An Overcomer

This has been a very busy weekend for Jeanne and me. We have been celebrating the graduation of a very special young lady friend of ours. Her name is Joy. For the past three and a half years, Jeanne and I have been investing our lives into this teenager. as mentor, tutor and friend. We consider her family.

It all began while I was observing a fifteen year old young lady, with outstretched arms, desperately crying out to God on a Sunday morning for help. In that moment, God gently spoke to me that He was going to answer her cry through my obedience to Him. I went home that Sunday and told Jeanne about God’s impression upon me. Together, Jeanne and I entered into the journey fully committed to fulfill God’s plan, whatever that might be. It has been a wonderful journey for all of us, in spite of a few bumps and prodding along the way. Jeanne and I are so very proud of all her accomplishments in such a short time. God has truly blessed her commitment and hard work, as she tenaciously pursued to become all that He wanted her to become.

I clearly remember one of my very first conversations with Joy, not long after God impressed upon me, that I was to do whatever was necessary to encourage and lead her in His plan. It was a Sunday night at youth group, and I had asked Joy what her goals were. She basically answered that she didn’t have any, other than that she hoped she could complete her high school education, although at the time, it seemed like an impossible task. Over the course of the next few years much has occurred. Together, with her parent’s permission and encouragement, we embarked on an ambitious plan that included a more structured home school setting, tutoring, and eventual enrollment at Windham Christian Academy.

Joy has exceeded and surpassed everyone's expectations, including her own. She finished her Junior year at Windham with a 92 average and as an honor student. This year she has graduated with high honors and a 96 GPA (2nd in her class). I have watched her blossom and come alive with confidence during the past three years. She has overcome a low self-opinion of herself and turned into a bright, cheerful and confident young woman. She has taken advantage of the opportunities that have been afforded her, to develop academically, emotionally, and spiritually. Joy has had to work double hard to get to the point of where she is now. Where as before, she had little hope and few goals for life, now before her are visions and dreams and great opportunities. She has a hope filled future.

Joy is about to embark on a new journey. She is accepted to Valley Forge Christian College and has received several scholorships to help make her dream financially possible. Joy is an overcomer! Her successes did not come about the easy way. It was the result of having put God first in her life and by diligently and doggedly working hard. God has rewarded Joy's efforts. This all brings me to my point of this blog this morning.

God makes many promises to the overcomer. He mentions seven in Revelations:

Revelation 2:7 NIV
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:11 NIV
who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Revelation 2:17 NIV
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Revelation 2:26 NIV
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations . . .

Revelation 3:5-6 NIV
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation 3:12 NIV
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.

Revelation 3:21-22 NIV
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

God rewards those who dilgently seek after Him. Congratulations Joy! Jeanne and I so very proud of you. I have always believed in you because God first believed in you. You are an inspiration to anyone who faces obstacles and difficulties. They can be overcome as we put our faith, trust, and confidence in Him. The Bible clearly states that we will reap what we sow.

I Say "Amen!"

I'm sitting at my favorite coffee shop in Windham, Maine, sipping some good coffee and catching up on some reading. I just got done reading The Pastor's Weekly Briefing by H.B. London and was deeply moved by it. I want to share the article with you.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR CHILDREN?

It is very difficult not to get caught up in the adventures and consequences of Hollywood's "bad girls." The names Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie dominate news shows, newspapers and magazines. These young ladies, all under the age of 26, have become famous more for their misdeeds than their accomplishments. It has been said, "Fame, money and power change everything." Would you agree?

It is also a sad commentary on our society when the young ladies mentioned above become the role models for pre-teen and teenage girls around the world. Paris Hilton was in jail (apparently now under house arrest), Lindsay Lohan is in re-hab, Nicole Richie is fighting to stay out of jail, and Britney Spears, the mother of two, is saying she has hit bottom ... and yet they are role models? Go figure.

In a USAToday survey taken last weekend, people said money, fame and the negative influence of Hollywood had more to do with their bad behavior than parents doing a poor job. I wonder? I believe parents matter and they matter a lot. I also would think the parents of the four troubled ladies are heartsick at what they see.

Pastors, your children live in a fishbowl. The smaller the church, the larger the bowl — simply because your children find themselves in the spotlight.

Bev and I are very proud of our two sons. They are both married with two children. Each of them has a teenage daughter. I know our girls are aware of the "famous four" we have been discussing.

I wish the following for my two granddaughters:

I want them to experience unconditional love, but with limits and parameters.

I want them to grow under Christian influence. I want them to model their parents' values.

I want their fathers to be their heroes, not some rock star or movie celebrity.

I also want for them good guidance from their moms on what they wear, and how they look in public. Sometimes, parents must say "no" regardless of the reaction.

I want for my granddaughters open communication. I want them to be able to discuss anything with their parents.

I also want them to understand the value of a dollar.

I want for them friends who have good morals themselves, and good parental influence.

I don't want my granddaughters to think Britney, Lindsay, Nicole and Paris are "cool." I love them too much.

What do you want for your children?

Be blessed and be a blessing. —HBL

All I can say is "AMEN!"

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Power of the Lord

I am inspired and intrigued whenever I read this verse.

1 Kings 18:46 NIV
The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

I am inspired by the thought of imagining and experiencing such power. He had already faced and won the challenge with the false prophets of Baal. Now, here he is filled with power. My thought is that he was filled with power when he stood against the false prophets moments before. Why the mention of "power" now? Yet, it was the power of the Spirit that undoubtedly gave him strength and stamina to out run King Ahab's chariot to Jezreel. My mind conjures up the picture of Road Runner, the cartoon character, taking off like a shot out of a cannon. This is the inspirational point for me.

I am intrigued that after all this, Elijah retreats and hides, almost immediately, out of fear for his life (1 Kings 19). What happened to "the power of the Lord" that had been on him? I guess we have all at some point in our ministry experienced a let down after a great spiritual victory. We might refer to it as the "Monday morning blahs." The good news is that the Lord will refresh us. If you are feeling a spiritual let down at the moment, let the Lord refresh you. Eat and drink, Elijah was told. We can feast on Jesus's words, which is bread and water for us.

Miracle Thoughts

This morning I read from 1 Kings 17 about Elijah and the widow from Zarephath. Two miraculous incidents occurred. First the widow was able to feed Elijah during the famine without her flour and oil running out. By the way, she only had enough to make one meal for her child and herself and then she was going to die. The second miracle was that later after the famine had ended, the widow's son died, Elijah prayed for his recovery and he came back to life.

How do miracles occur? Just some real quick observations:

They occur at a great cost. What is the price you are willing to pay in order for a miracle to occur? The widow had to offer her last bit of food. The widow had to see her son die. Life can be hard on us.

Miracles are the result of perseverance. Elijah had to travel through the countryside where the famine occured. He had to ask a widow who looked as though she had little to offer for help. In the case of the dead son, he had to plead with God three times for his life. He didn't give up after his first attempt.

Miracles occur because of obedience. We find that Elijah obeyed the Lord's instruction, regardless how odd the instruction appeared to be outside the natural realm.

Miracles require humility. A widow about to die was used. Imagine - asking someone who appeared to be less than you for help.

Do you need a miracle in your life?

Interesting Reading

With my shoulder seperation slowing down my activity level, I spent the weekend reading former Attorney General John Ashcroft's book, Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice. I don't know about you, but I am not enjoying the media's portrayal or attention that is being projected into politics. In fact, such an early attention being given to a presidential election that is so far away, is turning me off. I wonder how many others are also being turned off?

I found John Ashcroft's book enjoyable and surprisingly refreshing for several reasons. First he is a deeply committed Christian, secondly he was born and raised up in an Assembly of God minister's home, and thirdly, his father preached at my ordination service in 1984. The media and liberal politicians battered John during his tenure as Attorney General. Thus reading the book provided me a great deal of insight into John's handling of misinformation and outright lies. What stood out throughout my reading was Jesus' warning, that world would hate his followers. Jesus teaching about how to rerspond to such attacks are summed up in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:11-12 NIV
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

As I read John's book, I am deeply thankful for a man who attempted to live according to Jesus' words and not according to the ways and thoughts of men. The political races are just beginning to heat up. I suspect that we are going to hear and see a lot nasty things being said and done. We need to pray for our country - and for a revival to sweep across the political scene. Policticians need to stop talking about their religion and begin living out their faith in a Godly manner - no excuses!

