Revival
“How will you know when revival has come? If you have confessed and forsaken personal and hidden sin, you are in revival. If you have a renewed desire to pray and fellowship with Jesus, you are in revival. If you have an unquenchable thirst to praise and worship Him in spirit and truth, you are in revival. If you have been brought back into communion with a brother and old hurts have been forgiven, you are in revival. If you have forsaken a critical spirit of faultfinding, suspicion, and cynicism, you are in revival. When you have become the best friend to your marriage companion and your children no longer dread being in your presence, you are in revival. When the wellspring of the Holy Spirit brings life to every sermon you preach, every prayer you pray, and every song you sing, you are in revival. Authentic revival is more than a concept; it is an experience. Revival should be a perpetual, ongoing style of living for the born-again believer, fed by a daily walk with God. God is always ready to respond to our desire to draw near to Him. He calls us to move beyond the missed of the ordinary income into the extraordinary river of truth and authentic revival. Anything less falls tragically short of God’s great plan for His church.” By Dr. Tim Hill
Stand Up For Righteousness
Since this is an election year I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all Christians to register to vote and then vote. The only way we will see change in our society is to tell our elected officials that we hold them responsible for righteousness. This year is very important because Washington State Legislators are going to bring a bill before the State House and State Senate seeking to legalize same-sex marriage. There are Democrats and Republicans who support a same-sex marriage bill and it is important that we remind them who votes in this state.
Not long ago I was in a meeting with some fellow pastors discussing this issue. One of the pastors in the meeting was Dr. Kenneth L. Hutcherson the Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Kirkland. He encouraged the group of pastors with this statement, “Mist in the pulpit usually means fog in the congregation.” His encouragement for us was, “Pastors preach the word. Teach your people what the Bible says about these issues so that they might have a good biblical understanding of what it is they believe.”
I agree churches in America need to get back to preaching the Word of God in all of its power and purpose. When it comes to same-sex marriage the Bible could not be clearer;
Rom 1:21-27
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
NIV
As followers of Jesus Christ it is our responsibility to understand the political issues that are being discussed and then call our local representatives and stand up for righteousness. Here are a few things you can do;
- Pray for your government
- Contact your legislator at the State level and tell them you support traditional marriage.
- Vote for those who have the same moral beliefs that you do.
- Stay informed and educated about the issues.
For those in Washington State here is the Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000, call them and give them your address and your message; they will deliver your message to your legislator. Tell them you are taking a stance on behalf of traditional marriage. Same-sex marriage is morally wrong and the people of God can no longer be silent on this issue; stand up and be counted!
It has been suggested that faith and politics must stand separate and that a person can have a political agenda that goes against the Word of God, because the current cultural sees it as acceptable. I cannot vote for a political candidate that supports same-sex marriage or abortion, because these things are considered sins in God’s word.
The Crisis of Discipleship
This article is an abridged message delivered to General Council employees during a weekly chapel service at the General Council of the Assemblies of God headquaters in Springfield, Missouri, August 15, 2006 by Charles T. Crabtree.
I wanted to talk to you about the crisis of discipleship. The symbol for crisis in the Chinese language is danger with opportunity. I believe there is a great danger in the Assemblies of God concerning discipleship, but with it, an attending opportunity to raise the level of this church. I want to talk about the causes for the crisis, and then the cure.
To put this into perspective, it is important to look at the church as the Lord sees it. After all, it is His church. What He thinks about it is more important than what we think, and what He knows about it is final. We need to look at the three-fold purpose of this Fellowship in the view of our Lord.
The Three-Fold Purpose of the Church
Our forefathers set before us a biblical mandate for the purpose of the Assemblies of God: evangelism, discipleship, and edification or worship. Allow me to address each of these areas with total honesty.
Evangelism
Overall, I believe the state of evangelism in the Assemblies of God is unremarkable. There are pockets of fervent evangelism, but as a rule, I am concerned about the state of evangelism. I do not see a remarkable influx of true conversions. In the last ten years (1996 through 2005), we had 5.3 million stated decisions for Christ. The growth of our Sunday a.m. service during that period was only 221,890. That is only 4.2 percent conversion growth.
Some will say to me, “Well, coming to Sunday morning worship is not proof of salvation.” I will tell you that if a baby is not in the care of the home, that baby is either dead, lost, or in deep trouble.
