Pastoral Charge

(On May 17, 2013, I turned the reins of the First Apostolic Church over to Senior Pastor Kris Dillingham.  I had served as Senior Pastor for thirty years, and had served as an assistant and associate ten years prior to that.  Some have asked me how this transition was handled.  This charge was read that evening and I thought I would post it here to give those who are interested my particular perspective on the event.)

Read Acts 20:17-36

Thirty years ago this week, an incredible trust was bequeathed to me by Pastor Fred E. Kinzie.  He came to this church thirty years prior to that date and led it from a floundering, wounded congregation to a thriving, revival church.  He guided the church through difficult times, through crises that threatened the life of the church and his own life as well.  He led it from a storefront building on Detroit Ave. to a beautiful edifice on Jackman Rd., and then to our first stage of construction on twenty-five acres here in Sylvania township. 

I am sure, at first, that I didn’t fully appreciate what had been given to me.  Hopefully, at this juncture, I am much more aware of its value.  I have harvested from fields I did not plant.  I have enjoyed buildings that I did not build.  I have reaped rewards from wonderful saints whom I did not win to Christ.  Countless prayers that I did not pray have been answered to my benefit.  Untold sacrifices were made that cost me nothing, but enriched my life to a degree I could never have earned or expected.  And, in a sense, not just me, but all of us stand on the shoulders of giants. 

Tonight, May 17, 2013, I follow in the footsteps of my predecessor and release into your trust the care and keeping of an assembly that was first organized into a group of believers in 1937, seventy-six years ago.  As the newly elected Senior Pastor, if you will love them, lead them and care for them, they will return to you the same love and loyalty that they have given to me since 1983.  Share their joys, attend to their spiritual needs, comfort them in their sorrows, love their families and point the way to a brighter future.  If you will faithfully fulfill these simple demands, a strong church will grow still stronger and a blessed people will enjoy greater blessings.  

These noble goals are accomplished as you appropriate the words of the Apostle Paul as he spoke to the elders of the church.  As he delivered his charge to them, so I charge you now:  Do not shun to declare the whole counsel of God.  Take heed to yourself that you may be the example of Christ to the church.  Feed the flock of God.  Guard the church against grievous wolves and false brethren.  Warn the saints against the treachery of the world night and day with tears.  Covet no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.  Support the weak and teach that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 

But beyond these necessary provisions for right relationships, the overarching purpose for the church is to be a city set on a hill that cannot be hid; a lighthouse broadcasting the truth to a lost world.  I charge you also to preach the Word, stay in a constant state of preparedness, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and doctrine.  Your first duty is to please the Lord Jesus Christ and instruct people to follow you as you follow Christ.  

This house of worship was dedicated to the propagation of Apostolic truth: the oneness of God, repentance, baptism in Jesus’ Name, the infilling of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance, pursuing a life of holiness, and awaiting with pure hearts the soon coming of Jesus Christ for His Church.  Remain faithful to these truths.  May this worship center be a soul-saving station; may this pulpit proclaim the certain sound of the trumpet of truth; may this people be knit together in oneness of mind and unity of purpose.  

We commit ourselves to this course as God gives us His grace and strength.  In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Now, the new Senior Pastor and his family will come to the front of the sanctuary.  The ministers, deacons and elder will lay hand on them and we will pray together.)

I'm Just a Preacher

I went to college many years ago, so occasionally I look through college catalogs to see what they’re teaching these days.  That, in itself, is an education.  A typical catalog describes courses in the psychology department as “Life-Span Development: A Cross-Cultural Perspective;” “Mental Health in Historical and Social Contexts;” “Family Dynamics and Therapy” and “Special Problems in Abnormal Psychology.”  The sociology department was even more interesting.  “Sociology of Sexualities;” “Definitions of Normality” and “Family Violence” were some of the course options.  I would probably just blow your mind if I were to include course descriptions in Leisure Studies, Women’s Studies, Theatre Arts, Television and Radio. 

