoration is possible...all he had to do was go and meet with Jesus.

On that day of Pentecost, it was Peter who proclaimed  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” (‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38-40‬ NIV) Indeed, how could he proclaim this forgiveness and empowerment? How could he be sure that God would accept the cry for repentance from failed followers? How could he know power would fall upon them? It takes one to know one.


Today I rejoice that failed followers are included in the  invitation and that there is precedent that God can restore the call with power to those who have denied Him. All we have to do is go meet with Jesus.

The Assemblies of God-100 years

When the Assemblies of God (AG) holds its biennial General Council, the Pentecostal denomination invites not only top denominational officials to address the thousands who attend but also renowned speakers from outside AG circles. Three years ago in Phoenix that was Southern Baptist pastor Rick Warren.
The best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life challenged the pastors with one of his signature messages to focus on five "purposes": worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism and compassion ministry. But for this group, he added a sixth. His point, customized to the AG audience hanging on his every word, was simple yet layered with meaning:
"Be Pentecostal."
As a Southern Baptist, Warren pinpointed a touchy subject in the Assemblies of God, a denomination founded in the aftermath of the revival fires of Azusa Street, where the message of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was reignited and spread throughout the world. While the worldwide Assemblies of God has emphasized the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the "initial physical evidence of speaking in other tongues" (based on Acts 2:4), over the past several decades observers have noticed a diminishing emphasis on it in AG churches stateside, where some pastors seem to try to be seeker-friendly to those who may not understand a "messages in tongues" with interpretation, as mentioned in the New Testament.
Warren has become friends with George O. Wood, who has led the Assemblies of God as general superintendent since 2007. In fact, Wood likes Warren's Saddleback Church so much he's jokingly called it the largest church in the Assemblies because so many former AG people attend Saddleback. When I attended Warren's church, it reminded me of some AG mega-churches: a nice facility, good worship with a lively band, a carefully choreographed service—and no speaking in tongues.

It's unlikely the AG would have invited to that biennial gathering a Pentecostal firebrand like Rodney Howard-Browne, whose services have been known for "holy laughter" and other manifestations.
The truth is, as the Assemblies has moved up the social ladder in the last 100 years (as have other Pentecostal denominations), it finds itself a movement of contrasts and paradoxes. Speaking in tongues is just one of many within this denomination that still calls itself a "fellowship."
Though some AG congregations may appear to downplay the baptism in the Holy Spirit, in 2013 there was a statistical increase in Spirit baptisms among AG churches—and that doesn't include those who received the baptism in the Spirit outside the local church setting, such as camp meetings, district-sponsored men's and women's retreats, as well as children's and youth camps and conventions. (Incidentally, I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit at age 12 at an AG youth camp in Iowa.)
So while many assume the broad array of Assemblies churches—including those that don't highlight Spirit baptism as strongly as others—has led to a decline in both numbers and emphasis on the Pentecostal experience, this isn't necessarily the case. The AG is now the largest Pentecostal denomination worldwide, with almost 68 million adherents. In the U.S., the AG has experienced a remarkable 24 years of uninterrupted growth. Yet much of this development—both globally and stateside—has come only in recent years, proving that obviously what the Holy Spirit began a century ago has grown into something few in 1914 would ever have imagined.

It's a Matter of Numbers
Today the AG frequently refers to itself as the world's largest Pentecostal denomination, yet even this needs some clarification. In the U.S. the Assemblies has 3.1 million members, much less than the 6.1 million often attributed to the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). But I've talked to COGIC leaders who admit that the numbers are estimates since the denomination doesn't keep detailed statistics.
AG leaders will tell you numbers aren't as important as their overall vision for accomplishing "the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen." That's meant that historically the Assemblies doesn't emphasize membership the way other denominations do, in part to distance itself from the countless churches with bloated numbers from "CEO" members—those who attend Christmas and Easter Only. Countless people will attend an AG church yet never become members. Because of this, the AG more frequently refers to its "adherents" both here and overseas—those who attend regularly but aren't necessarily members.

What about the adherents worldwide (there's no official term to identify them like Methodists or Catholics)? Are they all AG? Each country has its own denomination, only loosely affiliated in the World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF). In Canada, for example, the largest of three WAGF-affiliated groups is known as the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. (There are also the Canadian Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God.) In Korea there are the Korean Assemblies of God and the Jesus Assemblies of God, due to a denominational split.
In the U.S. people call the Assemblies of God "AG" for short. But don't use that term in Australia; there it's called AOG. In the past several decades the AOG has exploded, helping Pentecostals become the second-largest segment of Christendom in the country, surpassed only by Roman Catholics. The Pentecostal movement has been shaped by many things in Australia, but one of the major influencers has been Hillsong Church in Sydney, where Senior Pastor Brian Houston and former worship pastor Darlene Zschech made the church known globally for its intense worship, fiery preaching, strong integrity and doctrinal purity—all while "being trendy."
In some ways that reflects where the Assemblies is today: aiming to be relevant and accepted yet also trying to remain doctrinally pure and morally strong in a world light years removed from 1914, when its founders met in the Grand Opera House in Hot Springs, Arkansas (see "History in the Assembling" sidebar). Today's AG churches are among the largest in the U.S., and in most metro areas the largest Pentecostal or charismatic church is AG, though it may not use the denominational name. And true to form, the Assemblies is just fine with that.
Reasons to Begin
Indeed, the story of the Assemblies is one of apparent contradiction—including theories over how and why it was started. The year 1914 marked the start of World War I. Most Pentecostals of the day were pacifists, much like Mennonites are viewed today. These early Pentecostals, as well as other pacifist evangelicals at the turn of the 20th century, opposed war because they believed they should focus on working for the heavenly King. They viewed killing people on behalf of earthly kings as moral compromise. Because of this, some have hypothesized the AG became a haven for anti-war peacekeepers, yet that sentiment had essentially left by the time World War II began.
It's also said that the AG was formed to give covering to the many freelance missionaries spreading the gospel and Pentecostal message around the world. Indeed, the denomination has been undeniably missions-minded since its origins, and evangelism and world missions have continued to be pillars of its organizational structure.
The father and grandparents of the late Paul Crouch, founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network, were among the earliest missionaries who helped start the Assemblies of God. Today the AG USA has more than 2,800 missionaries serving in countries around the world, and the relationship with the AG USA and other national bodies is a strong one, but without any governance or structural control from headquarters in the U.S.
"There's never been anything like what the Assemblies of God has done through its missionaries and missions strategy of developing the indigenous church: self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," Wood says. "We've had scores of missionaries lay down their lives on foreign soil for the gospel. Our churches and pastors have prayed and sacrificed to send missionaries to the far-flung parts of this world."
Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), recently told Wood: "If you took the Assemblies of God out of the Kingdom of God, you would blow a pretty big hole in the Kingdom of God."
Of Race and Reconciliation
Yet another theory to the AG's origins is that the denomination began because of racism. This is a touchy issue not only because of the general stain of racism in American history, but also because of the deep historic ties between the AG and the predominantly black COGIC, founded seven years prior to the AG's formation. Bishop Mason ordained at least one AG founder, Howard Goss, and the COGIC founder and AG founders knew and respected each other. In fact, Mason spoke at the inaugural General Council, brought his black gospel choir from Lexington, Mississippi, and blessed the newly formed AG.
As with the Azusa Street revival, whites and blacks came together in the early days of the movement before structure had developed. When organizations emerged, however, they did so along cultural lines—under the Jim Crow laws—and the interracial fellowship of the early years dissipated.
When the civil rights movement gained traction in the 1950s and 1960s, with a few exceptions AG leaders—like most other white Pentecostals—sat it out. Once again, this was in contrast to early precedents of the movement. In 1915 the AG ordained its first black minister, Ellsworth S. Thomas of Binghamton, New York. And the Assemblies ordained a number of black men and women until 1939, when it instituted a rule against ordaining blacks. They could still be licensed at the district level, but not ordained at the national level. This racist rule was overturned in 1962, when Bob Harrison, a well-known African-American evangelist and associate of Billy Graham, was ordained.
In recent decades, Assemblies leaders have worked to bridge the racial divide. In 1989, the denomination's General Council adopted a resolution repenting of "the sin of racism in any form." The Assemblies changed its governance structure in 1997 to include representatives of ethnic fellowships on its General and Executive Presbyteries. And in 2007, Zollie Smith Jr., an African-American with COGIC roots, became the AG's executive director of U.S. missions.