Some point out that many died during that period, and that is the reason for such small growth. If this were the death rate, the Assemblies of God would be the most dangerous entity in the world to join. The death rate would be 200 percent, more than the present Assemblies of God population of 2.8 million.
Others say that people are saved and then go to other churches. Praise the lord as long as they are serving Jesus. But we get about as many from other churches as we send. So, the statistics speak of unremarkable results in the area of evangelism in the American Assemblies of God.
Discipleship
Statistics also reveal a crisis in discipleship. In a general sense, discipleship in the Assemblies of God is ineffective. True discipleship begins with obedience and commitment. I sorry to tell you that only 1 person in 4 who decided for Christ last year followed the Lord in water baptism, and 1 in 5 received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If we continue this trend, I project in 10 years we will have a small minority of Pentecostals in the Assemblies of God. So we must have a deep concern about Pentecostal discipleship.
Worship
I believe the state of worship in the Assemblies of God has become incidental rather than pervasive. What do I mean by that? To many, worship is a Sunday morning incident, not a lifestyle. For instance, music during a church service is just one small part of worship in the life of a believer. The greatest expression of worship should take place between Sundays. He is not only worthy to be praised in the house, but He is worthy to be honored in the marketplace and served in the home. Worship is to be constant, humble obedience to the Lord in all areas of life.
The Cause
I have deep concern about the state of the three-fold purpose of this Fellowship. What are the causes behind the data? We need to get to the cause so we can go to the cure. The first cause for ineffective evangelism and discipleship in the Assemblies of God and in the greater American church is the preaching of another gospel-good news for the ego. The Cross is not the central focus in a great deal of preaching.
A Nice Person, Not A New Person
It seems the American church says to those who pass through the doors, “You’re a good person, and the church can give you added value to the temporal life.” And it will. But this is not the primary reason the church exists. The church exists to get people ready for eternity, not for tomorrow. It is not a temporal gospel; it is an eternal gospel, and at the heart of that gospel is the Cross and true repentance.
What we have is a culture that says, “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, that is all we are going to ask. We are not asking for a behavioral change; we want a doctrinal change. We want you to believe the way we believe, but how you act is up to you. And when you come to this church, we promise we will not confront you with sin. We will not make you feel the least bit convicted.”
I see more and more. It is the philosophy of universalism: Confess Jesus, God will take care of the rest. Everybody is eventually going to heaven anyway. So, do not get excited. All you need to do is to be a nice person, not a new person.
In many parts of the world, you have to believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. You have to believe He is Lord, and that He is the ultimate authority. If you do not believe it in your heart, it would be stupid to confess it with your lips because in many countries you will be persecuted at best, or even martyred because of your faith in Christ.
In America, it is popular to confess Jesus with the lips, but it is not popular to live a holy life. We must have a move of the Holy Spirit that will bring divine revelation concerning the power of the Cross along with the resurrected Jesus, so people will say, “The pearl of great price is worth all the junk, all the stuff, all material riches. God is worthy.”
We do not lay these material things down crying; we lay them down praising, worshiping, and thanking God. Jesus loved us so much, He said, “I want to change your life, give you a new life, and I want you to start over. The old one is a mess, and you cannot make it better by yourself.” I believe the reason for unremarkable evangelism is a lack of insistence on repentance in the heart as well as confession from the mouth.
Count The Cost Before Carrying Your Cross
The second cause for a crisis in discipleship is found in Luke 14: 26, 27: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (KJV).
What is your cross? Your cross is living in a hostile world and standing up to the filth, rottenness, and sin in homes, families, and workplaces, and saying, “No, sir, I am a Christian; I am a follower of Christ.” The only way you can do this is to love Him more than your life, more than self. Verse 28 gives a stunning requirement of discipleship: Do not begin until you count the cost.
I believe the Assemblies of God needs to send out this message: “The High Cost of Serving Jesus.” Do you know what will happen? People will come by the millions to a cause that is bigger than their own lives. If we soft-soap the gospel and get by with lackadaisical discipleship, our young people are not going to be interested in something that is not challenging.
