My good friend, Missionary Phil Schmidt shared this video with me. Rev. Eugene Rivers, pastor of Azusa Christian Community does an excellent job explaining Pentecostalism in terms that most people can comprehend. This video was originally featured on NBC
I just finished conducting a 7 Laws seminar at Central Assembly in Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville is the largest city in north Alabama with more than 500,000 people in the Tennessee Valley region. Most people are unaware that this is the “brain trust” of NASA and the United States Arsenal. I have been ministering in this region at least once a month for the last three and half years. Yesterday, I sensed in my spirit that God’s attention has turned to this area. I believe a new season of ministry is being released. Churches are positioning themselves to influence the communities. Business leaders are redirecting their passions to become godly influences. I expect great things.
Solomon advises us ”Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.” (Proverbs 27:23)
Very few leaders are brutally honest in evaluating their organization. Most allow themselves to “fudge” on the facts. Doing so only will only cause you to accept a delusion.
I have witnessed one of the greatest missional organizations on earth, began to “fudge” on the numbers concerning growth which has resulted in a devastating effect. The organization has given itself permission to fail by not being forthright on its present position of stagnation.
Solomon points out that ”riches do not endure forever.” When organizations find comfort in their finances they loose the hunger of the entrepreneurial spirit. They fail to risk. The balance sheet becomes the status of arrogance.
Then Solomon emphasis the fleeting stability of generations. Just because you have a past doesn’t guarantee you a future. If you want a future carefully evaluate the present.
”The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14
Our relationships are no longer confined to geography. Everywhere is local. The old concept of distance is obsolete. Our networks have expanded beyond proximity. I see leaders who are still attempting to establish relationships based on locality. That day is over. Organizations, networking, and relationships are no longer confined to the limitations of yesterday. We must realize that we are in a new era.
We are the first generation since the Tower of Babel to be in this position. “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.” Genesis 11:1 The word for language means to open the lip. The word speech means utterance pertaining to business or occupation.
We’re in a time that our ‘language’ and ‘common speech’ is globally recognized. It is the language of computing.
The Church is barely scratching the surface of what can be accomplished in our time if we will “open our lips to communicate our business.” In the last few weeks, I have been working on a couple projects that could result in amazing accomplishments for the Kingdom of God. I marvel at the potential.
I will be in Tulsa on Friday to ‘brain-storm’ with strategists concerning these projects. It is a Divine appointment. I expect God’s wisdom and creativity to be with us.
Change is the word that is being thrown around by the politicians, especially Senator Barak Obama. It can be a great slogan but the question that needs to be addressed is, ”What are you wanting to change?”
Change for the sake of itself is worth nothing. Change for the sake of progress should be evaluated by the necessity for the progress. In other words, progress alone doesn’t constitute the mandate for change.
Proverbs says, “Do not remove an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.” (Proverbs 22:28)
We must keep moving forward to remain relevant; however, we must not change our boundaries set up by our forefathers. Some are demonstrating a willingness to compromise core beliefs that should not be subject to change.
For an example, the fellowship of the Assemblies of God was established with distinctive doctrines and practices. Yet, some are willing to forego proven text and context to be perceived as relevant. This is short sighted at best and adulterous in the worst case. If you are willing to compromise scriptural truths to make your teaching more attractive than you are adulterous. If you avoid a core belief for contemporary relevance you are short-sighted.
A scriptural truth that I will not compromise is the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues. Cornelius, the first Gentile convert received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues (Acts 10). When Peter saw the evidence, it affirmed the vision that God had given him that Gentiles were made clean in the gospel of Jesus the Messiah.
To give up that scriptural truth means that we are willing to renounce the very attestation of our salvation.
The fellowship of the Assemblies of God was also founded with the idea of global missions. Some are giving up the practice of treating missions as of contextual importance. Missionaries can’t even get pastors to accept a phone call!
One day, I was praying for the needs of my ministry (at that time I was planting my first church). Our budget was tight. Sure enough, when I left my prayer time, on my desk were several messages from missionaries. My first thought was, “I don’t want to return their calls, I don’t have the money to help them.” The Holy Spirit whispered in my spirit, ”You just ‘called’ me for help, I listened, and prompted my servants to call you. I have something for you, but you must be willing to give in order to receive.”