Ouch!!!! Give Thanks!

I tried to keep up with some teenagers this past Sunday night playing dodge ball. Well it happened, I was diving for a loose ball and crashed driving my shoulder into the floor with all my weight. By Tuesday morning, I was in the doctor's office having it looked at. Turns out I injurded my AC (short for acromioclavicular joint). Not much can be done except ice, sling and rest. So my typing is now limited. I'm learning to be left handed, and wondering about what this will do with my summer plans, not to mention water skiing.

The Bible teaches that we are to give thanks in all things - which I am doing. There is much to be thankful for. It could have been worse. It could have been someone else. It gives me time to reflect on how I am learning to adapt to this temporary inconvenience. There is so much that we take for granted in this world.

Some Gen X Thoughts By Gen X'ers

This past Monday Morning Insights blog that I have an RSS feed to, had a post by a good friend of mine who has been having a running dialogue with some twenty something age friends. I would love to hear your comments on Earl's blog. You can read the article An Inconveneient Spirituality yourself and the posted comments. Do you agree? disagree? or have some more thoughts about what Earl and his friends have to say? Help me to better understand your world perspective. Talk to me.

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day is the kick off to the summer crunch for many of us. Yes, that's my boat and I am also thinking about my free summer days out on the lake . . . water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing, or just floating and soaking up the sun.

But there is another Son to soak ourselves in. He is Jesus. Memorial Day is set aside to honor and remember the sacrifices by many so that we might enjoy our freedom. My thoughts turn to my dad, who would turn 100 this October, if he were still living. He passed away in 1989 at the age of 82. He was proud to have served in the North African and Italian campaigns during World War II, with the 85th Infantry Division, 85th Signal Company. So I honor him with my thoughts.

I also honor Jesus with my thoughts too. He sacrificed His life that I might be free from sin. We observe Him and His work on the cross through communion. The cup and bread is a memorial of all that He has given us - abundant life - now and in the future.

So as you begin your summer activities, give thanks and honor, to both the living and dead who have served in our armed forces - and honor and give thanks to God for His Son Jesus.

Heart Beat of God

Sorry about my lack of blogging, again. My travels took me to Cape May, New Jersey for a regional Secretary/treasure meeting. The hotel we stayed at charged $9.95 per day for wireless connectivity to the internet. Needless to say, I was just too cheap (frugal?) to pay the fee. I guess I should also say that I just missed the Jersey shore so much that I couldn't resist walking the beach during all my free time. I spent the first thirty years of my life in Jersey. There's nothing like its beaches. So why bother doing email or blogging?

During one of the devotion times the following was shared by one one of my colleagues. He called the devotional, "The Heart Beat of God." The text was:

Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The points were these:

1. "All Authority." The enphasis is on all! Authority speaks of power. There is nothing or no one who can stand against God and His servants.

2. "Go and make." This is the plan. Methods may change but the plan is always the same. This plan of God will be accomplished.

3. "I am with you always." Always is the emphasis. We do not fulfill God's plan alone. He has all the power, a perfect plan, and keeps His promise.

Financial Advice For 20 & 30 Somethings

Being involved daily in finances and also now associating with the twenty and thirty year olds in Paradigm ( my churches ministry to this age group), I could not help but read this Fox News article about some latest research into Gen Xers latest lifestyle findings. You can click on the link. I have also pasted the article below.

Research Shows Generation Xers Get a Bum Rap, But They're No Bums

"Gen Xers get a bad rap. They're often portrayed as slackers and runaway spenders who don't know how to work or save.
Not so, says new research sponsored by Charles Schwab Corp., one of several financial services companies trying to draw a bead on this age 27-to-42 demographic. Today's 30-somethings are hard workers who have more bills than cash. They also have a healthy distrust of the very financial services industry that wants their cash. Perhaps for good reason.
"They aren't being well served," says Jonathan Craig, who's heading up Schwab's effort to capture Gen X clients.
The new 30-somethings do face some challenges that others didn't. They're making less than their parents were at the same age. According to U.S. Census estimates, the median income for men between 25 and 34 in 2005 was $31,161. In 1975, adjusted for inflation, it was $35,296. The comparable data for female workers was $22,815 in 2005 and $16,247 in 1975.
And, they have much bigger bills. It's not just the school loans, it's the generally bigger lifestyle that hurts their bottom line. Think about the computer, cell phone, broadband service and more that are a necessary part of life now.

Gen Xers have some unique strengths, too. They are technologically savvy and unafraid to put their finances online or talk about their financial problems and solutions, says Marc Hedlund of Wesabe (http://www.wesabe.com), a social networking/financial planning Web site that is attracting users in their 20s and 30s. And they have that vaunted cynicism to keep them from trusting strangers -- or employers -- with their money too easily. Most are wise to not count on retirement benefits that are loosely promised to be there decades into the future.

So, too little money, too many expenses, nobody to trust.
What's a savvy 30-something to do with that scenario? Here are some tips.

-- Watch your fees. Hedlund contends that huge fees are a trap for this generation: Bank overdraft fees, which can pile up on debit card exchanges, as well as credit card late and over-limit fees. "These people blame themselves," assuming they deserve the fees they rack up because they've behaved badly. But those myriad fees have been ratcheting up faster than bad financial behavior has.

Make sure you keep a cushion in your checking account. Make an automatic payment to your credit card every month so you're never late, and complain if the fees seem to pile up too fast. Just by getting control of the fees you pay for financial services, you can put extra spending money in your pocket.

-- Create an electronics/communications budget and stick to it. Consider cable TV, movie rentals, cell phone service, Internet service, extra wireless fees, and downloaded music, movies and television shows all as one category of expense. Assign a reasonable number to it and apportion it according to your priorities.

-- Save for retirement, but don't beat yourself up if you can't do as much as you'd like. You've seen all the sales pitches aimed at how powerful it is to start saving early. All true. But it's especially hard when you're also trying to buy your first house, build your career (and your working wardrobe) and buy shoes for the kids. So make putting a maximum contribution into your 401(k) at the top of the list. Then look at adding a Roth IRA. Once you've had your Roth up and running for five years, you can break the emergency glass and get at some of the money for other non-retirement reasons if you need to.

-- Take advantage of all the attention. Those banks and brokers are just starting to roll out products aimed at your generation, and it's going to get better. Schwab's latest is a free, no-fee checking account paying 4.25 percent interest. That's a nice deal, even if the rate doesn't last. Bank of America has a new no-fee mortgage, and a policy of feeding customer savings accounts with change from their debit card transactions. Both require careful small-print reading to see if they make sense for you, but are worth looking at. Upromise (http://www.upromise.com) has a constellation of savings deals that can help you build up a college fund for junior painlessly.

-- Learn about financial products that can help with savings, as well as investing. If you're trying to accumulate a downpayment for a new car, you don't want to put all of that money into stocks, but you don't want to leave it all in your checking account either. Learn how to use money market mutual funds, short-term bond funds, certificates of deposit, zero-interest credit card deals, and more.

-- Get more educated. Almost everyone thinks they are bad with money, but they're not any worse than anybody else, observes Hedlund. This generation knows how to access information and use it for their own benefit. Choose a subject: credit cards, mutual funds, retirement savings, college loans or whatever, and start doing your homework -- via educational Internet sites or books, advice from experts and elders, or all of the above. By the time you're 40, you'll know enough to make you, if not rich, than at least put you comfortably ahead of where you are now."

I have found personally that the Gen Xers and even Gen Yers are an incredibly bright and smart age group that really want to make an impact in the world in which they live. They also love coffee shops and socializing. I guess you could call me "wanna be" :-) Have a great week end.