It is time to confront; it is time to challenge and offer an alternative lifestyle-a life of surrender to Christ-in such a way that people will realize it is a joy to follow Him. If we will lose our lives for His sake, we will experience a life full of miracles.
Repentance is not a negative concept. It opens the door to living a new life full of divine power and blessing, but for a reason-to live the Christian life, not just to hear about it. The reason people are so desperately apathetic in church is because they do not plan to do one thing about what they hear in church. They do not understand discipleship.
Holy Spirit Empowered Discipleship
Too many Christians come to a building to hear people try to motivate them to live the Christian life-to give them spiritual tools. But if they are not going to use these tools, why would they be interested in looking at them? In other words, if they are not planning on witnessing, praying, reaching the lost, or laying hands on the sick, why would they need the baptism in the Holy Spirit? There would be no purpose in it.
Would you hire a bodybuilder to do your exercising? In a sense, many do that every Sunday. They are asking professionals to do their discipleship. The reason the church is not bigger in America today is because the professionals are doing the work of the ministry that is supposed to be done between Sundays by Spirit-filled portable temples. They have put Jesus under house arrest in buildings and time capsules. It is not entirely the fault of the laity. Too many spiritual leaders have said to Christ’s disciples, “You win in here, you worship in here, and you serve in here. Don’t worry about having any effect out there.” That kind of thinking must change.
It is time for the church to gird itself on Sunday night to rise up Monday morning, and say, “We are going to be a strong, healthy church, and we are going to change this world through our faithfulness to God and our obedience to the Lord.” The only way we will affect America today is to have a discipleship that is powerful in the Holy Spirit outside the walls of a building between Sundays.
Revival Means Healthy Productivity
The answer to our dilemma is revival. My thinking on revival is much different from what most think.
Some time ago I was at an airport hurrying to board a plane. I heard a tremendous commotion and saw a large man on the floor. They had ripped his shirt open and had the paddles out trying to revive him. I breathed a prayer as I went by, but as I went down the jet way, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to me, and said, Consider this. If they bring back, everyone will rejoice. If he is brain impaired, there will be joy with a great sense of sorrow. If they bring him back and he is well, there will be wonderful joy. But if he says, “Now that I’m healed, I don’t need to do anything,” there will be terrible frustration.
Revival is bringing the church back to healthy productivity. We do not have revival to be blessed; we have revival to become a blessing.
You would be shocked at how little I become excited about emotional responses. Most revival is pre-Pentecostal-getting people ready to be Pentecostal. And then we stop at praise rather than moving on into discipleship. Think about that. We are saying being healed or being saved is enough; but the Lord wants the healthy Pentecostal church to be in constant revival-in constant productivity in evangelism, discipleship, and worship.
My prayer is, “God, bring the Assemblies of God back to a consciousness of the Lord as Lord, not as a source of entitlement for a temporal life but as a tool to use to change the world.”
“If ye continue…”
The third cause behind ineffective discipleship is a disregard for a basic requirement of discipleship found in John 8:31: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (KJV). This is why I believe most revivals are pre-Pentecostal.
Often people experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, receive the Baptism (their Upper Room experience), then go back to the Cross and receive another blessing, but are never productive. Why? Because they do not continue in His Word. It is imperative they continue in His authority.
After Pentecost, the New Testament church was effective because they continued. They continued in prayer, evangelism, fellowship, service, and servanthood, and in the Apostle’s Doctrine.
The task before us is challenging, but I am comforted because I know what we are going to do is right. It is right to raise up a Pentecostal discipleship in the Assemblies of God. Because of that, God will help us.
The Cure
So, what is the cure? The cure is to set the church up systematically for a new discipleship. When a church is prepared for revival, they have faith to prepare people for an influx. I preach in some churches, and when I give an alter call, to my dismay, there is nobody to help around the altars. It is because they do not plan to welcome new life into the church.
I believe you must have enough faith to plan. I believe the Assemblies of God needs to plan for a new day in discipleship. Consequently, we are dissolving the old Sunday School Agency and the old Commission on Discipleship, and we are putting them together under one commission-a Commission on Christian Education and Discipleship.
We will set up model churches around the country that are doing small groups within the guidelines of a Pentecostal church. We will promote our own small-group models. We will say to people, “Go to these various models around the county, and learn from them.”