The point of all of this is that today’s cultural mosaic is so diverse and complex that the calling to be a preacher sometimes seems simplistic beyond comprehension.  What used to be a fairly straightforward approach on the issues of life is now divided and sub-divided into endless iterations of subtle differences. Even professors sporting post-graduate degrees can come across as ignoramuses when meandering across a relatively thin line into another academic field.  Expertise now exists on a rapidly shrinking island. 

Now comes the preacher.  He purports to have all the answers to all the problems of all the people in the world.  He bases his grandiose claims on a book written nearly two thousand years ago and he delivers his message with a shockingly confident attitude.   In the eyes of a sophisticated world, he is just an interloper who exploits the naïve and frustrates real social progress.  But, because this assessment has been well established in mainstream society, more and more preachers, awash in self doubt and smarting under the ridicule, have begun to backpedal from their message.  Some have blatantly denounced the orthodox beliefs they did hold and have redefined their ministry.  Joel Osteen, for example, has abandoned conventional Christianity and embraced a hybrid form of universalism.  http://unitedforawakening.com.

Has preaching become irrelevant?  Is the typical sermon a lightweight, uninformed harangue on the state of modern culture?  Is the preacher an imposter who needs to be replaced by a college professor, a life coach/therapist, an expert or a social engineer? 

Well, it all depends on who you’ve given access to your mind.  Do you think the educational industry is going to come out in full-blown criticism of its own?  Before you invest too heavily in the chaps with more degrees than a laboratory thermometer, do some investigating.  For starters, read Robert D. Anderson’s article today (8-29-13) in the Huffington Post.  His PhD degree notwithstanding, he trashes secondary education. I would love to include a number of his quotes, but it would take me too far off my theme.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-d-atkinson-phd/the-failure-of-american-h_b_626289.html

If the students are a product of their teachers, what kind of disasters must the teachers be?  Point is, reject the Christian-bashing, holiness-hating, self-exalted gods of academe.  Besides, many of them are diametrically opposed to each other, even in the same discipline.

The staying power of Christianity is two thousand years strong.  Preaching Christ and Him crucified is not only a relevant message for today; it is the preeminent message for all time.  Never be embarrassed that you are “just a preacher.”  Never stutter or stumble with proclaiming the Word of God because some in your audience are more highly educated than you.  Don’t try to redefine your role as something other than a preacher.  Don’t “poor-mouth” the greatest job in the world. 

Preaching occupies an anointed and critical place in the life of the church.  “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18. “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”   1 Corinthians 1:21. 

Preach repentance.  It is the best therapy for the soul.

Preach love.  It’s what would make true sociology work best.

Preach truth.  All the philosophy professors in the world can’t do better.

Preach peace.  You can’t take enough political science courses to make it happen.

Preach creation.  Evolutionists need to know.

Preach that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Biologists should take note.

Preach the Acts of the Apostles.  Historians need the lesson.

Preach full Bible salvation.  Sinners will respond.

Preach the Word of God.  It will edify everyone.

I am not just a preacher.  I am a preacher.  My message outweighs all other messages combined.  My message not only changes lives on earth, it opens the door to heaven. 

Preacher, preach the best you know how.  But regardless of how well you preach, if you preach truth you are doing a fantastic job!  Style, delivery, creativity, insight and composition all have their place, but truth trumps all of them.  The man with the keys is the man who unlocks the door.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Matthew 16:18-19 (KJV)

Exhortation: A Dying Art?

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort…” Acts 2:40 

Our stable of young preachers was jammed with hopefuls, as wild as a herd of bucking broncos, full of zeal, eager to be turned loose behind a pulpit.  We weren’t experienced enough to command a real time slot, but those that ran the conference or camp meeting carved out some time during the preliminaries to give us wannabes a shot.  We were told to get out there and “exhort” for one to two minutes max.  Exhortation equaled entertainment.  God only knows what all we screamed at our amused audiences in these tryouts; I doubt much of it would qualify as exhortation.  Whatever happened to exhortation?