Under Wood's leadership, the Assemblies has reached out to and dialogued more with COGIC—a rarity since the two denominations' early days. And in 2012, the widow of longtime COGIC presiding bishop J.O. Patterson Sr. deposited his personal papers in the Assemblies of God archives, not only to preserve them for posterity but also as a sign of reconciliation.
Indeed, racial reconciliation has been a storyline for the AG since the beginning. Azusa Street unified races in unprecedented fashion, as did the inaugural General Council gathering in Hot Springs. Yet by 1917, racism raised its ugly head within the fledgling denomination when AG leaders refused to appoint pastor Alexander Howard as a missionary to Liberia because, oddly enough, he was black. That single decision spawned yet another split among Pentecostal groups, as a few years later Howard helped to form the United Pentecostal Council of the Assemblies of God (UPCAG), which operated for decades under the radar screen of AG leadership in the headquarters city of Springfield, Missouri.
It wasn't until 2010, when UPCAG presiding elder Thomas A. Barclay reached out to Wood, that the process of reconciliation for these two entities began.
"We have now been on a four-year journey with the United Pentecostal Council of the Assemblies of God, which was birthed in 1919 because of racism in the Assemblies of God," Wood says, calling the move to unite the two bodies "a vital forward step."
A Blended Future
Adding to this racial paradox is this fact: Though the AG has been historically white, its future is anything but. Today 41 percent of the AG in the U.S. is non-white, with almost 22 percent being Hispanic and 10 percent black. The denomination now has 20 districts for U.S. members who are non-English speakers, as well as an additional 21 ethnic and language fellowships.
"The demographic shift that is under way is a game changer. To me, that is the big story," says Darrin Rodgers, the respected archivist of the Assemblies' Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center. "Anglos have plateaued numerically in the Assemblies, but every other ethnic group is growing significantly. God raised up people from other cultures to take leadership. The Assemblies of God, increasingly, is a multi-ethnic fellowship of Spirit-empowered believers."
Rodgers should know about demographic shifts. Reared in a largely white AG congregation in North Dakota, he's been a member of a Slavic immigrant church in Springfield for three years.
"When revival hit Azusa Street, the ethnic divides came tumbling down," Rodgers says. "I believe the Holy Spirit is similarly calling us to get out of our comfort zones and form relationships with people who are different than ourselves."
Though most AG churches historically haven't been melting pots, that is changing. In Orlando, Florida, for example, the 5,000-member Faith Assembly, the largest Pentecostal church in Central Florida, was 80 percent white and had a Sunday morning attendance of 950 when Carl Stephens became pastor in 1987. Today the church is 70 percent non-white.
As further proof, the Hispanic District in Florida is now called the Florida Multicultural District. A recent district council in June included brief messages in Arabic, English and Portuguese, in addition to Spanish. The German District is now called the International Ministry Network and is one-third black.
Another example, according to Rodgers, is the historic First Christian AG (now Peoples Church) in Cincinnati. When pastor Chris Beard joined the staff 22 years ago, the church was 98 percent white and dying. Now it's thriving. Twenty-five percent of the members are black and 25 percent are international, representing more than 30 countries.
Parklawn AG in Milwaukee, one of the oldest AG churches in the nation, has a similar story. It was white and dying, but in 1993 the mostly white congregation asked its black youth pastor, Walter Harvey, to serve as senior pastor. The congregation has since grown significantly, is multiethnic and now has over 1,200 at Sunday services.
And in Rodgers' hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota, the two newest AG churches—both launched in the last two years—include one started by a Cameroon AG missionary to the US and another consisting of 60 Nepalese immigrants who recently accepted Christ. The African congregation, like many new immigrant churches, is connected with the Assemblies in its homeland but not officially part of the AG USA.
Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and an AG-ordained minister, predicts that by the end of this century—if not sooner—most Pentecostals in America will be non-white. "For decades American Pentecostalism has been predominantly white and rural," he says. "It will soon become primarily ethnic and urban."
If the AG's largest church is any indication, the shift has already begun: That distinction, long held by Phoenix First AG, now goes to New Life Covenant AG, a Hispanic congregation in Chicago led by Wilfredo de Jesús. With many non-whites having a stronger Pentecostal identity than white adherents, Rodgers adds a key element: "As the old mainline crumbles and becomes the sideline, Pentecostals are becoming the new defenders of basic orthodoxy. If you want to understand where the AG is headed, it is essential to take into account these cultural and demographic shifts."
These shifts will also take center stage at the AG's centennial celebration Aug. 5-10 in Springfield. An estimated 900 Africans will attend, as will almost 300 people from Korea—including a group that will join a 100-voice choir from Nam Soo Kim's church in Queens, New York.
As a denomination, the AG will not only be celebrating the centennial, but also the World AG Fellowship's 25th anniversary. "The centennial will be a huge event, with our message focused on this big idea: that the AG exists to help Spirit-empowered Christians come together for the purpose of world evangelism," Rodgers says. "Sessions will highlight how the Spirit is bringing unity across the racial, linguistic divides."
Assemblies Government 101
While the AG's current racial makeup defies its relatively recent history, there's also a paradox in how the denomination is structured. It's what observers see as an odd mix of congregational governance, where each congregation owns its own property as in Baptist denominations, and a form of presbyterian polity. Local church leaders do not report to headquarters. However, the credentials of ministers are held by the district councils and the General Council. Ministers are accountable in areas of doctrine, morality and ethics.
This means churches are independent but clergy answer to district-level officials who are elected. National leaders are also elected, while the entire denomination is governed by General Presbyters who meet annually in Springfield (the Executive Presbytery meets five times a year) and by a General Council that meets every other year.
Like most denominations the leadership is predominantly male. Yet paradoxically, women have been credentialed since the beginning. My own mother-in-law, Rose Ferrell, who passed away in 2011 at age 96, was an ordained AG minster who pioneered churches throughout the South and overseas with her husband. The AG initially ordained women as missionaries and evangelists, but not as elders. This changed in 1935.
The AG has a long history of female evangelists, and today there are nearly 600 women senior pastors. Of the six members of the Executive Management Team, two are women who serve as vice presidents. Beth Grant serves as the lone female on the Executive Presbytery, representing ordained female ministers and having served in that position since 2009. And Carol Taylor was president of Vanguard University before going to Springfield to serve as president of the new consolidated Evangel University—a first in the school's 92-year history.
These days the average AG churchgoer might not know the difference between the Springfield where the AG headquarters is and the dozens of other Springfields that dot the American landscape. But be assured, AG pastors know. They use "Springfield" to refer to headquarters the way journalists use "Washington" to refer to the federal government. Insiders jokingly refer to Springfield as "Mecca" or the "Holy City."
AG pastors are first certified, licensed, then ordained. Though churches don't have to tithe to the denomination as the Church of God (Cleveland) requires, pastors are required to send in a portion of their tithe to the district and can be disciplined if they don't. (The percentage of the minister's tithe depends on the district.) The only real control the denomination has over its clergy, however, is to "pull the papers" (withdraw their ordination, effectively kicking them out of the AG) if they stray doctrinally or have a moral or ethical failure.
In the early days AG leaders did not seem as open as today. Consider how David du Plessis was treated in the early 1960s. Originally from South Africa, he took the message of the baptism in the Holy Spirit to so many mainline churches he became known as "Mr. Pentecost." For reasons that may be never fully known, his credentials in the Assemblies were withdrawn because, as he told me years later when I wrote about him in Charisma, he was hobnobbing with liberals in the National Council of Churches. AG leaders later apologized to him, and in 1980 he was reinstated as an AG minister.
Another example is Loren Cunningham, who founded Youth With A Mission while in the denomination. He had a vision to take young people overseas on trips to give them a heart for missions. The story goes that an AG leader said he would approve this as long as Cunningham limited it to about 10 per year. Today YWAM has more than 16,000 full-time "missionaries" around the world—almost four times as many as the Assemblies itself. Of course, one AG official told me that it was a "missiological difference" that led to the parting of the ways. While YWAM may have more people on the field, the Assemblies has worked to establish the indigenous church, resulting in more than 360,000 local AG churches around the world.
"We invested heavily in raising up pastors and leaders in their own nations, founding hundreds upon hundreds of short-term and long-term Bible colleges that have now equipped tens of thousands of national workers and pastors," Wood says. "And the AG learned from YWAM and has deployed thousands of young people over the years in short-term missions assignments."
The narrow-mindedness that prompted duPlessis and Cunningham to leave also led to a well-known quip by the late C.M. Ward, who at the time was the voice of the denomination's weekly radio broadcast, Revivaltime, making his name a household word in Assemblies circles. Ward was an iconoclast of sorts and seemed to enjoy tweaking the leaders in Springfield, despite the fact the leadership gave him the microphone for 25 years. After he said that the Assemblies leadership "must be on the pill" because they hadn't "given birth to a new idea in years," denominational leaders called him in to explain. At first he denied saying it. But when a tape was played of him saying it in Canada, he responded: "Well, you never know what you will say under the anointing."
