Loving Your Gay Friends

It's not hard to love somebody, is it? Well, of course it is! Jesus challenged us over and again to love, not because it was easy but because it was right! In fact, Jesus compares those who only love "easy" with the most selfish people of his time... the tax collectors.

Matthew 5.46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

So as a Christ follower I have to put in the work so that I may love like Jesus. Often this is difficult because I am lazy, ill informed, and selfish. In order for me to love someone I often have to understand what it is like to walk in their "moccasins". I may have to have some frank and uncomfortable conversations with my friends who live a different lifestyle than I. And for many Christians, that is stressful. Nevertheless, it is a gut check for believers. Will you come out of the closet as a follower of Jesus?

Be Loving
When Jesus came to the woman at the well in John 4 he had a situation. First, it is unseemly for He, a man, to be conversing with a woman. Next, she her Samaritan theology is a mess. Thirdly, Her lifestyle of promiscuity is also glaring problem. But Jesus loved her. He loved her with the intention of giving her the truth. He prophesied to her in a way that she brought others back to see Him! Yet he didn't withhold truth.

Is it possible for us speak the truth so compellingly that it will provoke a spiritual curiousity that draws them closer? So often the disciple of Jesus speaks out in angry confrontation rather than love. Perhaps we need to be more dependant upon the gifts of the Holy Spirit to speak with these friends who are living in a fashion that is damaging their soul.
 
Be Honest
If you are uncomfortable celebrating the homosexual marriage of your friend tell them that in a loving way. Rather than blaming your church for not being progressive enough, tell them what it is that Jesus said that makes you uncomfortable. You don't have to preach, just talk.

"Look friend, I really want the best for you. I think we have been friends long enough that you know I am a follower of Jesus.  But I am so convinced that this is damaging to you that I can't join your celebration. Sorry. I hope you can respect my faith and my decision."

Be Dependent
Be dependent upon the Lord, that is. Too often we are so codependent we cannot imagine disagreeing with another. We live our lives as slaves to other peoples opinions. Disapproval is the ultimate rejection. What if they don't want to be your friends any longer? Get off the cross! Its not about you, right? It is about communicating truth.

Be Busy
This is not the time to delay. This is about eternal destinies. The further down the rabbit hole to hell our friends go the more damaged they become. Likely, they will not snap out of it without some loving truth told. Sure they will have found new friends who agree with them regarding their lifestyle but will you be remembered as a truth speaker?



Love them enough to speak out.
 

Grace-Giving vs Tithing

Frequently people will speak about New Testament giving as opposed to the tithing principle of the Old Testament. Tithing is the principle of giving that God instituted in Genesis (before the law, by the way) that required an offering of 10% of all the increase from the Israelites. I find this a very strained argument. Frequently it is proffered by those who mask their stinginess with religion. But let’s look at the NT record to see if Paul is differentiating between the two. We will find the teaching in question in 2 Corinthians 8-9.

“For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

I guess the first thing to notice is that Paul is lauding the generosity of these folks and holding them up as an example to be followed by the Corinthian followers of Jesus. He teaches them that giving is a privilege that believers may share. He recognizes that this generous giving sometimes exceeds what common sense would dictate. This is likely because they are sacrificially joining together with his mission. Further, he calls this action a grace that may be excelled in.

“ I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.”

So called grace giving is an act of love for the Lord that he ‘measures against others’ giving. But it takes faith and so he challenges their faith by reminding them that they can expect a supernatural supply in response to their sacrifice because the very purpose of Jesus becoming poor was to bring plenty (literally riches) to his followers. He further challenges them with a timeline for this benevolent gift that is going to be given to the poor in Jerusalem. He reminds them that Christ judges the gift not by what is in the basket but by what is left in the pocket. Cf Luke 21.4

“ Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.””
‭‭‬‬
Paul explains that equality of giving is not in view merely equality of  sacrifice.It levels  the playing field,eases suffering, and gives everyone the opportunity to practice generosity. That the privilege is in the giving not the receiving.

“So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Paul reminds them of their pledged support and urges to finish the work. He encourages with the axiom of scripture that he who sows sparingly can expect little in return but he who sows generously,cheerfully, and of his own volition can expect God to come through for them big time. Of course, the amount that is given is not to be compelled by church leadership but by the faith in the heart of the disciple.

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. “

Once again they are reminded that God’s able and willing to replenish the supply of your resources so that you will be able to step to every giving opportunity. Giving to God,the Apostle reminds us, guarantees all you will need everywhere you go, every time. This biblical mandate to sow a financial “seed” brings supply and increase and enlargement of your reward. God does not limit his blessing to merely financial enrichment but in every way he is our supply.