We will train pastors. Christian education directors, and small-group leaders to be ready to receive those interested in starting and sustaining a small-group ministry. Through this strategy, people will be given hands-on training from practitioners.
Sunday School will continue to be the fundamental discipleship ministry in the Assemblies of God. I am a fervent believer that Sunday School, when used properly, is the most effective discipleship tool in the American culture. Small groups and Sunday School will feed off each other.
Churches will express discipleship in many different ways and forms as the Spirit of God leads. With the Lord’s help, we will move from an ineffective discipleship to a powerful ministry that will take people from the altar to the throne. We will take babes in Christ and disciple them into productive spiritual adults.
A Love That Never Fails
We must start with the care and keeping of babes in Christ. Babies can be a problem, but they are worth it if you love them.
My friend, Jim Hall, gives a haunting example. When a new baby is at a family gathering, everyone owns the baby. They pass he baby from one to the other. But when it is time to feed the baby, the mother will say, “Where is the baby? I’m responsible.”
I want to ask everyone, “Would you be open to loving a new convert? Could your church prepare spiritual moms and dads so when someone asks, ‘Where’s the baby?’ you can say, ‘He’s in good hands.’
Will there be someone who understands where these babies are, love them, befriend them, and make sure they are safe in the arms of the church’s love?”
You do not know what to do in discipleship? Love them. That is the answer. And do not go by your schedule; go by theirs. It may not be convenient, but they are babies. They are dependent. They need someone to understand them. We would call it criminal for parents to say because the baby cannot come to the table, let them starve. But new converts are often told, “If you can’t hold to our schedule and eat when and what we eat, you can die.”
Baby Christians are dying by the thousands at the doorsteps of uncaring, unloving churches. What I am saying to you is that the greatest qualification is love-love for Jesus, love for the lost, and love for new converts. Love will teach us what to do. “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
If we will love through Jesus, we can conquer the problems and inconveniences. We can even enjoy the ride. If we resent the babies, it will never work; but if we love them, we will see miracles not only in their lives but also in ours.
And so, in the Assemblies of God, I want to see every convert loved by someone, not just everyone. Let’s start with one because that is where Jesus started-with you.
Conclusion
With God’s help, we will change our world through a church filled with strong, Spirit-filled disciples who will love souls enough to change nonproductive programs, self-centered traditions, and meaningless activity to an exciting ministry of love for Jesus translated into a disciplined life of eternal purpose and spiritual productivity.
Charles T. Crabtree has served as The Assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God and is currently the President of Zion Bible College
Used by Permission of Charles T. Crabtree
Indescribable Gift!
2 Cor 9:15
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
NIV
I think we have all heard the stories that came out of Black Friday this year as people positioned themselves to storm the stores in anticipation of all the great deals that would be available. Now the thought behind all these deals really is to buy gifts for those you love. I wonder what was going through the mind of the lady who pepper sprayed those who were in her way as she grabbed the x box and rushed out of the store. How many years of jail time do you think she’ll receive for that present?
There was a report that as some people were leaving a certain store criminals were waiting on them and they were shot and their presents stolen. Lord protect us from the craziness. I heard about a grandfather who was trying to get a gift for his grandchild and put the thing in his pants and the crowd beat him down to the ground. The police came and took him away. All in the name of getting and receiving gifts during Christmas. My friend Christmas, as the world sees it, has become something very ugly and to be honest with you it wears me out.
Who Started This Christmas Stuff?
A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.
She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year – overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.
Finally the elevator doors opened, and there was already a crowd in the elevator car. She pushed her way into the elevator car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed, she couldn’t take it anymore and she stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”
From the back of the elevator car, everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, “Don’t worry, we already crucified Him.”
For the rest of the trip down in the elevator, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
For the Christ follower, Christmas must have a different meaning!
Two Thousand years ago God gave the world an indescribable gift!
As we approach Christmas 2011 with all of its fear, despair, danger, political unrest, economic uncertainty and anger; it is important to remember this. God’s indescribable gift alone is stronger than the hate and despair that mockingly stands in opposition against “peace on earth good will to men.” This Christmas season as you are pulled in every direction with shopping, Christmas cards, parties, food, families, friends, and the pressure of getting it all right without hurting anyone’s feelings; remember “Immanuel,” God with us. Jesus and He alone is the reason for the season and He deserves all our praise and worship!