One Springfield insider who knows the personalities involved told me that some of the leaders Ward criticized may not have been perfect, but "if Springfield had been on the pill then, we wouldn't be seeing the explosive growth we are having today. Obviously, some foundations were being laid in those years."
In the past leadership also frowned upon AG pastors preaching in non-Assemblies churches. Yet, true to the ongoing paradox of its makeup, the denomination has always been open to other groups and, unlike the United Pentecostal Church, has never said it is the "only church." In fact, the AG was one of the founders of the National Association of Evangelicals in 1943 and for decades has been the NAE's largest member and financial contributor.
Bridges to the Evangelical World
If C.M. Ward and others thought the national headquarters leadership of a past generation were more bureaucratic than spiritual, there's at least one underreported story of how they ministered to an evangelical journalist in a way that flamed what became the charismatic movement.
In the early 1950s, Robert Walker was the influential publisher of Christian Life magazine and an early supporter and confidant of Billy Graham. Walker was among the first evangelical to move his headquarters to Wheaton, Illinois, which became the "evangelical Vatican." During those years, he developed a relationship with some Assemblies of God leaders through the NAE and was intrigued by their infectious enthusiasm, which stood in stark contrast to the stiff formality of many evangelicals of the day.
In his journalistic travels he ended up at Assemblies of God headquarters in Springfield in 1954, where several of the executive presbyters laid hands on him and prayed for him. Walker received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. Though he remained a longtime member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Wheaton, still he never denied this experience and loved to tell others like me about it, though he was discreet about whom he told. For the rest of his life the evangelical community considered him one of their own, even though he was one of the first denominational people in that era to receive the Pentecostal experience.
This resulted in Christian Life publishing an article aimed at evangelicals about the Pentecostals headlined, "Are We Missing Something?" It may have been the first article written about what was later called the charismatic movement. Though Walker was low-key about his experience, he fanned the flames of renewal whenever he could, writing in Christian Life the very first article about a young broadcaster named Pat Robertson when he founded CBN and later ghostwriting Pat Boone's testimony of how he received the infilling of the Holy Spirit in A New Song, which sold more than 2 million copies after it was published in 1972.
Walker also embraced the Pentecostal experience so much years later he turned over his publishing enterprise to a young Pentecostal editor—me. And in 1987 Charisma magazine merged with Christian Life.
Standards That Shaped a Movement
Though today's generation of leaders chuckle at the AG's history of not "mingling" with other groups, this conservative approach has undoubtedly had one benefit: The Assemblies has maintained doctrinal integrity during decades in which other denominations have become increasingly liberal.
This could likely be because of the split that rocked the fledgling denomination in only its second year of existence. That controversy began when some Pentecostals rejected a Trinitarian baptismal formula (i.e., baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, which has been the norm since the First Council of Nicaea in 325) in favor of baptizing converts "in the name of Jesus" only. Within a couple of years the "Jesus Only" (or Oneness) Pentecostals also rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, which split the AG and ultimately led to the formation of the non-Trinitarian United Pentecostal Church.
Over the years the Assemblies has been careful when dealing with matters of heresy or odd Pentecostal manifestations. Leadership would typically issue a "white paper" at General Council that let the rank and file know how to respond to new phenomena such as the "latter rain movement" in the late 1940s. The AG rejected such elements as calling ministers "apostles" or "prophets," even though other phenomena that seemed odd at the time such as spiritual warfare or "singing in the spirit" have since been widely embraced by the Spirit-filled community. Today the Assemblies actually does use "apostolic" in reference to ground-breaking efforts to plant churches where they don't exist. For example, persons such as the late Mark Buntain, the founder of Mission of Mercy in India (which Charisma covered in our April issue this year), functioned as apostles even though they did not call themselves that. Assemblies leaders are quick to say they are committed to apostolic doctrine, apostolic mission and apostolic practice, but not to self-appointed people running around calling themselves apostles!
Growing up, I remember early charismatics were looked askance by AG people I knew. When word came out that Episcopalians and Methodists were speaking in tongues, these people didn't know what to think. After all, the women from these "outside" denominations wore makeup and their members didn't see anything wrong with drinking wine! Didn't they know those violated Pentecostal standards of holiness?
Like all Pentecostals of the day, cultural standards of holiness were not only important, but also often preached as gospel in the early decades of the denomination's existence. Sleeveless dresses were a no-no, as were fingernail polish and lipstick. So was going to the movies or even owning a TV. Most of these things had gone by the wayside by the early 1960s. (However, today the denomination still expects its clergy to abstain from alcohol.)
In a day when culturally anything goes, these have become antiquated standards from the holiness movement from which Pentecostalism spawned. Younger Pentecostals often aren't aware these were standards only a generation ago, while older generations joke about what it was like to be told you couldn't read the "funny paper" on Sunday because it was the Lord's Day.
Yet this commitment to walking in holiness shaped the Assemblies and, as the charismatic movement emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, an entirely new generation of Spirit-filled believers. Like those in the Assemblies, these charismatics refused to succumb to cultural trappings, while also introducing an interesting twist to the Pentecostal line: They saw no reason to leave their denominational churches. Most would attend charismatic conferences or home groups where the gifts of the Spirit were in full operation, then return to their churches aflame with a new kind of baptism.
Until the advent of what became known as the charismatic movement in mainline churches, the assumption was that if you spoke in tongues, you joined a Pentecostal church. As this began to change, however, some Pentecostal leaders were slow to recognize the shift. So when the Conference on the Charismatic Renewal in the Christian Churches took place in Kansas City in 1977, some top AG leaders drove up from Springfield and were introduced to the crowd as "observers." Maybe they thought there might be "wildfire"—after all, the Assemblies had worked hard to become more mainstream within the evangelical community.
Upon witnessing firsthand more than 50,000 newly Spirit-filled believers flowing in a new, exciting move of the Spirit, the AG leaders went home and gave it Springfield's stamp of approval. Yet even this support displayed the paradoxical undertones within the denomination. The AG is a grass-roots movement, and many local churches were already reaching out to charismatics and embracing them. In addition, probably every Full Gospel Businessmen's chapter received strong AG involvement.
In time, charismatics flocked to AG churches, as well as other denominational congregations such as Jack Hayford's Church On The Way (part of the Foursquare Church), causing churches that had struggled to grow to a few hundred at most to mushroom to thousands almost overnight. But among the Assemblies, response was mixed.
Some churches preferred the old-fashioned ways. They looked to Springfield for leadership, bought all their materials from the denomination's Gospel Publishing House and often became critical of their more "liberal" brethren who "compromised standards."
Other AG congregations thrived during this time as charismatics coming in enjoyed the freedom of worship, the teaching of the Word and the fact that pastors such as Karl Strader of First Assembly in Lakeland, Florida (where I attended as a teen), or Roy Harthern down the road at Calvary Assembly in Orlando (where Charisma started) welcomed them with open arms.
Instead of receiving the biblical "right hand of fellowship" from their original churches, many of these newly Spirit-baptized believers had been given the "left foot of fellowship," so these Assemblies became safe houses for healing and spiritual growth. Of course, these were two among hundreds of AG congregations around the country that welcomed charismatics.
This phenomenon fueled growth for many years, as Assemblies were no longer "on the other side of the tracks" within the evangelical community and, more importantly, welcomed those hungry for a move of the Spirit. Since the late '70s the denomination has grown stateside by almost 250 percent while mainline denominations have continued to lose members.
Schools of the Spirit
At the same time the Assemblies grew in tandem with the charismatic renewal, small Bible colleges, most founded within the first two decades after 1914, became regionally accredited and added professors who not only were powerful preachers, but also had advanced degrees. This advancement has continued into the present era, during which many of these schools have become universities. The largest of these is Southeastern University in Lakeland, with more than 3,400 students. In Springfield, Central Bible College—the third oldest and, until the 1980s, the leading school in the movement—consolidated with Evangel University, the first Pentecostal liberal arts college in America, and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) into one institution called Evangel University in 2013.