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:5-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬

And all this beings praise to God in the lives of the receivers, and the givers, and the onlookers!

So Grace Giving is the financial gift of love cheerfully and sacrificially given to the work of God. It is proportional to each man's income, given in faith, with the expectation of divine blessing and reward for giving it. It is an act of obedience that every believer should practice, indeed, excel in. See the difference between Tithing and Grace-giving? Me neither! Giving to God has been an obligatory act of worship since fresh out of the garden (Gen 4.4) and 10 percent was the figure that started long before the old covenant (Gen 14.20). So why not start obeying by faith the Lords mandate to give today?

I

NT Losers

The doctrine of eternal security is often argued in the pews of the congregation. Good people are often found on either side of the argument. I thought I would stir the pot a bit today to remind us that the exhortation to stay faithful is a warning to avoid real spiritual tragedy.  I once spoke to a brother in Christ who told me that if I could produce one person in the New Testament that lost his salvation he would believe that salvation could be lost. Let me produce a few for your perusal.


1. 1 Tim 1.20 Hymnaeus and Alexander- these two failed to "hold on to faith and a good conscience" consequently the Apostle Paul tells us that their faith had been "shipwrecked". They were no longer in the care of the loving arms of the Savior. They were "handed over" to Satan.

2. Gal 5.2-6 Certain of the Galatian believers had fallen prey to a group known as the Judaizers. They began to seek justification before God by the works of obedience to the Law. These, the Apostle says, have "fallen away from grace" and are "alienated from Christ".

3. 2 Peter 2.20 These teachers had fallen into error. They were once free from the "corruption of the world" which came through "knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". Now, however, they have fallen into sins of the world, and are "overcome" by them. They are "worse off at the end than they were at the beginning". (In that they were damned at the beginning, they are worse off now, because they are doubly condemned, having once been saved but now lost)

4. Heb 6.4-8 Among the Hebrew believers there was a number who had "tasted the heavenly gift" and "shared in the Holy Spirit". These also had "shared in the power of God" and the "Word of God". But now they had fallen away. The author says that it is impossible for them to be "brought back" or "renewed" to repentance. Then he likens them to land that produces only thorns and thistles, promising that in the end they will be burned. Compare Heb 12.16

While it is sobering to consider the possibility of throwing it all away, it serves as a warning to us to walk with a determination that we will finish well. We need the grace of God in our lives from salvation experience all the way to the gates of glory. Let us, then, "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised"

Sent Ones

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ESV)

In Matthew 10 Jesus is giving sending orders to his disciples. We read this verse and immediately feel a kindred spirit with those first "Sent Ones". We, like they, are sent into a society that is hostile to the things of God. It resonates with our spirits. It seems pace set our experiences in life. We read this almost in a state of weakness but in doing so we do err.

Jesus is sending his followers into a hostile society but his nowhere claiming them to be lambs to the slaughter. The context demonstrates that he has just equipped them with tremendous authority. They have the power in Jesus' name to drive out the spirits of evil in their journey. They were equipped to bring healing as they were going along as well. Add to this the promise that this authority also could...would raise the dead. They had the power to bequeath peace to a non hostile environment. They had the power to preach the message of Gods love and freedom. Rejection of their words resulted in the eternal damnation of those who chose rebellion over that freedom.

So why, we might wonder, is there a necessity for being wise "so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Jesus seems concerned that the disciples will be tempted to foolish behavior. Certainly, we much dramatic stupidity in the realm of the gifts of the Spirit these days. Gimmicky side show antics are not what the Lord had in mind when he was equipping his church. He determined to empower people like you and I so that we might alleviate the suffering of others as we proclaim the kingdom message of freedom from sin. This requires two importance things. Guarding our hearts and walking in wisdom.

We must remain a people of purity. These days we are being wooed to the ways of this godless world.   We hear of the pursuit of personal holiness less and less. We forget to guard our hearts by monitoring with diligence the eye gate and the ear gates to our soul. Yet the heart of the disciple is the place from which flow the springs of the spirit. The hearts of the disciples must be innocent as doves. We must avoid the cynicism of living in a harsh world.

Yet there is a crafty edge to the moving of the Spirit in a hostile society. An awareness that the unbeliever looks for opportunity to scoff at the gospel. And so we walk as lambs among wolves. We needn't be afraid...wisely walking and innocently loving the lost.

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.