Temple Material

As I read about the construction of Solomon's temple in chapters 5 through 8, I was struck by the detail of materials used and especially by the number of laborers that were conscripted, a 103,300. It took them seven years to build the temple and another thirteen years to build his palace. When the Ark was placed in the temple and the priests "withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple" (1 Kings 8:10-11). The temple was considered sacred and holy. It was the house of God.

Today, God chooses to dwell in people. Our bodies are living temples in which His Spirit resides. Paul wrote:

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a fool so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: 'He catches the wise in their craftiness'; and again, 'The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.' So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 NIV

Paul wrote again in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

We have a responsibility to honor God in the way we live.

Seek Wisdom

I continued my reading this morning in 1 Kings. These words described Solomon:

"God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and breath of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdomof all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Eqypt. He was wiser than any other man . . . He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom." (1 Kings 4:29-34)

Wisdom is greatly needed in this world today - wisdom that goes beyond man's thinking and understanding. James wrote, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom for the reader:

"My son. if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it asfor silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:1-6)

It was God, through Chist Jesus who gave spiritual gifts to the church. The gift (or ministry) of wisdom is given to the body of Christ. This is just one of nine spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12.

Seek the wisdom of God in His word and in Spirit. "Be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15)

Wisdom to Lead

Here's another one of those Monday Morning Insight blogs that provoked my thoughts:

Is There a Correlation Between IQ & Pastoral Success?

In her article “Why Smart People Make Bad Moves,” Yahoo! Financial columnist Laura Rowley examines a recent study from Ohio State University on the relationship between a person’s IQ and his or her financial situation. She summarizes the study this way: “Smart people can be boneheads when it comes to accumulating wealth, and the average Joe can become the millionaire next door.” According to the study each point increase in IQ test scores raised income by between $234 and $616 per year. But this didn’t protect higher IQ people from financial woes. In fact, higher IQ people had just as high, if not higher rates of late bills, maxed-out credit cards, and even bankruptcies. The bottom line: Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re smart in using your smartness. (Obviously, I didn’t rate real high on the IQ test myself!)...

I guess that’s the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Scripture pointed this out long ago: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (I Corinthians 1:25).

That got me wondering…is there a correlation between “smart” pastors and “success in ministry”? Would a pastor with a higher “spiritual” IQ have a more vibrant and growing church than someone with a lower, more normal level of intelligence?

According to Rowley, here are some reasons why your average next-door neighbor might be a millionaire while you sit in your living room paying off your maxed-out Visa bill. I wonder if any of these “average millionaire” traits could correspond to the “higher than average” church leader?

Let’s investigate.

They Make Their Own Rules: Rowley quotes Loral Langemeier, author of The Millionaire Maker: “Many wealthy people didn’t do well in school; it was too structured for them. But they’re creative, intuitive, and have street smarts—they understand how things work, and how to get business done.” I see this same quality in many pastors of vibrant churches. There’s a high value on creativity and innovation. Their leadership is usually very entrepreneurial… they actually like to try new things. And they’ve set up their church leadership to allow things to happen, and happen quickly.

They Get Knocked Down, But They Get Up Again: “It’s hustle,” says real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran in Rowley’s article. “Hustle is being too stupid to know that you should lay low when you keep getting slammed.” There seem to be two different types of church leaders that I see. I’m over-simplifying here, but there are leaders who always seem like they’re being beaten down, and there are other leaders who always seem to be ahead of their critics and above all the conflict. I really think part of this has to do with the ability of the successful leader to get right back up after being knocked down (rather than laying on the ground and allowing people to kick you.) Sometimes the higher your intelligence level, the more time you take to qualify and logically remedy a situation. Sometimes that quality allows you to stay on the ground longer, getting beaten up in the process.

They Succeed Through Social Intelligence: Another characteristic of average people who become millionaires is that they surround themselves with teams that compensate for their weaknesses. While this is mostly in a business setting, I also see this in the church with pastors who have effective ministries. They don’t rely on their own intelligence to make everything happen. They know their weaknesses and gather smart people around them to help them in these areas. They also aren’t afraid to let others around them lead.

They Take More Risks and, Consequently, Reap More Rewards: People with average brains may be more naive and willing to jump in—start a business or make an investment—than their high-IQ counterparts, who ponder every angle and know too much about the potential downsides of a proposition to take a risk. I’ve noticed that highly intelligent people are many times more adverse to risk. If you look at church leaders involved with growing churches, you’ll find that they risk frequently. They try new things. They fail consistently. And they reap the rewards of their risk.

Is it a leap to make a correlation between IQ, millionaires, intelligence, and pastors? Possibly. My only point is that God is in control of the church and its leaders. And your intelligence, many times, is not one of God’s key qualifiers.

So if you’re reading this today thinking about how smart you are… get over yourself. It really doesn’t qualify you to do better things for God than your sub-genius counterparts.
And, if you’re reading this today wishing you had a tad bit more intelligence… be encouraged that there are many things other than your IQ and training that figure into a successful, fruit-producing ministry.

Let’s learn what we can from the millionaires next door. After all, what we’re striving for in our work is much more significant than mere dollars.

My thought is this:

This morning before reading thie above blog, I was reading from 1 Kings 1:1 - 3:28 in my early morning devotions. Solomon asked not for riches and power as the newly anointed King. He asked God for "a discerning heart to govern" the people and "to distinguish between right and wrong." (1 Kings 3:9 NIV) Effective pastoral leaders seek God's wisdom and understanding. Time and again, I find pastors who are not using common sense in their decisions or a dependence upon God. Solomon recognized his greater need to be an effective ruler over the people. It was not human knowledge,riches, or worldly power.

Exhilerating

Here I am sitting at Maine Bean, sipping my coffee, and looking forward to this day off, after a very busy three days in Manchester, NH, earlier this week. I was at our District Council, an annual meeting for business, fellowship, and inspiration for ministers and delegates of the Northern New England District.

Our District celebrated its fiftieth anniversary as a district. It was in 1957 that Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont Assembly churches separated from the three southern New England states to form its own District. That division resulted in the growth of many more churches in both districts over the course of half a century.

Many of our former leaders were present to celebrate together what the Lord has done. I had the opportunity to sit with one of these precious men who was ordained in that very first Council and later became Secretary and Treasurer at different times (separate offices at the time) for the Northern New England District. Having read the minutes of that first Council, I could not help but ask Keith Terry what the atmosphere of that Council was like as they met to adopt a Constitution and Bylaws and to elect its officers. Brother Terry eyes lit up and responded with enthusiasm with one word, "exhilerating!"

I think that's a pretty good description for our faith journey - exhilerating! That doesn't mean that life is not withouts its challenges. However, it does mean that in spite of life's challenges, there is excitement and fullfillment. I look forward with anticipation as to what God will do in the next fifty years (Lord willing) with our District, congregations, and ministers. May we carry on with the task God has called each one of us to, with faithfulness and enthusiasm. Serving God is exhilerating!

Extended Your Hand to the Next Generation!

Another great blog by my friend Earl at Monday Morning Insights. You can click on the link to go directly to his blog and also read the comments or you can read a copy of the blog below.

Having been working with teenagers forever and also assisting at our local church as often as possible (180), and the twenty and thirty somethings (Paradigm) on a regular basis, I can strongly relate by personal experience that age (I am on my way to being 56 this July.) does have its advantages. They thrive on mentoring and even more so when I allow for reverse mentoring . . . that is as long as I am open, honest and authentic and will accept this younger age group as they are and allow them space and opportunity to grow in their own spiritual journey on their own terms. This younger generation is definately loaded with talent and possibilities. They are extremely interested in making positive changes and impact on the world that we live in. We should do everything pssible to invest ourselves in them. I am a believer in them!!!

“We Live in a Circus”: The Culture of Pre-Adult Women

Today my wife Janet and I spent two hours at a Starbucks (that’s a whole ‘nother blog) in Illinois interviewing three young women. All were Christians living in the seam between their late teens and their early twenties. Our new friends answered one question after another fueled by the caffeine and sugar supplied by ‘Bucks. It was heartening to know that Trisha, Debbie, and Lisa (their new code names) recognized that their responses were conditioned by their Christian experience. They did not regard themselves, or their answers, as necessarily typical, and that made them all the more credible to us. Here are some of the key words and concepts that I distilled from our Q&A session...