Seminary—even the word itself hit a nerve for many years in AG circles. Many early Pentecostals didn't believe in seminary, arguing that a preacher needed the power of the Holy Spirit, not a degree. Besides, they said, seminaries usually hastened a denomination going liberal such as Emory University, the Methodist school in Atlanta that spawned the "God is dead" controversy in the 1960s. (One more paradox, however: The first AG general superintendent, E.N. Bell, had a seminary education.)
These same Pentecostals called seminaries "cemeteries." And for the first six decades they got by without them. Then in the 1970s AGTS was formed in a wing of the turquoise-colored headquarters building in Springfield—which in itself was questioned, as some speculated this was so the Executive Presbytery could keep a watchful eye. Theory or not, AGTS was launched in part so military chaplains could gain their necessary seminary degree. The feeling within the denomination was that they needed to have these Assemblies chaplains "trained here, rather than 'there.'"
Fast-forward years later and numerous AG chaplains have risen to positions of prominence. Principal among those is Major General Cecil Richardson, who recently retired as Chief of Chaplains for the entire U.S. Air Force and was a 1973 graduate of Evangel. And recently AGTS alum Delana Ingram Small became not only the first female chaplain in the nation to report to an Army combat arms unit, she was also the first female chaplain assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (aka, "The Screaming Eagles").
The "Black Eye" Years
With the charismatic movement in full swing, the era of parachurch media ministries was also emerging. Once again another paradox within the AG arose: While the headquarters kept a strong grip on the gospel message coming out of Springfield through its Revivaltime radio show or the officially approved Gospel Publishing House content, an entrepreneurial spirit sprung up—the same bent that launched Bible colleges years before, sent missionaries around the world to birth indigenous AG denominations or fired up a young man like Loren Cunningham to thrust thousands of young people into missions.
This time it was with evangelists like Jimmy Swaggart, whose fiery Louisiana brand of Pentecostal preaching not only gained him a huge following, but also helped spark the Pentecostal revival in Latin America, according to Rodriguez.
Paul Crouch, who attended Central Bible College and worked at the AG's headquarters in the media department at one time, launched Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973. Shortly thereafter Jim Bakker, who attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis and grew up in the AG, started the PTL network, which took off like a rocket.
In 1987 Bakker became the personification of the unscrupulous televangelist when he admitted to a moral failure that threw PTL into bankruptcy and landed him in prison for five years. Along the way Swaggart became increasingly critical of Bakker until his own moral failures were exposed in the following years. His solicitations of prostitutes effectively ruined what was a massive, global ministry at the time, and ever since he has carried on at only a tiny fraction of the size.
Though secular media predictably enjoyed taking shots at the televangelists, the Bakker/Swaggart scandals were also a huge black eye to the Assemblies—as it was to the entire cause of Christ around the world. Both men had been ordained in the Assemblies, though their ministries were totally independent with separate boards. And while Christian commentators waxed eloquent about the televangelists' lack of accountability, the truth is they were accountable to the denomination—which disciplined them in the only way it could: it withdrew their ordination as a result of their wrongs.
Unlike nondenominational churches where leaders such as Bishop Eddie Long or the now-deceased Zachery Tims remained in their pulpits through allegations of sexual immorality, the Assemblies held a strong line insisting on moral purity. But while they did so, they also offered a way to rehabilitate the erring ministers, unlike some conservative evangelical groups where one moral strike against you disqualifies you from the ministry for life.
Rehabilitation for moral failure is never less than two years, and countless AG ministers have submitted to this discipline and re-entered the ministry. However, Bakker and Swaggart chose not to. Today each operates independently. Bakker, who wrote a "tell-all" account of his transgressions in I Was Wrong, has ironically started over only a few miles south of Springfield and has quietly built a smaller, albeit debt-free, version of the former Heritage USA. Those who know him well say he's a changed man. Swaggart's ministry has continued to dwindle, though he's still on the air blasting any preacher he doesn't agree with.
Facing an Uncertain Future With Faith
Most observers laud the Assemblies with its handling of these extremely difficult and public scandals. Still, it was embarrassing and cast a certain pall over the denomination. No longer was it seen as the widely successful, growing church; instead, it showed that it was uncertain of itself and its future.
Indeed, anyone attending a large AG conference has sensed the unique energy; they're upbeat, powerful and filled with believers claiming the Spirit's power and blessing. Look out, devil! Yet behind the scenes there's been serious second-guessing and tension. The leadership knows the rank and file don't look to them the way COGIC looks to its presiding bishop. The successful churches sometimes have little denominational loyalty (with exceptions, of course). Add to this the changing morality of society and how is a denomination to respond?
Enter two dynamic leaders.
Tom Trask, a likable former pastor and district superintendent from Michigan, inherited a tough job as he became general superintendent five years after the Bakker/Swaggart scandals. Known for giving friends and strangers alike a hearty European-style kiss on the cheeks, Trask's passion was infectious. He encouraged entrepreneurs like Hal Donaldson and his brothers to build Convoy of Hope (see story on p. 38). Today Convoy distributes almost $80 million worth of goods and supplies each year to those in need around the world.
Trask also was willing to jettison Assemblies programs and surrounded himself with leaders who brought in younger people and encouraged church growth, particularly among Hispanics and African-Americans. During Trask's tenure came the emergence of leaders such as Rodriguez, who has become influential through his National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which represents millions of Hispanic believers and more than 40,000 U.S. churches.
Trask abruptly resigned in 2007 before his term ended, which would normally leave a gaping hole. Yet the man who followed him had served on the Executive Presbytery as general secretary for 14 years: George O. Wood. Trained as a lawyer, Wood had been a pastor in California for 17 years, then assistant superintendent in the Southern California district for five years before becoming general secretary.
Here's another paradox: At age 72, Wood is embraced by the younger generation, who seem to understand his larger-than-life task of retooling a denomination for the future. To accomplish that, he's brought in leaders with experience at LifeWay (owned by the Southern Baptists) whom he found working at The Oaks Fellowship, an AG megachurch in Dallas. He tasked them with revitalizing the AG publishing program, including servicing churches more effectively with the My Healthy Church brand of ministry resources. With support of the Executive Presbytery and General Presbytery, he reorganized the many departments that were independent kingdoms and installed COO Sol Arledge, an independently wealthy Pentecostal businessman who had retired to serve full-time as a volunteer youth pastor but eventually wound up at headquarters in Springfield.
Like Trask, Wood understands the importance of fanning already-fueled fires, and for today's Assemblies that means tending to the denomination's largest areas of growth: ethnic minorities and millennials. In addition to the aforementioned surge among non-whites, one-third of the AG (1.1 million) is now 25 years old or younger, and 52 percent are under age 35. Currently there are 12,800 AG churches in the U.S., 2,000 of which have been added in just the past six years. Recently released statistics show the AG's growth percentage continues to outpace that of the American population.
"Dr. Wood's leadership has given our movement a chance to prove the historians wrong," says Scott Wilson, pastor of The Oaks Fellowship. "Time alone doesn't make an organization obsolete ... stubborn pride and a love for the status quo is what takes you down."
If Wood has any say—and he's had plenty thus far in shaping a "new AG"—those two deterrents won't factor into what is obviously a bright future for the denomination. What looms instead are the massive questions of cultural relevancy amid increasingly hostile opposition. How will AG churches and believers respond when they're targeted by such forces as the gay agenda or an anti-Christian government?
Though most AG adherents are politically conservative, politics is rarely discussed and Assemblies leaders of past generations have been curiously quiet in the cultural wars, unlike other Christians leaders such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson or attorney Jay Sekulow.
Wood sees it differently, however: "We have been anything but quiet. In regard to homosexuality, I have taken strong public stands on homosexual issues related to the Boy Scouts [and] World Vision, as well as an active role in the Springfield community when the city council was poised to enact legislation favorable to homosexuals. Pastors all across the country have spoken up for life (against abortion) and for marriage as between a man and a woman. We have given strong public support for the Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court. I've also worked behind the scenes with the National Association of Evangelicals on these issues as they have a bigger megaphone than any one of their member denominations or churches."
Indeed, Wood has spoken out on issues of life and sexuality, but will other AG leaders follow suit? Will the Assemblies be content to let others lead in the culture wars, or will its voice be as pronounced as its global growth?
These questions must be answered, and certainly will if our nation continues on its current course. But for now, as the Assemblies of God marks its centennial, we can look back and marvel over what the Holy Spirit has accomplished through this denomination for 100 years. Because the truth is that, just as it was with an assembling of faith-filled yet assorted Pentecostals in 1914, the good that comes out of this movement is not despite its unique paradoxes and contrasts but because of them.