Oh Come Let Us Adore Him!
Oh Come Let Us Adore Him!
Oh Come Let Us Adore Him!
Christ The Lord!
Dial it Up!
The headline in today’s news stated that Tim Tebow, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, should dial down the faith. My questions is, “What has the young man done that seems to upset so many people in the world today?”
A few weeks ago the headlines were all about “tebowing.” Apparently in one game when Tim Tebow would get tackled by the opposing team several of them would get on a knee and pretend to be praying; “tebowing.” I heard that Tim Tebow didn’t say a word and when asked it was a non-issue for him.
Several weeks’ later fans show up at a game wearing Denver Bronco jerseys with Tim Tebow’s number and the name “Jesus” on the back. Are people upset that the name of Jesus is getting some air time?
I spent several years on active duty in the military and was stationed during some of the time at Fort Hood Texas. There was a guy in my unit who was a follower of Jesus Christ and on a few occasions he and I would stand outside the Motor Pool and share our faith in Jesus Christ with each other loud enough for others to hear. For the Christian it is important that their faith is lived out everywhere they go. I didn’t apologize for sharing my faith and I didn’t feel the need to “Dial it Down” just because someone thought I was going overboard with it. How can you go overboard about the love of Jesus?
Col 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
NIV
I have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into His kingdom redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, my sins have been forgiven. Dial it down; no way I need to dial it up. THANK YOU JESUS!
It was not uncommon for the First Sergeant of that unit I was in at Fort Hood Texas to ask people; when he was looking for me, “Where is Jesus today?” At first I was upset that he would call me Jesus, but then I realized that Christ in me is the hope of glory.
Tim Tebow you don’t know me, but I would like for you to know that I am so very proud of you young man! Dial it down? Don’t pay any attention to that sir, you keep thanking Jesus every chance you get. Dial it up!
A Message To The Postmodern Church
THE LAST-DAY CHURCH
By David Wilkerson Published: 11/16/2011 – 12:00am
I believe God’s vision for His last-day church is based on His revealed Word—because the Bible clearly outlines what the church of Jesus Christ will be like just prior to His coming.
The church in America is far from what God envisioned it to be. For the most part, entire denominations today operate without the Holy Spirit. They are devoid of the presence of Jesus and bankrupt of all spiritual gifts. They practice a form of religion without any power, conviction or saving message. They are cozy with the world and are more political than spiritual. They appease sin, wink at divorce and ridicule the supernatural, while tossing aside all teaching about heaven, hell, repentance and judgment.
The New Testament church made devils tremble! It drove legions of demons into the abyss, prayed prison doors open, made rulers cringe in fear. Those early believers had such faith and power that cripples rose up leaping and beggars became evangelists. They believed in the supernatural and they opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears and healed all manner of diseases. They even raised the dead!
I am not saying God’s last-day church will be a repeat or copy of the first-century church. No—I am saying it will be even greater than that! It will be mightier, stronger, with an ever greater revelation of Jesus. It will have greater unction from the Spirit than ever—greater even than at Pentecost! God always saves His best wine for last!
The prophet Daniel confirms this. He said that certain prophetic truths were locked up, only to be revealed in the last days: “For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. . . . And none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:9-10).
Today the Holy Spirit is revealing these things to spiritual, discerning saints! “It is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
The Lord is preparing a powerful yet humble army of shepherds after His own heart and also a remnant congregation of hungry sheep who have turned away from the deadness and sin of the modern church. The scene is being set for that church which will be hot, not lukewarm—and it will rock the very foundations of hell. No power on earth will be able to ignore or despise it!
Happy Thanksgiving 2011
As I reflect back on 2011 I wanted to stop a minute and just give thanks. I am so very thankful that God loves me, thank you Father for your divine hand that rest upon my life and my family’s lives. I am thankful that you loved me enough to send Jesus Christ all those years ago to pay the penalty for my sins, Thank you Jesus for saving my soul and being Lord over all I do. I am so thankful that you saw the need to leave the earth and return to your place in heaven, but You knew that I would need a helper; and you sent the Holy Spirit to reside in me to enable me to be an over comer in this world. Thank you Holy Spirit for walking with me and showing me the way; for being my counselor, comforter, helper, partner, companion, and divine friend. Life without You would be hopeless! I am eternity grateful for The One True God, the Trinity that loves me enough to care and help me in all situations.