1. 50-year old youth pastors?: The notion of telling young women not to do things because the Bible says so just doesn’t wash in this culture. Pre-adult women are looking for a real live person who can demonstrate the wisdom of biblical concepts from the story of their own life. Interestingly, our friends commented that a 23-year old youth pastor simply may not have lived enough life to be able to supply this kind of credibility. Their comments made me wonder if we need a generation of youth ministers in their 40s and 50s who have enough personal history to be witnesses to the truth they proclaim.

2. It’s all about the power: We spent considerable time discussing sexuality, relationships and eating disorders. Debbie summarized some of our dialogue by pointing out that the mania to control body image among younger women is really about power. Perfecting a certain look gives them power with men and peers, and, if my world is out of control, at least I can regulate what I eat and how much I weigh. She even drew the parallel to Eve offering Adam forbidden fruit—something to eat—as an illustration. I found this description heartbreaking. Our message to the young must offer them a new form of power that is achieved by surrender, not manipulation. We should raise the bar, not lower it.

3. Life as a laboratory: The word that really jumped out at me during our talk was “experimentation.” Lisa pointed out that, especially in middle school, young females are now sorting out their ethics and morals by trial and error. This includes “friends with benefits,” and being what I would call omnisexual, neither gay nor straight, but a fully functioning sexual being. In three to five years, this critical mass of experimental behavior will arrive in high schools and colleges, although the leading edge of it has already been there for some time. Rather than deduce principles of good conduct from authoritative sources like scripture and parents, some Millennial women are using an inductive approach in which they simply try things out until they find a combination that works—for now. This model of ethical development is doubtless fueled by the failures they observe in conventional institutions like marriage. The platform for Christian teaching is a credible Christian life.

4. Mentors as parents on “turbo”: Our three interview partners were unanimous in the view that young women are looking for mentoring relationships with older women. They often compared this sort of person to a spiritual “mom” and noted how much different their lives would have been had that person been around during their teen years. We were cautioned, however, that perseverance is absolutely essential. The mentor has to seek out the mentee, then stick with it, sometimes for a year or more, until the relationship solidifies. Often, the young women will prove resistant to a commitment simply because other commitments have proven disappointing. Perhaps we have made a lot of this much more complicated than it needs to be. Are we willing to set aside some other things to learn how to be a spiritual family, a “household of faith”?

So I heard Trish, Debbie, and Lisa saying of young women: “We live in a circus” (Debbie’s words)

They were asking us, not for more high-tech programming, but for something else:

If what we believe is true, we should be able to demonstrate it in someone’s life

The young have to get in touch with the power of God

The older should be intentional about teaching the younger

The older have to live the kind of lives the younger will admire and emulate

Imagine. Christianity."

Faith and Faithfulness

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a fifty-three year old wife of one of our pastors. Her name is Linda. Some of you who read this blog probably do not know her. However, had you been able to attend the celebration service of her life, you would quickly have decided that this would have been an individual you would have wanted to know. In fact, I suspect that had you been to her funeral you would have walked away wishing you had had the opportunity to have gotten to know her. And those of you who do know Linda and attended the celebration service, as I did, would have been surprised to have discovered just how little we really did know about her life. We all discovered how greatly she impacted her husband, her six children and three adopted children, her sisters, the church family, and the community. It was truly an inspirational two hours. Linda suffered from a terminal cancer for a couple of years. However, her faith in God and her faithfulness to God through out her journey has impacted many people around her. She wanted her death as well as her life to be a celeabration. It was.

The Hebrews writer wrote:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6 NIV

He also wrote:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

Linda's life was a testimony of faith and her faithfulness. She is now among the cloud of witnesses who are now observing our journey of faith. Will we remain faithful? I encouraged you to walk your walk of faith with hope and perseverance. For we will reap a harvest if we faint not.

Faithfulness

Yesterday, I was in Strong , Maine to minister the Word in the morning service. There was such a sweet presence of the Lord there. It was very noticeable. My wife who is not one to say something along this line leaned over to me during worship and said, "I feel such a strong presence of the Lord in this place." I was feeling it too, as the Lord was speaking to me spirit about changing my message from the one I had planned. I am glad I was obedient. God really ministered to all of us yesterday.

I guess my point is this: Faithfulness. My obeying the leading of the Spirit to change my message was faithfulness. The pastor of this church has been there 11 years. That's faithfulness. The congregation has been steadfast and able to move from a hardware store to a beautifully rehabilitated former Mason's lodge at a prime location. That's faithfulness. This church body under the leadership of their pastor just continues to plug along doing what God has called them to do without great fanfare and without great recognition. They are symbolical of hundreds and thousands of Assemblies of God pastors across our nation. These are my heroes.

As I thought about these things this morning and lifted my prayers before the Lord for such honorable men and women the word of Paul spoke to my heart:

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 NIV

We Are A Steward Of God's Grace

Why do we exist? That is an often asked question. In Ephesians 3, Paul had the answer. This chapter begins in transition. He begins by saying, "For this reason . . . " What are the reasons? Look back to earlier verses for the answer.

(Eph. 2:1) we are no longer dead in our trespasses or sins.
(Eph. 2:4-5) we are alive in Christ.
(Eph. 2:8-9) God has given us grace through Jesus Christ.
(Eph. 2:13, 16) God has reconciled us through Christ.

We exist for a purpose. That purpose or reason is our mission. It is to be stewards of God's mercy and grace. The NIV uses the word "administrations." The idea being presented by Paul is that we have been entrusted as keepers, guardians, overseers of God's wonderful grace.

Then what is expected from us as stewards of God's grace? Paul answers that question too in chapter 3.

Verse 7: We are to be a minister. This does not mean ministry is for clergy. Everyone in the church is a minister.

Verse 8: We are to preach to unbelievers. Maybe "preaching" is not the best choice of words. But we are to proclaim God's grace to all.

Verses 9-10: We are to make known to everyone the will of God. Just what is the will of God? That all might be saved.

These are just a few of my thoughts on this passage as I prepare my "talk" for the Paradigm "gathering" of twenty and thirty something adults this coming Friday.

Slide From Excellence

I enjoy a good cup of coffee and an open Bible in the morning. Two of my favorite coffee stops are Maine Bean and Starbucks. I will stop by a Dunkin Donuts if I am not near Maine Bean or a Starbucks. I also enjoy reading my friend, Earl's, blog. He has a way of challenging me to think deeper about how I can better relate Christ and the Gospel in this culture. So when I saw the title of a recent blog of his at Monday Morning Insight, I could not resist checking it out, epecially having read the book by Jim Collins, Good to Great. The title of his blog: Great to Good: Starbuck Declines One Coffee At A Time. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Equpped for Ministry

I spent last week in graduate class discussing the Theology of the Charismata. One thing definately can be said, "How needful it is for every person to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit as we journey through this life." As I was reading this morning from Ephesians 3, in preparation for leading a discussion group of twenty and thirty something young adults this Friday, I was captured by these words of Paul:

Ephesians 3:7-8 THE MESSAGE
[7] This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. [8] When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

As smart and educated as Paul was, he recognized that he needed a greater source of wisdom and knowledge than he had if he was to be an effective minister of the gospel. He realized that his past upbringing as a Pharisee, studying under the great religious teachers of his day, and being a Jew of Jews, born into the the tribe of Benjamin was not enough. Something more was needed if he was going to be be an apostle (a sent one) to the Gentiles. That something else was "charismata." Without the presence of God actively at work in Paul's life, he would not have been equipped for the mission God had given him.

You and I must allow the fullness of Holy Spirit to rule our lives if we are to be effective ministers of the gospel today.

Gift (Ministry) of Encouragement/Exhortation

Outline of my 30 minute discussion in my grad class.

Romans 12:6-8 NIV
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:6-8 NASB
6 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

David Lim, Spiritual Gifts: A Fresh Look, regarding the list in Roman’s 12:6-8, mentions that “Four seem less noticed gifts: serving, encouraging, giving, showing mercy. Among them are three public ministries: prophesying, teaching, leadership.” (241) I have come to the conclusion that the gift of encouraging may not seem noticeable, but it deeply impacts other gifts.

