May, 2008
Sometime very soon (hopefully we will nail down a date for mid-June) we will announce a community meeting for Lamb of God. This is a gathering when members and attenders can come together for different concerns which relate to the entire church community. In some ways I guess this is a ‘business’ meeting for the church, although the topics tend to have little to do with a traditional ‘business’ meeting. The purpose of this meeting in June is to talk about the future, and a vision for where we should be going as a church.
Several months ago I submitted a seven page document to the elders and to Mary Anne related to what I believe the Lord has shown me regarding the future of Lamb of God Fellowship. I took some time to pray, to think, to study and to reflect upon what I sensed God was saying to me. I set that document before the elders and asked them to reflect and pray as well. I want to share that with you in preparation for the upcoming community meeting. Hopefully, you will be encouraged and challenged to pray and think about what God is saying to you about these matters. (more…)
In Acts 13 a remarkable thing occurs – we get an inside look at how the early Christians launched ‘new ministry.’ (1)Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (2)While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (3)Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
In all my experience as a pastor I’ve only been involved with anything resembling this on a few occassions. I’ve been in tons of planning meetings, and idea sessions and various and sundry attempts at launching various ‘ministry’ things, but very few occassions of what took place here in Acts 13. One of the most powerful experiences of this occurred on my first or second trip to Brazil. In a meeting very similiar to the one described here in Acts 13 – a group of leaders did virtually the same thing in setting apart Rick Widner form ministry in Brazil.
A little over a month ago I had a similiar experience here at LOG. After taking time away to pray and seek the Lord it began to dawn on me that we needed to do a similar thing (as in Acts 13) here at Lamb. You may recall seeing an email which Kevin Houk sent out around that time for the purpose of gathering those who were interested in seeing what the Holy Spirit was up to in the area of domestic missions, i.e. what’s the Lord doing right here in our back yard in terms of reaching people for Christ. (more…)
I grew up in a Christian home. This is something for which I am deeply grateful. My father, Charles, also grew up in a Christian family and at least on my dad’s side this Christian linage goes back several generations. This is a wonderful blessing.
I was also taught to be highly suspicious of Pentecostalism. Most of this ‘caution’ was prejudical and unfair. My Baptist theological orientation was ‘cessassionist’, meaning that I was taught that ’signs and wonders’ belonged exclusively to the age of the apostles and the first century. Over many years of inquiry, study and experience with balanced teachers I came to see that there was no ‘theological’ reason to believe that spiritual gifts and signs and wonders had ceased. Additionally, there was and is good evidence to suggest that spiritual gifts and signs and wonders had continued through the centuries among the body of Christ. (more…)
You may never hear about it, or it may become the next ‘big’ thing in Charismatic circles. Is it real? Is it fake? Is it revival?
First, let me say that at this time (5.7.08) what is taking place in Lakeland, Florida is not similiar to The First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, The Welsh Revival, or even the Azusa Street Revival. All of these examples were characterized by a deep sense of repentence, great sorrow for sin and a powerful renewal of simple gospel truths. Even, Azusa, the beginning of the modern pentecostal movement in the U.S. had this element of repentence and deep sorrow for sin.
So far, this is not what is being reported concerning the ‘revival’ in Lakeland. Does that mean it is not a genuine move of God? The verdict is out on that one. The presence of ‘alleged’ healing miracles doesn’t by itself prove that what is going on in Lakeland is a revival, or even that it is from the Lord. Jesus said (21) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ (23) And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (more…)