I am so very grateful for Han; she is so precious to me. For 36 years she has been my best friend and my companion through this walk we call life. I loved her the very first time that I saw her and my love for her has grown steady through the years; in fact I think I love her now more than ever before. Thank you sweetie for going with me through the years and I look forward to another 36 years together! I am thankful for our daughters Luci Stafford and Tammy Hoover, I am thankful for the women they have turned out to be. I am proud of you both and your many accomplishments and successes. I am thankful for two strong men who I call sons-in-laws; Tom Stafford and Brady Hoover, I love you most guys because I see your love for my daughters and my grandchildren; thank you. I am most thankful for my four wonderful grandchildren, James, Alex, Sidney and Ketscher. It is hard to explain how my heart swells every time I am with them. They each have their own personalities and I would not change that for anything. Papa loves you guys very much and I am thankful that you are in my life!
I am thankful for extended family and friends across this nation and around the world. I am hoping that this Thanksgiving finds you all well and full of hope. Remember to give thanks for what God has done for you and your families. I am grateful for my church family, those whom I share a connection because Jesus is our hope and support. I am thankful for your prayers and your care. Many of you I miss because of distance or business, but I pray and think of you often. May God’s hand always rest upon you and keep you. I am thankful for my mentors and spiritual fathers, thank you so much for taking the time to impart to me those things that have me good pastor and shepherd.
Finally to my immediate church family, Angle Lake Neighborhood Church, Han and I wish to thank you all for loving us and making us feel like we are the best pastor in the world. I would like to thank my staff for all you do. Guys I could not do this without you, you are very important to me, please thank your staffs on my behalf for all the hard work they do. I am thankful for a great group of guys the Board Members of Angle Lake Neighborhood Church, thank you guys for your sacrifice and care. I am thankful for every person who calls ALNC home and please know that Han and I love you all very much. My God’s hand rest upon you, may His countenance shine upon you, may His peace be with you, may His grace give you strength, may His power flow through you, may His providence keep you and may His presence always be with you.
Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor John & Han
What Does The Bible Say
Today I attended a meeting of local pastors who were given a briefing concerning the belief that in 2012 the Washington State Legislature will attempt to pass legislation to allow same-sex couples to be married under Washington State law. It was a good meeting and I was very impressed with the guys who were conducting the meeting.
It was their hope to educate pastors and encourage pastors to get more involved in the moral issues of our day. One of the pastors in the meeting was Dr. Kenneth L. Hutcherson the Senior Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Kirkland. He made a wonderful statement and encouragement to the group of pastors that were meeting there. He said, “Mist in the pulpit usually means fog in the congregation.” His encouragement for us was, “Pastors preach the word. Teach your people what the Bible says about these issues so that they might have a good biblical understanding of what it is they believe.”
I agree churches in America need to get back to preaching the Word of God in all of its power and purpose. When it comes to same-sex marriage the Bible could not be clearer;
Rom 1:21-27
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
NIV
As followers of Jesus Christ our responsibility is to understand the political issues that are being discussed and then call our local representatives and stand up for righteousness. Here are a few things you can do;
- Pray for your government
- Contact your legislator at the State level and tell them you support traditional marriage.
- Vote for those who have the same moral beliefs that you do.
- Stay informed and educated about the issues.
For those in Washington State here is the Legislative Hotline 1-800-562-6000, call them and give them your address and your message; they will deliver your message to your legislator. Tell them you are taking a stance on behalf of traditional marriage. Same-sex marriage is morally wrong and the people of God can no longer be silent on this issue; stand up and be counted!
At The Door Knocking
I listened last night to a pastor that I like very much. He is on the radio and television every day and has written several bestselling books. He was in tears as he described, “The Luke Warm Church” that is so popular today. This pastor began to talk about the postmodern church where the subject of sermons is very seldom about Jesus.