Word study: “exhort.”
(Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
A. Verbs.
1. parakaleo: "to call to a person" (a) "to call on, entreat"; (b) to admonish, exhort, to urge one to pursue some course of conduct.
2. paraineo: "to speak of near" or "to tell of, speak of," then, "to recommend."
3. protrepo: literally, "to turn forward, propel." (encourage).
B. Noun.
paraklesis, akin to parakaleo: "a calling to one's side," or "to one's aid." (a) an appeal, (b) encouragement, (c) consolation and comfort.
Romans 15:4 – the idea of parakletos, "an advocate, comforter."

Interestingly, parakletos, variously translated as Comforter, Counselor, or Advocate, is used in John’s gospel to refer to the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7), and in his epistle to refer to Jesus (I John 2:1).

What parallels are we able to see between the Holy Spirit, as presented to us by Jesus, and which exists between the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and that of a Christian in relation to the gift of encouragement/exhortation?

In Scripture, who comes to mind when we think of “encouragement? Barnabas (Acts 4:36)

The name ‘Barnabas’ comes from the Aramaic, and probably refers to the gift of exhortation (encouragement). His real name was Joseph, but the disciples called him Mr. Encouragement.

What do we find modeled in the life and ministry of Barnabas?

Barnabas was focused on people. You might call him a “frog kisser.” God used Barnabas to touch people whom we might call “losers” and turn them into princes. Barnabas was willing to embrace people who others would not.

In Acts 9:27 we discover Barnabas reaching out to Saul of Tarsus who had been a persecutor, now Paul who had converted. Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles. He became Paul's advocate. The church accepted him and his ministry in Jerusalem flourished. Barnabas watched him and took note of this.

In Acts 11, Barnabas is the one who sought out Paul of Tarsus, brought him to Antioch, and included him in his ministry. Because of Paul’s previous reputation, no one wanted to touch him with a 10-foot poll.

He had a discerning eye for potential grace and giftings. When the church the church in Jerusalem heard that a church in Antioch had been planted, the one individual that they thought would be a good encourager for these new believers was Barnabas. He could always find something good in people. That’s what his name implied. (Acts 11:22-24 The Message) “When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit's ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master.” Reproducing leaders are looking to fan into the flames the embers of graces (gifts). Other people are only interested in being critical of the imperfections in people’s lives. Barnabas saw the potential in people in spite of their weaknesses and imperfections. He sought to draw the best out in people.

In Acts 15, Paul and Barnabas had a heated argument over another loser, John Mark. Barnabas wanted to take Mark along on their missionary journey. Paul had other ideas. Mark had already failed to finish a previous missionary journey. Paul ended up taking Silas. Barnabas took Mark. In later years, Paul wrote Timothy, saying, “Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:11)

The gift of exhortation is manifested in people who offer encouragement, wise counsel, support, and empowerment. Those who exhort and encourage stay focused on helping people maximize their own potential and live out their own gifts and skills. Exhorters/Encouragers help other people to build confidence and not grow discouraged. Those with the gift of exhortation/ecouragement make others feel good just by their presence.

Reflection Question:

What other spiritual gifts best complement exhortation (encouragement), and enable us to increase the value and impact of this gift?

Thought From Class - Folk Religion

My professor today made this statement: "Folk religion indoctrinates rather than educates." He mentioned that Islam is a folk religion. Christianity can be a folk religion too. We need to become students of the word and not just spoon fed doctrine. Paul wrote: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Why People Leave Your Church?

I subscribe to the blog, Monday Morning Insight. This one caught my eye along with some of the comments. I'll share the top 10 reasons adults switch churches, according to LifeWay Reaseach's 2006 study.

1. The church was not helping me to devlop spiritually. (28%)
2. I did not feel engaged or involved in meaningful church work. (20%)
3. Church members were judgmental of others. (18%)
4. Pastor was not a good preacher (16%)
5. Too many changes. (16%)
6. Members seem hypocritical. (15%)
7. Church didn't seem to be a place where God was at work. (14%)
8. Church was run by a clique that discouraged involvement. (14%)
9. Pastor was judgmental of others. (14%)
10. Pastor seemed hypocritical. (13%)

Now here are several responses to the above blog for further thoughts. One wrote:

"My responses.
1. The church doesn’t exist to spoon-feed us. Rather, we exist to serve God in community.
2. Many of us who say this aren’t even “plugged in” to meaningful church work.
3. Yes, and that sounds like a judgemental statement to me, and I’ve made it before!
4. In Modern America the sermon has become the center of church life. wrong…
5. Hey, the world changes, everything changes except God.
6. Yes, we are all hypocritical, and they will be in the next church you go to.
7. WE are God at work.
8. The first really legitimate complaint I read here.
9. If true, the second…
10. See 6 above.

I’m sorry to say this, but in my experience, most of the “complaints” of people who leave churches I’ve served in have been selfish and shallow. (Not all, but most...) This list just confirms that for me. Sometimes, people want to be “fed” as if they are animals at a trough where the pastor is the farmer doling out food. (Sounds like we have a spiritual eating disorder in America.)

We have such great resources for spiritual growth in our churches and in our homes (the average American home has half a dozen Bibles I once heard) that if we really want to grow, we will."

Another wrote:

"Most people who leave a church say “I was not being fed” in an attempt to spiritualize and justify their leaving. What it reveals is the person’s self-centeredness and consumerism mentality. I would love to see a survey of people who recently left a church and claim it was because they were not being fed, which asked:

1) How often do you read your Bible?
2) In what capacity were you serving in your church? 3) Were you a part of a small group?
4) How many people have you shared your faith with or invited to church this year?
5) What percentage of your spiritual growth do you think is your responsibilty, and what percentage is your church’s?"

Still another wrote:

"I’m always dissapointed at how my first reaction is to brush these off as “selfish” before really diving into what’s behind them. Sometimes it’s easier for me to do that than look at how I could address some of these issues in a Godly way.

1) Yes, some of this could be selfishness, but the church is the place people come to be spiritually fed. In order for them to learn that “meeting someone else’s need also meet’s mine” the church has to disciple and show them this. Often we call this selfish when in reality we dropped the ball on discipleship.
2) and 8) Many churches are horrible at assimilation. Same people do all the work, new people are just expected to watch. How can we better engage people in Kingdom work?
3 and 9) Just because these statements are judgemental doesn’t make them untrue.
4) This one a lot of times is a taste issue, but it also could be a reminder for Pastor’s to continually improve their communication.
5) Change needs to happen, but churches who do change well (explaining the change, not implementing it to quickly, making change a part of vision) will do better.
6) and 10) We’re all hypocritical at times, but it’s a problem when we act like we’re not.

Some people are just going to leave, some are going to make up excuses. We can’t dwell on them, but it might be good for us to at least try and learn from those excuses. Not so we can bring those people back (it’s better to let them go), but so we can continually strive to be a place where people are brought into the work of God’s Kingdom and grow in Him."

Some food for all of us to think about. You can read more at And the #1 Reason People Leave Your Church is…

I will be attending graduate class at Valley Forge Christian College next week. Hopefully, I will have some good thoughts to share as I am challenged to think through my faith next week.

Walls and Barriers of Prejudice Broken

Ephesians 2:14-18 NIV
{14} For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, {15} by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, {16} and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. {17} He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. {18} For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Usually, in the Old Testament, when the Bible mentions walls, it is speaking from strength and protection. A city without walls was considered weak and vulnerable. But the draw back to having these great walls of protection to keep the enemy out was that they also trapped the inhabitants in and made them prisoners in their own city. While in Israel, this past June, I visited the fortess of Masada. It was here that Jewish Zealots held against the might of the Roman army for several years. As one last act of defiance, the defenders drew lots to see who would put everyone to death and then commit suicide. Rather than surrender they chose death at their own hands.