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Steve Strang is the founder and publisher of Charisma. If you haven't already, read about his personal connection with the Assemblies of God.

Spiritual Emphasis Week

Often the church calendar goes by at a ferocious pace. But this next week is our Spiritual Emphasis time. It is a time of stepping aside, slowing down, and seeking The Lord. We will be having Wes Davenbaugh with us. Wes' emphasis will be on focusing our hearts on the Holy Spirit's presence. With all the challenges and struggles we face, with the busyness of our schedules and the frantic pace of life we need to Spirit of God to face the nearly impossible task of living victorious for Jesus.

The victorious life isn't one without bumps or storms. Everyone faces those things. But the life of victory manages to face down these obstacles with a deep faith that keeps us from having a freak out moment! So slow down and come out this next week. Prioritize your time with the Spirit and gain the inner peace that it takes to live in victory.

10 Reasons I Give to Missions ( and so should you!)

Borrowed and amended from Kristi Winkler

1. It is a command.
Most of us cannot go ourselves to spread the word but we should be obedient to support the mission of Jesus. He called us to participate in making disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to keep His commandments (Matthew 28: 18-20). There are many ways to be involved with this effort –encourage those who are studying to be ministers of the Gospel, pray for missionaries and mission fields, and lend financial support to those who have heeded the call to go. Faithful monthly giving, even 20 dollars a month, can make a big difference when the whole church body obeys the command of Christ. At CLC we love the mission field.

2. How else will they hear?
The fact that so many still have not been told about the hope that is found in Jesus should be compelling enough. Mercy has been extended to us, and mercy is required of us. In Romans 10:14-15 the Apostle Paul says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? We must be involved in this effort.

3. Workers are few



Jesus said, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matt 9:37-38). We are ALL called to play a part in the process of planting, watering, and reaping the harvest. 1 Corinthians 3:9 says, that “we are the laborers together with God.” As a believer we must be making effort toward fulfilling the call to reach the lost.

4. Missionaries depend on us
We are told in scripture to pray and provide support to those who give of themselves in taking the gospel to various parts of the earth. Paul asked the church to pray “that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified…and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. (II Thessalonians 3:3).  Paul thanked the Philippian church for their contribution to his care (Philippians 4:10-18). Full time missionaries depend on prayer, encouragement and financial support to meet spiritual, emotional and physical needs, so that they can give themselves fully to the work of spreading the gospel.

5. We have been blessed for a reason.
“To whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48). We have been given so much – freedom to study the Word of God, and many of us have health and enjoy a level of prosperity not seen in other parts of the world. Are we fulfilling our responsibility as good stewards of all that God has given us? It is yet another reason to labor in love.

6. Safe investment
It’s very easy to let ourselves be burdened with the cares of this world and worry about money. The remedy for the anxiety caused by uncertain investments, distress and cupidity, is to seek first God’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Giving to the cause of the gospel is a way to store treasures in heaven that will never fade or fail (Matthew 6:20).