Here’s why this is important.  We know that “paraclete” is the Greek word for the “Comforter,” meaning the Holy Ghost.  This may shock you, but did you know that the Greek word for exhort is “parakaleo,” which is the verb form of paraclete?”  In other words, the practice that we disdain is the same practice used by the Spirit of God in us and in the church.  The character traits of God’s Spirit have been well rehearsed among us.  He’s not a bulldozer or a ramrod.  He is not a policeman or a tyrant.  He is kind, gentle, easily entreated and loving.  He does not force His way into our lives.  Rather, He stands at the door and knocks, waiting patiently to be admitted. 

Today, the profile of exhortation has fallen into a weak practice, perceived as a method used mainly by amateurs who have little or no spiritual authority.  The scriptures, however, overflow with instructions to exhort, beseech and admonish.  1 Thessalonians 4:1 is a good example:  “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”  Similar scriptures are found throughout the New Testament, especially in the epistles.  The apostles rarely pulled rank.  While they had all the spiritual authority they needed, they were much more likely to employ the art of exhortation to motivate people. 

Not only has the word “exhort” been diffused, we have generally abandoned the concept as well.  We don’t exhort much anymore.  Instead, we pronounce, command, demand, direct, give ultimatums and otherwise use much stronger methods to impose our will on others.  It is my observation, however, that those who are really strong persuade.  Coercion belies weakness.  The “because I said so” mentality may gain immediate compliance, but, eventually, it breeds long-term resentment. 

We often get caught up in “black and white” discussions about right and wrong, obedience or disobedience, submission or rebellion.  Exhortation bypasses these discussions, knowing that they generally turn into debates that only prove the intransigence of one side or the other.  Exhortation bases its efforts on whatever is the wisest, most productive choice to make, not on some absolute rule.  Prayer is a good example.  If I were to tell you that if you don’t pray enough, you won’t make it to heaven, I would be judgmental and you would be offended.  If, on the other hand, I were to tell you that prayer will get you closer to God, I am encouraging you to pray because positive results will follow.  Indeed, that is exactly what we find in scripture.  “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2. 

Whether you are a preacher, a church leader or a parent trying to lead your family, much more success may be found in exhorting, not demanding.  Exhortation implies care for the individual; demanding implies care for one’s own agenda, period.  Exhortation says “I really believe you should do this.”  Demanding says, “Either do this or else!”  Exhortation says, “This is the best thing for you.”  Demanding says, “You are making it difficult for me if you don’t do this.”  Demanding sees black and white.  Exhortation is willing to operate in the gray area if it must, always trying to lead people to the black and white.  Demanding is the quick and easy solution to any problem.  It eliminates the guesswork and sets people straight.  Exhortation is complicated, difficult and messy.  It wrestles with doubts, moods, attitudes, frustrations and repercussions.  But, then again, loving and caring is complicated, difficult and messy too!  It takes time, energy, focus and desire.

I was one of those young preachers champing at the bit to strut my stuff.  I was in a rush to proclaim the truth and pronounce judgment upon anyone who balked at it.  Thank God for great men of God who took me aside and exhorted me to be better.  I’m still too embarrassed to write about some of the more reckless things I said (I know you’re just dying for me to confess!), but I will say that on more than one occasion, a word of wisdom by an esteemed elder rescued me from disastrous consequences. 

Apostolics would be wise to emulate the Apostle Paul’s approach to the Thessalonians.  It is a gem in the crown of exhortation.  “We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.” 1 Thessalonians. 2:6-9 (NIV).

Demanding is not evil.  It is only an attempt to shortcut the way to success.  If you truly feel a need to demand, then demand the best and highest of yourself first.  That will be your wakeup call.  When reality hits you in the face, you will understand the wisdom of exhortation.  If the practice has suffered a long demise in your life and ministry, revive it and begin the practice anew.  Rather than goad and intimidate people into righteousness, bless and love them into it.  It’s the honey versus the vinegar; the warm sun versus the chilling wind. 

Learn the art of exhortation. 