I see the same thing happening today. People do the same thing spiritually, relationally and emotionally. Many of God’s people have erected walls to protect themselves from others (enemies). These walls have not been built with hammer and nails or brick and mortar. Instead these walls are built out of hurts, ideas, traditions, prejudices and fears. These walls imprison us. Worst yet, they keep us from reaching out to the very people God has called us to.

Walls separate. Walls divide. While visiting Israel, I prayed at the Wailing Wall (Western wall). It was partitioned into areas for man and women.

The Jewish Temple in Jesus' day was divided or partitioned. There was the inner Court of the Priests and the Temple Proper containing the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant stood. Access was limited. There were other divisions: the Women’s Court, and the outer Court of the Gentiles, granting limited access to the sacred places. Walls limit vision, expression and growth.

Walls isolate. They keep people out. When we want to be alone we put up a wall. When we don’t want to be bothered, we put up walls. We isolate ourselves. We can be in a crowd and be alone. These walls may be invisible, but they are real enough to separate us from everyone. The problem is that these walls isolate us from the ones we are suppose to be getting close to.

Walls insulate. Insulation is used to hold in heat or keep out the cold. We insulate ourselves in order to avoid conflict and hurts. The church was never intended to live in an insulated environment. We were never meant to be a private club that simply holds on to and protects its own membership.

Jesus destroyed these barriers and walls. He brings peace. He reconciles people. Reconcile means “to bring together.” "In Christ" we become one (v.15). Authentic relationships occur as we become reconciled to Christ. The media has been portraying the insensitive and degrading remarks by Imus regarding the Rutger's girls basketball team. I am not defending what Imus said. It was absolutely inaprropriate. But I have also heard Jesse Jackson in the past refer to Jews in an insensitive way. In fact, we all have said something inappropriate or hurtful to someone in the course of our lives. However, in order for us to move beyond the barriers and walls of our prejudices, we must reconcile ourselves to Christ, then will we be able to reconcile with one another, and become one, regardless our race or ethnicity. The Jews and Gentiles of Paul's day were learning how to get along with one another after centuries of animosity toward each other.

How To Make Sure Your Church Will Not Be Found

This is a post I found in my internet wanderings from Nelson Searcy at Journey church in New York. A fellow graduate student also shared it on his blog. It's the top ten ways to make sure someone doesn't find your church. I hope it stirs you up a little.

1. Don’t have a website : This is the information age, even 107 year old women have blogs, but not your church. No church website, no blog, no flickr account, and don’t podcast your sermons. Knowledge is power and providing me easy access to information about your church might empower me to learn more or even visit. So even if you must have a website, make sure it is poorly designed, lacking in information, hard to navigate, out of date and doesn’t have an rss feed to make things even remotely easy for me.

2. Be completely inactive in the community : If you’re not doing anything in the community then no one will talk about your church. That makes it a lot harder for me to accidentally find out anything useful. So don’t serve the community or partner with other churches or non-profits. In fact it’s really just best if you stay completely inward-focused and don’t do anything missional in your city.

3. Don’t answer your phone : Regardless of what time I call (weekday, weekend, morning, afternoon, evening) don’t answer the phone and don’t have an answering machine or voice mail for me to leave a message or prayer request. If you do have voice mail, don’t include your website address, service times or directions to your church on your message, and don’t ever answer the phone on Sunday mornings. That way when I’m lost en route to service, I’ll have no choice but to drive around aimlessly until I give up and go home.

4. Allow misinformation : Sometimes you just can’t prevent denominations or directories from listing information about your church. When contact information changes, don’t tell them about the update. You can save time by providing them incorrect information initially and for added confusion make sure each directory lists different information about your church, all of it wrong.

5. Lack clear signage : Even if I’m determined to visit your church, you have several on site options to discourage me. The first is to play hide and seek. Is your church in a nondescript building or on a street with several other churches? Have absolutely no signage; none, whatsoever. Except maybe on the mailbox, where you abbreviate things beyond comprehension. If you run a Christian school, put up a 10′ x 14′ sign just for it, so I’ll be led to believe the building is only a school.

6. Have insufficient parking/seating : Other discouraging on-site options are lack of adequate parking and seating. Does your church seat 200? Only have 30 parking spaces. Been running at capacity for weeks or months? Don’t start another service, so that there will be standing room only. Have visitors’ parking? Put it in the corner of the lot away from the entrance. Have adequate parking? Don’t stripe the lot or have parking attendants; chaos is best. Have adequate seating? Make it as uncomfortable as possible.

7. Ignore Visitors : Despite your best efforts I have found and attended your church. In fact, I even filled out a visitor’s card requesting more information. Don’t acknowledge my visit in any way. Don’t call me, don’t send me a thank you card, don’t answer any of my questions or give me any information about how to become involved or learn more about Jesus. Also don’t have any literature available to provide visitors and don’t train your volunteers to be courteous or helpful in anyway.

8. Respond half-heartedly to inquiries : If responding to information requests at all, do so extremely slowly and only partially. Wait 1 week or more to return emails or phone calls and if I ask several questions, don’t answer them all. Instead just tell me I should come to a service to find out more. That saves you a couple minutes of response time and makes you look very busy and important. Whatever you do, do not start a dialogue with me.

9. Be evasive about your beliefs : When I ask a direct question about the church’s beliefs, ignore the question or act like you don’t understand and then start telling me about your denomination or church programs. For “What We Believe”, only include the Nicene Creed on your website or literature. If I’m adamant about wanting positional clarity, instead tell me about the love of Jesus and how Christianity isn’t about division. For those times you do answer my questions, act offended that I would even ask, then try and make me feel stupid or sinful for questioning you.

10. Lie to me : When all else fails, simply lie to me about your church. You might just get a few weeks of attendance out of me before I learn the truth. Are you denominationally affiliated? Don’t mention it ever and talk about how independent you are when I find out. Being on mission is important to me, so make it sound like all 500 of your members are actively involved in serving the city, even though you don’t give a single cent to local missions and never talk about it from the pulpit, because you actually hate the city and it’s sinful people. Lastly, spend a lot of time telling me how you are distinctive from other churches, even though you’re not.

Are there some things you need to change about the way church is being done in the 21st century? Just how user friendly are our churches?

The Resurrection - Sunday

Early in the morning, some women came to the tomb of Jesus and found the large stone that had blocked the entrance to the tomb rolled back. An angel nearby told them Jesus was alive. Jesus a little later appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden and then later that day to two disciples as they walked on the road to Emmaus, and finally to Thomas, who had expressed doubt.

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" (Luke 24:5-7 NIV)

Christ's Final Week - Saturday

Following Jesus' crucifixion, Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus' body. He was prepared for burial and white linen was wrapped around the body. The body of Jeswas placed in a tomb that had been cut from rock in a side of the hill outside the walls of Jerusalem. A large rock was rolled across the entrance. As the sabbath began, people retired to their homes. Throughout Friday night and Saturday, Jesus' body laid in the tomb. The tomb was secured with Roman guards and Pilate's seal in order to keep Jesus' disciples or followers from stealing his body and then telling people he was raised from the dead. It reveals the length that people will go to deny Jesus' words. People are still trying to discredit Him. But to those who believe, Jesus is the gift of life.

Christ's Final Week - Friday

We call today Good Friday. It is good because of what Christ has done for us. It is good because it was on such a day that Jesus gave his life for us - that we might find forgiveness for sin. I have visited Israel twicw now (1974 and 2006). One of the highlights for me has been my visits to the the two disputed spots believed to be where Jesus was crucified. Each time I found myslef reflecting on God's great love for me in allowing his Son to die for me in such a humiliating and painful fashion. And to think that God's Son fulfilled such an event with such suffering. Think about it. Would anyone so willingly do a such a thing?

Mt 27:33-44 The Message
Arriving at Golgotha, the place they call "Skull Hill," they offered him a mild painkiller (a mixture of wine and myrrh), but when he tasted it he wouldn't drink it. After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they whiled away the time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: This Is Jesus, The King Of The Jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: "You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days — so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you're really God's Son, come down from that cross!" The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: "He saved others — he can't save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We'll all become believers then! He was so sure of God — well, let him rescue his 'Son' now — if he wants him! He did claim to be God's Son, didn't he?" Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.