I was reminded about my thesis where I describe Dr. Wave Nunnally’s (from Evangel University) research, “One Assemblies of God scholar recently analyzed almost two hundred sermons preached from our pulpits. In 85 percent of these messages, there was absolutely nothing of substance about who Jesus was and what He did.”[1]
How is it possible to listen to two hundred sermons and in 85 percent of them hear nothing of substance about who Jesus is and what He did? My friends every time a preacher stands up to talk his subject should be about Jesus Christ and His work on our behalf. I heard a local pastor once talk about taking a couple from the church where he was pastor to lunch. They told him, “We love you so very much and your talks on Sunday are just great, but we must tell you that when you talk about Jesus you make us uncomfortable.” Is this where the church is today, not talking about Jesus because it might make someone uncomfortable?
I believe that the church Jesus is talking about in Revelation 3 is the postmodern/emergent church of the Twenty-First Century. Let’s listen;
Rev 3:14-22
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘”
NKJV
The answer for the postmodern/emergent church of the Twenty-First Century is “Jesus is knocking,” longing to once again be a part of the church He loves so very much. Jesus desires to once again be the central figure of a church that is self-centered and anemic. Jesus is looking to empower His church through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and to bring His people to maturity through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Open the door and invite the king of the universe in, open the door and allow the Lord of lords His rightful place in your mist. Stop trying to impact the world through man-made methods and projects; preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified and see the world turned upside down for His glory. He is at the door knocking, what are you going to do?
[1] Wave E. Nunnally, Jr. Pentecostal Proclamation in a Liberal, Postmodern World, comp. and ed. James K. Bridges, “The Bible: The Word of God.” (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2003), 64.
Expect
This past week Han and I traveled to Colorado Springs to attend the EXPECT Conference for pastors. While we were there we had some time to visit with old friends; Sue & Lyndon Bacon and Mike & Lynne Baumgardner. What a wonderful time of fellowship it was. One day Sue & Lyndon showed us around the Colorado Springs area and if we were not on assignment by God to minister in SeaTac it could be very easy for us to move there; what great weather and beauty!
However, the best part of our trip was the EXPECT Conference hosted by Gary Wilkerson and The Springs Church. The speakers for the conference were, Gary Wilkerson (Pastor The Springs Church), Carter Conlon (Pastor Times Square Church), Claude Houde (Pastor Eglise Nouvelle Vie in Montreal), Nicky Cruz (Evangelist), Tim Dilena (Associate Pastor Brooklyn Tabernacle) and Jim Cymbala (Pastor Brooklyn Tabernacle).
What was very refreshing for me was the anointed worship and the powerful Holy Spirit empowered preaching. It was obvious that what was on the minds of these men is the direction the church is going in America today.
Here in the Seattle area and in some books I’ve read there is this idea of NO WEIRD STUFF in the church. What these churches and authors are saying in effect is that in the Twenty-First Century Post Modern Church the Holy Spirit meeting with His people as He desires is no longer needed.
At the EXPECT Conference we were encouraged to stop trying to grow the Church of Jesus Christ with man-mad methods and simply get back to allowing the Holy Spirit His place to save and transform people’s lives. Again, it was just wonderful!
Although every sermon was so very good and powerful, the last day Jim Cymbala spoke about prodigal sons and daughters and how he felt something special was going to happen in the service that day. Man what a service! When the altar call was given (That’s right an altar call) people rushed to the altar crying, moaning, and wailing for their lost loved ones. The anointing around the altar was so thick. There were people laying prostrate before God, kneeing, standing, crying out to the living God to reach out and touch those prodigals and call them back. You can call this weird stuff if you like, but to me it is the power of God meeting with His people in a special way to see the supernatural take place.
Man-made churches will never see the supernatural take place; they will just experience a man-made existence. Let me quote Francis Chan,
“There are millions of churchgoers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced the presence of God or his actions in their lives over the past year. And many of them do not believe they can.”[1] “Let’s be honest: If you combine a charismatic speaker, a talented worship band, and some hip, creative events, people will attend your church. Yet this does not mean that the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming.”[2] Chan goes on to say, “The light of the American church is flickering and nearly extinguished, having largely sold out to the kingdom and values of this world.”[3]
Let us get back to allowing the Holy Spirit His proper place in our churches.
[1] Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit (Colorado Springs, CO: David Cook, 2009), 15.
[2] Ibid, 31.
[3] Ibid, 17.