7. Reward
There is great reward in investing in the things that have eternal yield. A temporal inheritance can be squandered but an eternal inheritance is a reward that never goes away. “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.” (Hebrews 6:10). Sowing seed in the mission field is done with the expectation that a harvest will follow.

8. Loving our neighbor as ourselves
Scripture commands us to not only love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, but also to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are taught that the entire law sits on these two things. (Matthew 22:36-40). When you are hungry, tired, and cold you care for yourself enough to eat, sleep, and warm yourself; this verse asks us to take the extra step of seeking to cover the basic needs of our brothers and sisters, including those out in the field loving and caring for the lost.

9. Glorify God
Ascribing to God honor, dignity, praise and worship is our primary objective as redeemed members of His creation. By obeying Him and following His commands to love Him and love others we bring glory and honor to God.

10. Establish His kingdom on earth:
“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Our prayer should be that the gospel of Christ will be advanced as we prepare for his imminent return. The urgent message to repent heralds the coming of the Christ, bringing his return ever closer as we reach the the nations. When he returns as King he will inspect the investments he has given us to invest. We want him to find us alert and working hard to advance His Kingdom when he returns, not lethargic and apathetic.

A great place to start is to surrender a meal out as an offering to the Lord. Your faithful gift of 30 dollars a month given in the Missions offering at CLC will enable the gospel to be preached to folks around the world! Only Heaven can know the impact of your sacrifice!

The Blight of Slavery- NOW!

I recently saw the movie 12 Years a Slave. The graphic depiction of the history of our country with regard to slavery is overwhelming. The movie left me with a sense of relief when it ended. For to watch the injustice upon others based upon the prejudices of the heart is almost unbearable. Almost, until you realize that you sat through 2 hours of the injustice and many lived it their whole life time! We breathed a sigh of relief upon getting in the car and thanked God for the fearless men and woman of the abolition movement. But as I began to think of it I realized that slavery hasn't really ended.

The most current statistics on sex trafficking are horrifying if you take a moment out of your day to think about it- and few of us do. According to the U.S. State Department's annual reports on trafficking in a 2005 report, "600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year, with 14,500 to 17,500 trafficked into the U.S. " This does not give any indication of the reason for that exploitation. Many are moved for the purposes of sexual exploitation and some are used for forced labor. As uncomfortable as it is, the numbers are staggering.

And so there is a rising movement to demand change- End it. Please take a moment to view the video below.

May be you want to connect, to make a difference in the lives of the people who are victims of this kind of abuse. You can make a donation to people who are making a difference at Project Rescue and find out more at Endit. As uncomfortable as it is, we should do something!

New Years Fast

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. (Matthew 4:1, 2 ESV)

Many of us begin the New Year with a fast. Jesus fasted too as he was about to launch his ministry. As I meditated upon the verses above I noticed three things.

1) Jesus' fast was spirit directed-Sometimes people fast for the wrong reasons; to get what they want, to manipulate Gods will, or to know something that can only be known by revelation. Fasting can bring insight, breakthrough and clarity. But the primary reason to fast is to practice saying no to the flesh.

2) The purpose of the fast seems to have been to tempt Jesus.-God would allow Satan to tempt/test Jesus. Temptation is a form of spiritual warfare...here Jesus is victorious.

3) when you fast you get hungry...at least for a while. Because the bodily appetite is natural it isn't going to go away. It will, however, be overcome by the Spirit within a man as he learns to depend solely upon Jesus.

May God give you breakthrough...

Hyper-Grace Extremism

One of the negative developments that came to the fore in 2013 was the error of Hyper-Grace. For those of you not familiar with the doctrines of this teaching let me list them for you. Dr Michael Brown says they are (1) we have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus, (2) all our sins have been forgiven, (3) the Holy Spirit never convicts believers of sin, and (4) we need never repent for nor confess our sins. One proponent of the hyper grace message says "... it is not necessary to confess our sins and that Paul’s epistles never give an example of a believer confessing sin." This is simply not true. Paul confronts sin in the church of Corinth, for instance, in 1 Cor 7.8ff explaining to these NT believers that "Godly sorrow brings repentance". Indeed, other NT authors recognize the importance of keeping oneself pure and whole by confessing sins. John (1 Jn 1.9) talks about the God right to forgive confessed sin. He also criticizes those who say they do not sin. saying that they imply that "God is a liar" v10. James talks about the healing power of confessed sin in 5.16. The author to the Hebrews 12.14 reminded his hearers of the importance of their efforts to live rightly and then said " without holiness no man will see the Lord".

Another author writes that confession is a "faithless act" that does not result in forgiveness. He says that the meaning of repentance changed between the covenants. That doesn't follow logically. Repentance has always meant to agree with God's assessment of our condition and turn to God. This doesn't bring us to the love of God. God loves us (and all mankind) even while we are sinners. Salvation is never merited. It is by grace through faith )Eph 2.8-10)and that faith must be genuine (James 2.22-24) enough to produce the fruit of repentance (Matt. 3.8).

Confusion results because the scriptures are read and then taught through a theological system that discounts every work of man. I will be the first to stand and proclaim that in my flesh there resides no good thing. But my spirit is empowered by the Holy Spirit and gives direction to my body. I CAN live a life that glorifies God; I CAN bear fruit unto righteousness; I CAN fulfill the works for which he set me apart by grace. The fact is that the Apostle Paul spoke of his own "fear of the Lord" in 2 Cor 5.11ff saying that his ministry of trying to persuade men to follow the Lord was in a fearful response to the knowledge that " we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body..."

The Strange God of John MacArthur

Johnny is a cessationist. Cessationists believe that some of the gifts of God have ceased. Which ones you ask? The ones they don't like and the ones they can't control. If choosing which parts of the Bible you like and discounting or discarding the others sounds like a poor way to determine theology to you, your right. Let's hear some of their arguments.

MacArthur writes, "Miracles in the Bible [primarily] occurred in three major periods of time.  The time of Moses and Joshua, the time of Elijah and Elisha, and the time of Christ and the apostles.  . . . And it is during those three brief periods of time and those alone that miracles proliferated; that miracles were the norm; that miracles were in abundance. Now God can interject Himself into the human stream supernaturally anytime He wants.  We’re not limiting Him.  We’re simply saying that He has chosen to limit Himself to a great degree to those three periods of time." Of course, revelation came to Gideon, Samuel, and prophecies came during the time of the judges, the kings, and the prophets, etc. Clearly these are arbitrary divisions of time whose purpose is to prove the preconception of the Cessationists. Oh, there is a reason why there is no Biblical record of miracles after the apostolic age. The New Testament was already finished! What Johnny claims is that God has chosen limit himself to certain times. Now, honestly can you think of one verse in which Jesus limits the expectations of God's response to prayer? Didn't think so. Instead, Jesus stimulated faith in God and challenged the faithful to believe for more.

Johnny doesn't like prophets, either. He has written, "There is no warrant anywhere in Scripture for Christians to listen for fresh revelation from God beyond what He has already given us in His written Word." Hmm,  Johnny has conveniently forgotten the command to "quench not" in 1Thessalonians 5.19-22 (Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. ESV) What are we to say that this verse means if not that we can expect extra-biblical revelation? Not only is Johnny guilty of despising prophecies and quenching the Spirit he errantly claims that the Bible alone is the place God speaks.  This in spite of the fact, that there is not a single verse that teaches that the Holy Spirit would stop speaking or cease to use men who were gifted to the church (Eph 4.11f). Paul taught that the purpose of prophets is to bring the church to maturity.