Christ's Final Week - Thursday

It was on this day, Passover, that Jesus met with his disciples in an upper room. He gave the Passover meal new meaning. He pointed out to his followers that the loaf of bread and the wine cup represented his body that was soon to be sacrificed and his blood that would soon be shed for the forgiveness of sins. This became known as the "Lord's Supper. After singing a hymn, he and his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony, knowing what lay before him. Unforunately, there were those who were with him who could not watch and pray without falling asleep. When it comes to our spiritual well being, do we fall asleep or are we ever alert?

Christ's Final Week - Wednesday

When it comes to Wednesday in the final week of Jesus' life, the Bible remains pretty silent as his activities. John 12:1 reveals that Jesus arrived in Bethany six days prior to Passover which would be on the following Thursday. Mark 14:1 reveals that the Passover is two days away. If Mark 14:1 is considered in context with the preceding verses describing Tuesday's activity, then do we have Wednesday. It is an unaccounted for day in the life of Jesus. I wonder what he was doing? How was he preparing for the Passover? How was he preparing for the greatest moment in the history of mankind - The Resurrection? Which leads me to some questions for your consideration today? What preparations are you making to celebrate Easter? Are you only planning for a traditional family meal? Or are you preparing yourself spiritually to renew your faith in Christ? Should this spiritual preparation be only once a year or should you be preparing yourself spiritually on a daily basis? I hope the latter is true.

Christ's Final Week - Tuesday

On Tuesday of Jesus' final week on earth, he spent a great deal of time teaching in parables. You can read the account of this day in the he following passages: Matthew 21:23-24:51; Mark 11:27-13:37; Luke 20:1-21:36. It was day in which Jesus's teachings stirred up a lot of controversey among the religious. Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of the Scribes, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees. They also, tried to trap Jesus with trick questions. However, Jesus' response and answers confounded these men. There are those today who are not willingly accepting the words of Jesus Christ. They reject truth, and in so doing, are rejecting God's Son. There is still controversy over Christ and his words to this day. But for those who believe in his word, there is hope, peace, and abundant life.

Christ's Final Week - Sunday and Monday

This week I plan to walk through the last week of Jesus' life on earth. Yesterday, marked the beginning of Jesus' final week on earth. We call it Palm Sunday. Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. People lined the streets waving palm branches and proclaiming, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." By the end of the week, many in this same crowd would be calling for his crucifixtion. Not much has changed about people over the course of generations. There are those who yesterday were proclaiming the glory of God and today will be crucifying Jesus all over by an ungodly lifestyle. People can be fickle.

Today, Monday, marks another interesting day. On this day nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus entered the Temple and began clearing it out, overtuning tables and chasing the money changers out, saying, "My house will be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers." (Matthew 21:13) He then began healing the blind and lame that came to him.

Today would be a good day to do some personal reflection. The scriptures speak of our body as being the temple of the Holy Spirit. God resides within us. Is there some clearing out that needs to be done within us? Perhaps it has to do with being angry with someone. or bitter towards someone. or maybe some secret sin that need to be confessed before God. Take a few moments this day to cleanse you temple (body) of those things that may be keeping you from experiencing everything that God has for your life.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:9-10)

Where do I serve?

I am nearly finished with reading What Are Spiritual Gifts: Rethinking the Conventional View by Kenneth Berding in preparation for my AGTS graduate class, Theology of the Charismata.

When it comes to answering the question, "Lord, what do you want me to do; where do you want me to serve?" some people are at a loss. In finding the answer to that question, I really have to agree with one of the author's statements: "We will often have greater insight on where to serve in the future as we minister in the present." There is no better place to discover God's purpose and plans for self than to be actively engaged in the pursuit with God. We do not need to fear that we will miss God's plan if we are in pursuit Him.

Detail Is Important - Small Matters Count

If you were to fly over the Statue of Liberty and look closely, you would be able to see the pains taking detail of the Lady Liberty's head. The sculptor had spent as much work on the detail of the lady's coiffure as he did any other part of Lady Liberty. Surely, as the sculptor worked on the statue, he never dreamed that anyone would ever see this detail except for the uncritical eyes of sea gulls. However, today we can fly over that Statue and see the amount of critical detail that the sculptor did not overlook. He devoted as much time and energy to what he knew would be seen, by the ships sailing by in the harbor, as he did to that which he never dreamed would ever be seen.

Paul wrote: "Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work." Colossians 3:23-25 The Message

Tick Tock

Something to think about:

“Every choice we make is an investment in a future we cannot see. Some invest wisely. Some invest poorly. As the clock keeps ticking, the stresses of appetite, applause, and authority expose the state of our hearts and the stability of our souls. May the God of grace strengthen us to invest each tick well.” - Alicia Chole, Anonymous

Getting Out From Under Financial Bondage

We have a responsibility as believers to use discretion and balance in the handling of our personal and church finances. Here are six steps that you can take to assist yourself with getting out of financial difficulties.

1. Make sure you are tithing. This is biblical. Tithe from your "first fruits" and not from the "left overs."
2. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you separate your personal needs from your wants.
3. Avoid the easy credit trap. If you can't afford to buy it with cash, don't buy it.
4. Learn to say "no" to your appetite for possessions.
5. Communicate with your creditors and apply as much as much as you can monthly to pay off your debt.
6. Live within the reality of your means when it comes to occasional gifts for family and friends.

God wants us to prosper, however, we are to be His servants and not the servant to lenders and debtors. God must always be placed first when it comes to our finances.

Careful Where You Walk

I once heard a story about a properous executive whose work required him to travel frequently, so he decided to buy hisown plane. He took flying lessons and was soon quite comfortabler with this new mode of tramsportation. After a few yearss he decided to also purchase a pontoon (float) plane so that he could fly back and forth from his beautiful summer home on the lake.

On his first flight in this new plane, he forgot which plane he was in and headed for the local airport runway, just as he had always done in the past. Fortunately his wife happened to be with him and when she realized what he was trying to do, spoke up saying, "Pull up, George, pull up! You can't land on a runway. You have pontoons! You don't have wheels!"

Looking flushed and humbled, the business man quickly hit the throttle and veered of toward the lake. Landing safely in the still, blue water, he shook his head ruefully and said, "I don't know where my mind was. I just wasn't thinking. That's one of the dumbest things I have ever done."

He then unlocked his seat blet, opened the door of the plane and stepped out into the lake.

I am sure that we have all experienced some mindless moments in our lives. Some of those moments may be humorous now. Others may have had some serious repurcussions or even tragic endings. Paul reminds us:

Ephesians 5:15-17 The Message
So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

Better Run!

Listen to these words:

Ephesians 4:1-3 The Message
In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk — better yet, run! — on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. 2 And mark that you do this with humility and discipline — not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, 3 alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

There is a sense of urgency in Paul's writing. "walk, better yet run." Don't run in any direction. There many roads that we can travel through life. Paul is specific about the road to run. It's the one that God has called you to travel. It's about choices - making right choices - pursuing God and His plan for you.

There's a sense of activity in Paul's words - Do something! "I don't want you sitting around on your hands." Don't be frozen with fear over which direction to go. If you pay attention to God's word, He will lead you down the right path. God led Noah to build an ark and Abraham to to leave his country and family to go to a land that God would show him.

Paul speaks of consistency in our relationships. "not in fits and starts, but steadily" I get tired of walking on pins and needles around some people who think they need pampering. You never know from one minute to the next how they will respond to you. You want to say, "Grow up!"

Paul finishes his discourse by telling us to recognize our differences and mend relationships. It's about love.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Years ago, Stevie Wonder sang a song titled, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours." That song popped into my thoughts out of nowhere while reading Ephesians 1:3-14 and as I was coming to the end of this passage in The Message. Here's why. Paul wrote "{13} It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free — signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. {14} This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."