Preaching in the Desert

“Arise, and go toward the south…which is desert.” Acts 8:26

Most would say this was not a good business decision.  For Philip to abandon a spiritual monsoon for a dubious desert trek flew in the face of common sense.  Why leave thousands to reach one?  But there was water in that Gazan desert that neither Philip nor his fellow evangelists knew was there.  Through this one outreach to the Ethiopian eunuch, the gospel which had been revealed to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, soon to be preached to the Gentiles, had now reached the dark-skinned races of Africa.  A huge door was unlocked and barriers of prejudice and discrimination were flattened before the floodtide of belongingness.  This agapé love was unleashed because of a man who was faithful to the call of his heart rather than the report of his fleshly eyes and ears.

I have been writing a column for this publication for over eighteen years.  That’s 216 articles, give or take a few.  I’ve written on almost every subject under the sun, although sometimes it probably wasn’t clear if I had subject!  My target readership has been ministers, laity, church leaders, students, and anyone who needed a word of encouragement or instruction.  If I were to guess, I’d say a small percentage of those targeted knew I had them in mind, and an even smaller percentage have actually read the articles.

And so the question begged is why should I write?  Why continue to put words on paper, month after month, with no accurate way to tell who and how many read them?  The answer is simple:  it the stewardship of the call.  The call of God to communicate the gospel comes from an inner motivation, not an external stimulus, and it must be preserved against any form of degradation.  Sure, it’s gratifying to get occasional positive feedback from appreciative readers, but no person with a genuine call uses the strength of feedback to spur him on to write, or preach, or teach, or sing or witness.  It comes from within.

I rehearse these facts as a reminder to every called and commissioned vessel of God.  The size of the audience you speak to, the numbers of people who read what you’ve written and the largeness or smallness of the crowds to whom you minister must not determine your faithfulness to your task.  There is something far more sacred than the catchy show tune “There’s no business like show business; nowhere could you get that happy feeling when you are stealing that extra bow.”  While the heavy population centers attract us, and for good reason, our ear must always be attuned, not to “stealing that extra bow,” but to the cry of the individual, the one, lone plaintive plea from the man from Macedonia, or the woman at the well, or Zaccheus in his Sycamore tree, or Nathanael under the fig tree.  “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:7.

The social and commercial paradigm in which we operate lives and dies on marketing, demographics and trends.  Our marketing acumen has grown so sophisticated that our every move is tracked by computers which profile our taste in clothing, food, cars, vacation spots, leisure activities and countless other preferences.  But we are wrong to rely on any carnal calculus to gauge the value of our work rather than clear voice of God.  Someone said recently, “Rather than a purpose-driven church, we need to be a Spirit-led church!”  May God help the Apostolic church of today never to forsake our reliance on the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost to determine where we are to go, who we are to reach and what we are to say. 

Oneness Pentecostalism in Ohio spread into our rural countryside, to towns and villages that seemed to hold little promise of the great revivals of Los Angeles, Houston or Indianapolis.  Unacclaimed evangelists laboring in obscure farmlands began to gather a harvest that remains to this day.  Those pioneering preachers dug out congregations in Athens, Zanesville, Lancaster, Newark, Portsmouth and even tiny Crooksville, and many more, because they heard from God, not because they saw grandstands or dollar signs.  They found water in the desert.

Here’s an interesting fact about the desert.  “When rain falls in deserts, as it occasionally does, it is often with great violence. The desert surface is evidence of this with dry stream channels known as arroyos or wadis meandering across its surface. These can experience flash floods, becoming raging torrents with surprising rapidity after a storm that may be many kilometers away.” –Wikipedia. 

It could be that those with enough faith to preach in the deserts will experience an outpouring that will rival anything the big cities could see!   