Johnny's strange God seems to be pretty much an absentee landlord who shrugs his shoulders at the needs of mankind, perhaps blaming poor timing for his impotence to help. I prefer the God of Jesus.

Scared of Testing

For the third time in the last few months I have had the interesting experience of people of "faith" reacting negatively to any speaking of God testing his children. I find this curious that the verbage of testing is so scary to these folks. So I thought that I would ponder it a bit on my blog today.

First, it is clear to me that God tests his children. I don't think any careful student of the Bible can reject this. In the Old Testament we read a pretty clear verse in Genesis 22.1  "...God tested Abraham..." Proverbs 17.3 tells us that "the Lord tests men's hearts" as a crucible tests silver and gold. Jeremiah 20.12 specifically tells us that the Lord tests "the righteous". So clearly God behaved this way in the past. Some might object and say that God does not do these things in the New Testament. But that is clearly NOT how the Apostle Paul viewed God when he wrote in 1 Thess 2.3-4 "... we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts..." My understanding is that God tests us and that he does so to let us see what is in our heart. We are tested to assess this heart that can be "decietfully wicked" and mask our true intent and our true allegiances.

Second, God is good even when life is bad. I suspect that the fear that these "faith" people have is that God will be percieved as the author of some malady that is upon someone, or be blamed for what is perceived as unanswered prayer, or to be accused as the cause for some circumstance. There is a difference between God allowing something to come upon someone and God designing something specifically for someone. When God says in Ex 4.11 that he makes the deafened ears clearly he is speaking to Moses regarding Moses' excuse making in response to God call. God isn't saying that he chooses some to be sick, or handicapped. He is the soveriegn, but people are born with handicaps and disabilities, sicknesses, etc because of the sin tainted brokenness of the world that we live in.  Could God change that? Sure ! And he did in Jesus! Making a way for everyone who enters the kingdom out of this sick and broken world to find immediate wholeness.

Third, the tests that the Lord gives are not temptations to sin. James makes this clear enough saying that God does not tempt man. So these cricumstances of life come along and reveal the impurities and the weaknesses of character that are hidden in the recesses of the heart of men. The goal of a test, as any good teacher will tell you, is to continue the education and not to torpedo the student! God knows my heart. But the issue is that I do not know my own deceitful heart. The test reveals what I am made of on the inside.... not to God but to me.

So why are we afraid of the simple truth of Scripture? Could it be that we are trying to insulate ourselves from the test itself? Could it be that we are afraid that our faith would fail if we thought for a moment that God would allow a discomfort or hardship? The author of Hebrews tells us that we are to "endure hardship as discipline" and reminds us that the Lord disciplines those he loves. If the goal of my heart is complete surrender to the Lord then certainly I am to embrace the Lord who tests my heart. And there is no reason to be scared of testing.

Always Maturing

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14, 15 ESV)

We talk a lot about maturing. No doubt God's design (as we see in nature) is that men and women are developed from the likes of boys and girls. Each of us have aspirations regarding the growth we desire in God. We a instructed to covet certain useful spiritual gifts, we are encouraged to find strength in difficult times of tribulation and trial by contemplating the truths that "patience is having her perfect work" and that "God is working out all things" on our behalf. In fact, I am often disappointed by my own slow maturation process. "Aren't you past that yet?", I quip.

Today it suddenly dawns upon me that there is "another law at work in my members" as the Apostle might say. Sin grows and matures, too. Hmmm, that can't be good! Indeed, the scripture tells me that sin looks remarkably like death when it reaches maturation. Sin, left unchecked, in our hearts and minds wreaks havoc and brings death and destruction. So which will come to maturity in me? Will I be spiritually mature and over come the sin that waits at the door looking to master me, or will sin mature and bring death?

I suppose it will be the thing that I feed most. Paul said that we will " reap from the flesh if we sow to the flesh". A startling and sobering thought.

Talking sex with the kids

For decades, movies and sitcoms have presented a caricature of the sweaty-palmed, birds-and-bees conversation in which Dad stammers through a convoluted description of sex to a preadolescent child — who, it turns out, knows all of the details already. The humor arises from the tension most parents feel about discussing sex with their kids. ("What if we tell him too much?" "Will this rob him of his innocence?" "What if he starts asking about what we do?")

What isn't so funny is the reality that too many children learn about sex from everyone but their parents. Playground slang and obscenity, a distorted description of intercourse from the tough kid up the street, or worst of all, a look at some pornographic material on cable TV or the Internet often provides a child's first jarring glimpse of sex. What should be seen as the most beautiful, meaningful and private communication between a married couple becomes a freak-show curiosity. "Mom and Dad did that? More than once?!"

Efforts by public schools to correct misinformation from the street and lack of information from home often leave out a critical ingredient: the moral framework within which the facts about reproduction should be presented. Without an ethical context, sex education becomes little more than basic training in anatomy, physiology, infectious diseases and contraception.

Many churches have made laudable efforts to teach biblical principles of sexuality to their youth groups. But these important concepts are not always accompanied by accurate medical information or refusal skills. Furthermore, youth-group presentations usually begin late in the game (i.e., during the teen years) and rarely involve an on-going dialogue about this subject.

The best place for a child to learn about sexuality is at home from those who care most about him. Anyone can teach the basic facts about reproduction in an hour or two (or they can be read in any of several reference books), but you are in the best position to put this information in the proper context and give it the right perspective over a period of years. There are no cut-and-dried formulas for carrying out this assignment, but keep the following principles in mind:
Giving a child facts about reproduction, including details about intercourse, does not rob him of innocence. Innocence is a function of attitude, not information. A school-age child who understands the specifics of sex, while seeing it as an act that, in the proper context, both expresses love and begins new life, retains his innocence. But a child who knows very little about sex can already have a corrupt mind-set if he has been exposed to it in a degrading, mocking or abusive context.
If you feel squeamish or inhibited about broaching this subject with your child, reflect for a moment about your own attitudes. Do you harbor any feelings that sexual activity, even within the context of marriage, is somehow base or something that God really doesn't approve of? If you realize that this is an issue for you, some conversations with your pastor, a counselor or both may be in order. Hopefully these discussions, and perhaps a reading of the Song of Solomon and other Bible passages, will alleviate any uneasiness you might harbor regarding God's attitude toward sexuality. Books that are reliable, informative and honoring to sex, marriage and the Creator of both can also be very helpful. Two good examples are The Gift of Sex: A Guide to Sexual Fulfillment by Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner and Intended for Pleasure by Dr. Ed and Gaye Wheat. But for many people uneasiness about sex may be rooted in life experiences, especially if they involve sexual abuse experienced during childhood, adolescence or even adulthood. It is never too late to address such issues with an individual who has training and experience in this area and can help you work toward healing.
Don't wait to tell your child everything you know about sex during a single, intense marathon session. Doing so risks either waiting until it's too late or dumping more in the child's lap than he can process. Instead, information should be released gradually during many conversations over a period of several years. (The same principle applies to any other area of life — faith, values, responsibilities, relationships, handling money and so on — in which you intend to offer guidance to your child. These subjects are too important to be confined to a single conversation.)
In many instances, you will be giving information on a need-to-know basis. Your five-year-old is probably going to want to know how the baby inside Aunt Susie is going to get out. But your child may not think to ask how the baby got there, and you don't need to broach the subject at that time. On the other hand, if you haven't yet had any discussions about reproduction with your ten-year-old, you will need to take the initiative to start some conversations. She has already heard all sorts of things on the playground and needs to hear from more reputable and mature sources.
What if your child asks you questions you can't answer? Be honest, and then do some research. You gain far more stature in your child's eyes by showing candor than by bluffing. You may not have a detailed knowledge of the intricacies of the menstrual cycle or the developmental stages of puberty, but you're never too old to learn. 