As I remember the the song started out something like this:

Like a fool I went and stayed too long

Now Im wondering if your loves still strong

Oo baby, here I am, signed, sealed delivered, I'm yours

Between that song and then thinking about what I had just read in The Message, I started thinking about being a fool in love with Christ instead of just a fool, foolishly in love as a teenager. What a difference! Being a fool in Christ these past 34 years has been a blessing for me that I would not trade for anything. The words "in Christ" or "in him" are mentioned five times in this passage. Verse 8 says that he thought of everything and provided everything that we would need. Verses 13 and 14 says that all we read in these verses are sealed by the Holy Spirit - "signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit.

Your signature is very important. With it, documents and contracts are signed. With it, bank accounts are opened and closed. With it checks are written. With it checks are cashed. The Holy Spirit is God's signature for you.

In Paul's day kings and important officials would seal their letters with wax and implanted signet ring. This seal made the document official. It was a sign of authenticity. What God has done "in Christ" is real! He has made it official by the seal of the Holy Spirit.

It's not enough that a document be signed or even stamped with a seal. It needs to be deliered. That is the final most important action of all. Paul is emphasizing that the Holy Spirit delivers on God's promises. And there is more coming!

A Church of Influence

I have begun a study of the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians. As I began to do so, I reread Acts 18, 19, and 20 to refresh myself about the background of this church and Paul's relationship with the Ephesian believers. Paul had a tremendous impact in the city. It appears that the believers were very hungry to know and experience all that God had for them. The city of Ephesus had a population of about 300,000. It was a city filled with Jews and Gentiles. There was great deal of immorality, sorcery, and idol worship throughout the city. It was a prosperous city as it was on a trade route. In Acts 19, we discover three secrets for the church today that will cause it to be an effective influence in its community.

1. When the power of God is evident in the lives of the individuals in the church, the community surrounding the church is affected. When Paul arrived, he found 12 men huddled together, powerless to prevail against this large city. As Paul met with these men, he recognized that these believers were lacking something. It is the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit is unleashed, the miraculous occurs. When power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed, people speak the word with persuasiveness.

2. People of influence walk the talk. Authentic Christians live like Christ. Paul spent three years living and ministering in Ephesus. He preached in the public and lived out his teachings from house to house. He was the same in public and in private. The belivers got rid of their sorcery and witchcraft materials. They had a huge bonfire. There was a 180 degree turn in their lifestyle. In fact, the latter part of Ephesians 4 and all of chapter 5, Paul writes about the believers walk and living a constant Christian life.

3. It's not said directly Acts 18, 19 or 20, but it is made very clear when Paul writes to Ephesus later from Rome, that impacting a city requires that a church be in unity. He also talks of this need indirectly in Acts 20 when he addressed the Elders of Ephesus.

These three qualities will make for a strong dynamic church in our communities today.

Who is at the center of your life?

As I was reading Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus, his final thoughts captured my attention in Ephesians 1:23.

"The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence." (The Message)

Paul had prayed that God would make the church intelligent and discerning. He prayed that their eyes would be focused and clear in order to know His plan for their lives. He then digresses into the above verse. That word "peripheral" caught my attention. In computer terminolgy, peripherals refer to the external hardware that is connected to the computer. It could be a printer or a scanner. It might be a camera or even an external hard drive. These are peripheral items. They do not run the computer. The computer controls them. Peripheral comes from a shorter word "periphery" which means "edge." We're talking about boundaries. The church is not to be on the edge of the world. The world is to be at the edge of the church. Christ has empowered us - He has given us the authority - to be in control of our lives. The world should not be influencing us, we ought to be influencing the world.

Identity and Purpose

Ephesians 1:11-12 The Message
{11} It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, {12} part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

Identity and purpose is what everyone desires. It can only be found in Christ. God created us with a purpose and plan in mind. Alex Miller wrote, "Authenticity derives its power out of a clear sense of identity." Authentic Christians are those who are living out Christ from within.

Throwing Off The Cloak

It has been a few days since I last left a blog. I am still in the midst of traveling to our sectional councils. I have traveled some 2100 miles in the past week and half with little opportunity to post my thoughts. Two more councils to go and I will be done and hopefully can get back into some routine.

As I was reading Mark 10:46-52, the calling of the blind beggar, I was struck by what he did. When he was told that Jesus was calling him to come to him, the beggar threw off his cloak and ran to Jesus. How odd. I would think that a beggar would be very protective of the very few possessions he had, especially his cloak. It was probably the most important piece of clothing he had. It provided him warmth and possibly some protection from the elements. Yet, at the invitation of Jesus, he threw it down. I don't think that blind Bartimaeus would have thrown his cloak down if he didn't believe that Jesus had something better to offer him.

The Hebrew writer wrote: "Let us throw off everything that hinders . . ." (Hebrews 12:1).

What cloaks are hindering your faith? Pride? Fear? Bitterness? Unforgiveness? Unbelief? Worldly allurements? Worldly possessions? I'm sure you can think of possible some more cloaks to add to list that can interfere with our running to Jesus to receive from him what he has to offer. What Jesus has to offer is much better than what we already have.

Faith to Believe

This morning I was reading from Mark 8:22-26. This passage is about the healing of the blind man from Bethsaida. This healing is a little unusual. Generally, Jesus did his miracles in a public setting. This one is unusal in that it is only one of three that Jesus did privately. Why?

The incident begins with some people bringing this blind man and begging Jesus to heal him. Could it be that these people were more interested in seeing a miracle than they were in seeing Jesus meet a need? Could it be that Jesus recognized that those present were not interested in the man but in a show. It may have been more like a circus atmosphere with everyone waiting for the show to begin.

Instead of responding to the those that had begged Jesus to heal the blind man, Jesus chose to take the blind man "by the hand" and led him outside the village, some distance away from the crowd. There would be no show the people. Jesus wanted to establish a one-on-one relationship with the individual in need.

I think this is an inportant element that we in the church cannot overlook. If we want to impact people's lives and make a difference in their circumstances and situations we must first establish a one-on-one relationship. Relationships with people will encourage the person in need to have faith to hope and faith to believe for in Jesus for their healing.

Humility or Self-Promotion

I'm still traveling around Northern New England attending our sectional councils. Attendance has been good. The fellowship has even been better. As our Superintendent said at one of the meetings, "Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto." Individuals who stand alone or apart for any length of time will find themselves falling. One of the benefits of fellowship is accountability. Another benefit is the ability to get things done (success and achievement).

I was recently reading an article on the web about leadership. I am subscribed to "Leadership Wired" by John Maxwell. In this particular article, he used to New England Patriots as an illustration. Because I am a Pat's fan, my interest perked up. I quote from Maxwell's article:

"In one of the greatest Super Bowl shockers of all time, in 2002, the New England Patriots topped the St. Louis Rams 20-17. As defending champions, the Rams entered the game as the heavy favorite to win. Dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf,” their electrifying offense had been unstoppable in the regular season and throughout the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Patriots had limped into the Super Bowl with two narrow playoff wins. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas listed New England as 14-point underdogs heading into the game. In fact, in the Super Bowl’s 41-year history, only two other contests were predicted to be as lopsided as the Rams-Patriots match up.

One memorable moment of the Patriots’ upset win occurred before kickoff when the teams took the field. As the pre-game excitement built into a fever pitch, the starters of the St. Louis Rams were introduced individually. One by one the Rams’ players strutted onto the field for a moment of personal glory—each player’s face prominently displayed on the stadium’s jumbo screens. Minutes later, in an unprecedented statement of togetherness, the Patriots broke with years of NFL tradition by choosing to enter the field as a team. The PA announcer simply introduced them as “The New England Patriots,” and the entire team, both starters and backups, raced onto the field as one. As the architect of the Patriots 2002 Super Bowl team, head coach Bill Belichick had ingrained the value of teamwork into his squad. The Patriots may not have had an equal level of talent as the all-star performers on the Rams, but their effectiveness as a team carried them to the title.

As the architect of the Patriots 2002 Super Bowl team, head coach Bill Belichick had ingrained the value of teamwork into his squad. The Patriots may not have had an equal level of talent as the all-star performers on the Rams, but their effectiveness as a team carried them to the title."

This story about my Patriots got me to thinking about Paul's words in Romans 12:3-8.

[3] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. [4] Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. [7] If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; [8] if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.