Leadership in the Church: A Manager’s View

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” James 4:1 (NIV).  These pithy questions of the Apostle James strike at the heart of conflict.  He asked them in order to segue into the erroneous prayer life of the believer.  But beyond individual situations, they also probe disunity, dysfunctional relationships and counter-productivity in the church.  Successful churches find a way to defuse these conflicts and harness the energy wasted by negativism.  They march forward.  Churches that plateau or decline, however, are often stalemated by circumstances in which two or more ministries nullify each other through contention and disharmony.  Ultimately, leadership must emerge, but good leaders are often plagued with poor management practices.  The saying that “management is doing things right, but leadership is doing right things” is generally true, but doing right things can be sabotaged by not doing things right.  Sorting out all the issues involved may be a challenge, but let’s begin.

The church is a multi-faceted institution.  It is commissioned to evangelize, disciple, organize, nurture, train, equip, counsel, inspire and guide its constituents, staffing and community.  Maintaining vitality across this diversity of functions is daunting and demands focus, balance and qualitative performance by leadership.  When one or two ministries are serviced at the expense of other ministries, toxic dysfunctionality results that is debilitating, if not lethal.  Servicing all facets of operations at adequate levels, however, provides for sustained and stable existence.  The key seems to be superior leadership as modeled in the Apostolic era.  If leadership is lacking, each function defaults into a self-serving locus of activity which contradicts and degrades other functions. Even as the human body requires interaction with and interdependence upon all the vital organic systems, so also the church cannot survive on the basis of a single point of emphasis. 

The concept of these interactive systems is advanced in the scriptures, although much must be extrapolated from metaphorical and narrative evidence.  Jesus spoke of the vine, of a great house, a great tree, a flock of sheep, a city and a family.  The most exhaustive treatment of the concept is the passage in 1 Corinthians 12:14-17 in which the Apostle Paul referred to the church as a human body with its diverse parts and organs which function separately, but all work together for the welfare of the individual person.  Paul also made an insightful comparison of the church to a building.  In Ephesians 2:21-22 we read, “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (NIV).  All of these images consist of the interaction of systems working together to produce the richness and purposeful progression of the kingdom of God.  But it is the discerning architect who designs the building and the competent contractor who oversees its construction that produce the end result.  Sub-contractors must work within the limitations established by the general contractor.  The foundation must not be incomplete because the roof demanded more attention; the exterior treatment of the walls must not be slighted because the interior trim absorbed too much of the labor.  Every element of the construction needs proper attention if the building is to have integrity and durability. 

Conceptually, these points are easily understood as they apply to the church.  When the time comes for full implementation of the principles, however, turmoil is always one decision away.  Primary players in each sub-operation of the church often see things from their perspective alone, either unaware or unconcerned about the welfare of other operations.  While unit leaders cannot be faulted for wanting the best for their area, certain parameters must be imposed on them so that the success of one function does not cause the failure of other functions.  These constraints may take the form of budgets, programming, recruiting, physical space, equipment and supply, resource consumption, advertising and other aspects of the church operations that pertain to any given ministry.  In addition, a strong emotional element may be a factor in each unit leader vying for a desired goal.  If leadership cannot resolve these conflicts, they will paralyze the general operation.

Before we look at the types of unit leaders, it is important to discuss the process for recruitment and training.  Many people evolve into positions by default rather than by purposeful selection.  They may have been the only ones available, or they had seniority in the department, or they were close friends or a relative of the person in charge.  Some were put in charge of a ministry because the pastor was trying to “help them out” or to improve their self-esteem.  None of these are good reasons to serve as a leader.  Only those who are capable and have a definite calling to the ministry should be promoted to leadership.  This is where the pastor’s role must give way to the manager’s approach.  Some excellent resources for recruiting volunteer workers may be found at www.churchvolunteercentral.com. 

The primary task for the overseer is to lead those who minister under his authority.  Let’s identify the types of unit leaders and understand what must be done to help them contribute to the overall success of the church.  I categorize them as the Overeager, the Under-Performer, the Maverick, the Whiner and the Bull Dog.  All of them can be managed with different tactics and tools, but the manager must calculate the effort and time needed for each type and determine whether or not it is worth it.  Sometimes, it makes more sense to find another, more suitable place for a unit leader to serve.  When each unit functions at its optimum level, the benefit redounds to the whole church.  In the next post, I will explain each of these types and discuss the pros and cons of each one.

