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. Read the rest of this entry »

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.’ Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes, well actually many times it is hard to figure God out. This past Sunday I had a message I really hoped would be heard by the church. However, many folks were missing. I will put it on the site, but it is likely that only a few more will actually hear it even after making it available on-line. But let me make this clear - its not that I think ‘Oh, my preaching is so important you can’t miss it - rather it is that I believe that God gave me something which is really necessary for this season of our life as a church.

I think worship should be an evolving reality with elements that remain fixed. There is a sense in which worship must remain flexible, open and able to receive new things: I Cor. 14: (26) What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. In an enviroment where you are actually going to encourage this sort of thing, there will be a need for flexiblity and openess to new things. This is a delicate balance. For example, if you allow the sharing to go on and on without sensativity to the entire flow of worship things can get really bogged down. That is why the scriptures say: ‘the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets‘ i.e the ‘prophets’ are not automatons who must speak and who can’t restain themselves or be brief. According to scripture all things must be done in good order. That doesn’t mean that things can’t be loud or full of passion or even a little crazy - just that they need to be in good order, i.e. not confusing or chaotic. Read the rest of this entry »

I feel incredibly blessed by having the opportunity to sit with, and learn from the group of senior pastors who make up the churches of the ARC, both domestic and international. Today (Thursday, 10th), we are together as each man shares his experiences of the past year. We are asked by Ned Berube, our president to share our the one thing that the Holy Spirit has done in the past year that has really blessed us, and the thing that has been our biggest challenge. I sat and listened as senior pastor after senior pastor shared really wonderful stories of God working in their lives, in their churches, and in their families. Not every story was one of victory. Some were tales of heartache, disappointment and tragedy. Yet in everything was the word of Christ, beaming out, lighting the way, illumining the stories of fellow pastors who were still, after many years in the pursuit of Jesus. Read the rest of this entry »

After months and months of careful work I am so pleased to announce that Lamb of God’s very first worship album is completed.

Very big thanks and cudos to our own Ben Stamper. He is a true utility man. He wrote 9 of the 11 songs. He played and sang on every song, he produced, engineered and like a father nursed this project from the earliest idea to hand delivering it to the disc maker last week. I can’t tell you how many hours he put in on it, but the number is crazy. I know for a fact during the last week of mixdown and mastering he spent at least one all-nighter working on bringing the project in on time. Ben, I love you man, great, great work.

There are many others to thank. Of course the worship team, and all the guests players and a huge contribution from Vesper in terms of vocals and vocal arrangements. Thanks Vesper!

The brilliant multi-instrumentalist Jake Armerding laid down some really tasty fiddle and mandolin. The guy is a real genius on his instruments. Bill Stauffer (West Essex Baptist) did some sweet piano work, and Milton Hobbs (New Covenant Church) played some great Hammond B-3 on the recording. Jenny Shannon turned in a steller performance on Page Malbrough’s song ‘Wave after Wave’ - thanks Jenny! I’m not going to mention every single person who contributed (they are credited on the CD), but it was a team effort, for sure. Read the rest of this entry »

Charles Colson has a new book out called ‘The Faith - given once, for all.’ It is a primer on orthodoxy, brief but powerful. One of its central premises is that their is a staggering decline in Biblical literacy among Christians. There is statistical evidence that as many as 60% of ‘born-again’ Christians do not believe in the concept of ‘absolute truth.’

In the book, Colson tells a story of a course that was being taught in a public high school (after school, in compliance with Equal Access laws) on Christian Worldview. When it came to the 10 lesson in the course on comparing Islam, Buddhism and Christianity the teacher reported that the kids in the class ‘went nuts’ over the claim that Christianity was true. Seven of the eight ’serious’ Christians students chosen as group leaders refused to teach it. When they met again some days later in preparation for the next week’s session, all eight leaders informed the teacher that they had consulted with their parents and some of their youth leaders. They were concerned that they might offend other children. The argument was so fierce that in the end they decided to cancel the lesson. Colson wonders -’is this any indication of the state of the Church?’ Read the rest of this entry »

One of the bed rock ideas which have been somewhat sacred to the Alliance for Renewal Churches has been the idea that covenant is a meaningful way to talk about and to frame local church membership. Back in the day (30 or so years ago) many of the founders of our group of churches observed that some of the things which help to bind a body of Christians together in a local church were disappearing. The ‘natural’ community of neighborhoods was slowly giving way to people living pretty much seperate from their so-called neighbors. When I was a kid I remember knowing the names of every family on my street. Those days have past.

Also the idea of a ‘parish’ where members of a church lived close enough to one another to see each other in more ordinary circumstances was giving way to an increasing tendency to see fellow church members only at proscribed meeting times. I believe (as did the guys that planted the first ARC churches) that this lack of community was doing great harm to the church. Forming more intentional commimtents to a local body of Christians was a an effort to try and recover this very essential element of the New Covenant communites which emerged from Pentecost (see for example the summary of church life in Acts 2:42-45) It is from this mindset that the notion of written membership covenants emerged as a part of Alliance for Renewal Churches. However, I see some troubling signs that make me wonder - is it worth doing? Read the rest of this entry »

I Cor. 14:3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

This past Sunday (the 9th) was a powerful example of the truth of this passage. I want to review what took place in the service and talk about how the gifts operate to build up the church. I may miss some of the things that are relevant, but this is my perspective after reflecting on the service.

A brother came to the front and shared a tongue and an interpretation of that tongue. The interpretation of that tongue focused on concern for some one (or ones) who were struggling with a great deal of fear. Shortly after that a young brother came to the front and read Psalm 23 (with a fair amount of emotion). Sometime after that a sister came to the front and sang a beautiful song in which the Lord calls for us to come to him, and allow ourselves to be comforted by Him. The imagery of the song was very fatherly, and the repeated refrain was to come and allow the Lord to tenderly embrace us and to give us comfort.

Simultaneously a group of people gathered to pray for a young boy (who was at the altar with his father). This prayer time went on for probably 10 or more minutes. I think I have described the basic elements of what I observed this past Sunday. Now I would like to break them down and talk about how different ‘manifestations’ of the Spirit were in operation. Read the rest of this entry »

Pray to the Lord of the harvest

Jesus spoke these words to the disciples regarding reaching people: (36) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (37) Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; (38) therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

How should we apply a scripture like this to our own times? Is the harvest plentiful? It doesn’t seem that way, but perhaps if Jesus were speaking directly to us He might have added, “if you know where to look.” I have some ideas about this, but I am going to begin with what I think might be the most obvious place to look - our children. Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, first off I realize this picture is a little over the top. But it’s kind of cool, sort of Lon M. like in appearance. But I thought it might grab your attention.

I recognize that some may have found my message of 2.24.08 a bit ponderous. As I prepared it I thought to myself - “this don’t preach to good” (Pardon my grammar). Yet, I believe that I needed to take the time to carefully talk about the discontinuity between O.T. prophets and the way in which prophecy functions in the N.T. I believe a great deal of confusion makes its way into the church over simply not understanding the difference between O.T. prophets and the way the gift of prophecy is meant to work in the church. The weight of responsibility which lay on the shoulders of O.T. prophets was enormous. They could not be wrong. They were chosen and set apart by God to deliver the very words of God to the people. Read the rest of this entry »