The Unusable Believer

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:16 ESV)

There are those who make much noise about their own righteousness. They are loud and brash with their opinions for or against this thing or that, making sure that we all know how deeply they hold their Faith. But Christian faith isn't simply a matter of belief. Yes, salvation is by faith alone, sola fide, as Paul makes crystal clear in his letter to the Romans. Yet, the tendency toward extremism is held in check by the word of James in 2.26 "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

Often scholars pit one Apostle against the other but here in the letter toTitus Paul clarifies the same teaching. Works betray the reality of ones faith. Put another way, saving faith has demonstrative acts that accompany that belief. The longer one walks with God the more our own insubordination and rebellion should subside into submission to the formative hand of God's Word. When we persist in our own ways we make ourselves useless for the King and his purposes.

The unusable Christian is most frustrated. Each challenging word from the pulpit does not fall upon good soil; every effort to do something of significance ends in futility; every step forward in growth is undermined by the shallow faith that cannot yield to the Lord. We must die daily to self. We MUST learn to submit to God. We do this excruciating work as an honor to God. If we don't we remain unusable.

Maximizing Mornings

For the past two weeks I have been very busy. Many days right from the jump. I was trying to maximize my time by hitting the road as soon as possible in the morning. But in order to facilitate that I was cheating on my time with God. I don't mean that I was living prayerlessly, but I was squeezing prayer time in here and there. Earlier this week I felt The Lord drawing me away for some deeper fellowship. I objected complaining about the list of unfinished business that was waiting for me but the Holy Spirit persisted in calling me. I found that quiet place and spent undivided time with The Lord. How rich was his presence! What amazing strength I felt in those moments, as if his power was radiating through me! The refreshing of his presence brought me peace, strength, and joy. Those next few days were so productive! But I soon found myself slipping into the old pattern of trying to maximize my mornings with meetings and labor. I have concluded the following; Morning is the time to pray, my mornings are maximized in the presence of true greatness (God) not by my effort, and my life is only able to maintain a grace and peace about it when I am rich in his presence.

Going Deeper-10 Revival Prayers

TEN SPECIFIC PRAYERS FOR REVIVAL AND SPIRITUAL AWAKENING!!

(Copied  from A Powerful Prayer Life G Frizzell)

 

1. Ask God to bring deep conviction of sin, spiritual brokenness, a holy fear of God and

genuine repentance among His people.

There will be no revival without these elements and

only God can produce them in His people. After all we cannot program or work up genuine

brokenness and repentance. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

 

2. Pray for deep cleansing, genuine repentance, and spiritual power to engulf pastors and

Christian leaders.

Revival and spiritual awakening are extremely unlikely without a mighty

move of God in pastors and Christian leaders. Renewed pastors are absolutely crucial to a move

of God in our day! (Ephesians 6:14-20)

3. Pray for God to bestow spiritual hunger in His people and draw them to fervent

intercession.

God has to grant people the genuine faith and the fervent desire for prayer. With all

our promotion and programming, we cannot “produce a genuine prayer movement. (Philippians

2:13)

4. Pray that God will bring loving unity in our churches and a deep harmony between our

churches.

Many churches need healing among members and many churches need to stop

competing jealously with other churches. (John 13:35)

5. Pray for God to fill His people with a passion to see people saved.

(Only God can give a

genuine burden for souls.) Until God’s people intensely pray for the lost and do aggressive soul

winning revival will tarry. Be sure you are constantly praying for many lost people by name.

(Romans 9:1-3)

6. Pray for God to give His people a passion for missions and starting churches.

Great revivals

produce an explosion of mission projects, new ministries and new church starts. Only God can

grant a genuine passion for missions. (Matthew 28:19)

7. Pray that God will call thousands into ministry, missions and Christian service.

Many

churches are dying for lack of soul winners, teachers and church workers. Furthermore, we can

start only as many churches as we have church planters to start them. (Matthew 9:37)

8. Pray that God will pour out His Spirit like a mighty purifying flood.

Ask God to purify our

“motives as we pray for revival. After all it is possible to pray for revival for selfish or ambitious

reasons. Our motives must be solely for: (a) the glory of God, and (b) the increase of the

kingdom of God. We must not pray for revival just to solve our own problems or make our

church successful in the eyes of men. (James 4:2)

9. Pray for a mighty move of conviction and salvation upon communities of cultural influence.

Some key examples are Hollywood actors and producers, government officials, educators,

teachers, and college professors, news and media people, talk shows hosts, comedians,

homosexual activists groups, and the music industry. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Provide specific lists for

your congregation.

10. Specifically pray for God to pour out His Spirit in a fashion even greater than He did in

America in 1858 and Wales in 1904.

(Ten percent of Wales’ population was saved in five

months!) Ask God for a modern day of Pentecost in the United States and Canada. (Mark 11:22-

24; John 14:13-14.)

Let us so Pray!

Losing or Forfeiting Salvation

Here are soem notes from and Ask The Pastor session Wednesday evening.

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

 

The New Testament answer is simply yes.

            In nearly every book of the New Testament there is a warning regarding this.

                        Matt. 7.21 not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”

                        Mark 9.42ff  NIV if anyone causes one of these little onese who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to b e thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck…it is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be  thrown in Hell.

                        Luke 12:8-9 ESV .. “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

                        John 15.6.if anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown into the fire and burned….

                        Acts 8.18-23 Simon… believed (v13) baptized (v16) repent or perish!

 

 

There are those who believe otherwise but it is not a biblically formed belief but one from a systematic theology. By that I mean that it does not spring from the scriptures themselves. This is the result of forcing a system on the Scripture (Calvinism). This doctrine at its most extreme has God in the position of assigning who will be saved and damned by his own volition. It is a slander against the character of God. Scripture isn’t a systematic theology book…

 

So How to Lose your salvation….

                        Jn 15.6   Stop bearing fruit

                        Matt 12. 30-32 Blaspheme the Holy Spirit

                        Rev 3.5 Give up (He who overcomes will… be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life…)

                        1 Tim 1.18-20 fail to fight the good fight, keep faith, or have a good conscience. (Shipwreck yoru faith)

                        1 Cor 9.27 live an undisciplined life (I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize)

                        1 Cor 15.1,2 believe a false gospel. (I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have toaken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preaced to you. Other wise, you have believed in vain.

                        Gal 5.1-6  become entangled again in a yoke of slavery…. (You have fallen from grace!)

                        Rom 2. 1-11, 13,16  Judge others hypocritically. (Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath)

                        Heb 10.26 continue in sin rather than embracing God’s Work in you

                       

 

A Few New Testament Examples of those who have lost their salvation

False teachers 2 Peter 2.20-22

Hymaneaus and Alexander 1 Tim 1.20

Unnamed “Lord, Lord” folks in Matthew 7 

Simon Acts 8