A Culture of Growth

(The following article was written for the pastors and ministers of the Ohio District UPCI.  I want to share it with you so you can be apprised of what is happening in Ohio, and also so you may be inspired and challenged to reach out to the lost.) 

On June 17 and 18, I took a tour of six of the Ohio District seven sections to meet with each presbyter.  (I had met with the seventh presbyter earlier).  The 625 mile journey allowed me to assess the needs of each area, discuss the situations unique to each, gave me the opportunity to personally pledge my support for growth initiatives throughout the district.  Accompanied by our Ohio NAM Director, Ken Dillingham, we gathered information, insights and opinions, and were able to share some ideas that we believe will result in a state-wide revival. 

The idea for this trip came from our General Superintendent, Brother David Bernard.  At our General Board meeting in March of this year, he impressed upon all the district superintendents the desperate need for growth, especially in major population areas.  He emphasized the need for a restructured vision—a paradigm shift if you will—that will address the current challenges of urban communities where boundaries between municipalities no longer serve as an adequate model for church planting.  In a word, the distance between churches is rapidly becoming immaterial because of the burgeoning population.  Even in towns and cities with smaller populations, we are hardly well represented among thirty, twenty or even ten thousand people.  The greater need is for ministerial ethics, not geographical proximity.  With Ohio’s population of over eleven million people, his words struck home. 

Here is a sampling of statements we gathered in our trip that defined the status quo among the sections of our state:  There is a dire need for support for existing churches, and, in some cases, revitalization of churches and pastors who are just trying to survive.  There is a need for training, showing ministers and leaders how to start a preaching point, a daughter work or a Bible study group.  There is a need to allay any fears that pastors may have about weakening the local church, and wondering about the motive of another minister who wants to start a work in the same town or community.  There is also the specter of past failures or of nightmarish situations that come back to haunt pastors today.  While each presbyter truly wants growth for his section, he also spoke candidly about very real obstacles that stand in the way.  

I have three general responses to the state of the State as we find it in 2013.  First, we have a mandate to reach the lost.  Second, let us reestablish a long-standing Ohio culture of growth and revival.  Third, we must hold ourselves to the purest of motives and highest of ministerial ethics.  Let me expand on each of these. 

First, we have a mandate to reach the lost.  Frankly speaking, no pastor needs another church.  He has his hands full in pastoring the flock that God gave him.  Also, no saint needs another church.  He or she already attends a church and is satisfied—for the most part—in simply working for God in the local assembly.  So, the question is simply this:  who does need a church?  The answer is equally simple:  the lost!  The unsaved and unchurched need a church!  How many Apostolic people are there in Ohio?  I would be stretching it to say 100,000.  If we have 11,000,000 residents, then the harvest has hardly been touched!  By comparison, it is estimated that 7% of Americans eat at McDonalds every day.  That translates into 770,000 Ohioans eat at the Golden Arches every day, or almost 5.4 million each week.  I’m not saying that fast food and Gospel truth are to be measured side-by-side, but it is very interesting that one single restaurant chain serves fifty-four times as many people in a week as the number attending Apostolic churches every Sunday.  (That’s not counting Burger King, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Steak-n-Shake, and on and on.) 

I know we’ve been beaten over the head with the guilt stick for years and years.  That’s not my intention.  I’m really saying that it would make a decided difference if each pastor were to sit down and seriously think about it.  It is said that necessity is the mother of invention.  If one, five or ten pastors began to consider outreach as a necessity, I’m positive that the wheels of invention would begin to spin.  The fact is that if we truly believe our own message that Acts 2:38 is essential, then the greater burden lies on us than on any and every other denomination or movement on the planet!  

Second, let us reestablish a long-standing Ohio culture of growth and revival.  I thrill to hear the stories of Stanley Hanby, Richard Lucas and other UPCI pioneers who started churches in many of our Ohio towns and villages.  The older generation that is now passing off the scene remembers the excitement of those days when the congregations we now consider “old” churches were new and filled with freshly converted sinners.  Yes, it was a different day, but that only means that we have to use different methods to reach the lost.  The driving force that spearheaded growth in those days is not much different than today.  

Ohio, let’s talk about growth!  Pastor, preach about reaching the lost.  Teach about soulwinning.  Lead your church into prayer and fasting about seeing lost souls saved.  Ask a known soulwinner to come and speak to your congregation.  Challenge just one or two people in your church to start a Bible study.  Inspire just one or two young people to knock on a few doors on Saturday.  Remember, people in your congregation who know truth are far more knowledgeable than the lost person who doesn’t have a clue.  Tell about revivals that are happening in other churches.  Don’t feel so bad that it’s not happening in your church that you won’t even mention it.  It will happen if you give yourself an attitude adjustment!  Travel to a nearby community that has no church.  Drive up and down the streets and pray.  If you see a vacant building where a preaching point or a daughter work could begin, pray about it and make a phone call for further information about it.  Even if it doesn’t work out, you are still doing something!  Dream!  Plan!  Envision!  I believe that God blesses action, initiative, faith and movement toward His goal. 

Do you need training?  Launch confidently into a training program.  People want to be trained.  One of the hottest trends today is training in concealed carry.  Thousands of people are in these programs and they are paying dearly for them.  Train your people to win souls.  There are lots of resources you can use produced by the North American Missions Division in Hazelwood.  Introduce your people to the concepts of preaching points and daughter works.  If you will do it, they will catch on.  We have success stories all over Ohio about daughter works.  Some of them are now self-supporting autonomous churches.  It can be done.  It is being done. 

Once you’ve done these simple things, don’t let it die.  Keep it up.  Follow up on people you’ve inspired to reach out.  Brag on them from the pulpit.  Make them heroes.  The silver dish you polish the most will shine the brightest.  Likewise, whoever you pay the most attention to will work the hardest.  

Last, we must hold ourselves to the purest of motives and highest of ministerial ethics.  Any pastor who goes into an outreach program, especially one that may result in the startup of a daughter work or an autonomous church, must pledge to work within very strict ministerial ethics as guidelines.  Every intention needs to be aboveboard and transparent to all.  Proselytizing or sheep-stealing is absolutely wrong.  I am asking for any incidents that even hint of some pastor currying favor with the saints of another church be reported to me as soon as possible.  We must have a culture of trust as well as church growth.  Nothing will kill a growth initiative faster than a lack of trust among the ministry.  

In the past, the rules about starting a church in Ohio has been subject to maintaining a certain distance between churches.  Over the years, however, there were exceptions granted in extenuating circumstances.  I am not suggesting that that rule be totally ignored today.  In most situations, it is still best to maintain that distance.  On the other hand, we need to be open to some other possibilities.  Some new church plants are geared to an ethnic population that would not interfere with another UPCI congregation if they were only a block away from each other.  Others are reaching a segment of society that makes them much different from other churches in the area.  Whatever the case, we can pledge to each other that nothing will be done surreptitiously, deceptively, or with the intent to exploit or harm an existing congregation.  

I have asked each presbyter to prepare a strategy that is customized for his section.  I don’t believe in a “one size fits all” approach.  Each section has its own peculiar needs and conditions.  You will soon hear from him and will be asked to support the desire for growth.  I am asking for full cooperation.  If we will work together, we will see much more accomplished than if we work independently of each other.  I am confident that God has His hand on our great district.  Great things are about to happen in the heartland!

Breakthrough

“And the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:20 

In a thunderous noise, the walls Jericho crumbled before the Spirit of God and Israel broke through to invade the city; the time and place of our equally stunning BREAKTHROUGH will be our 2013 Ohio District Camp Meeting!  I am convinced that anyone who is tired of wandering in the wilderness, anyone who is willing to set aside conventional wisdom, and anyone who truly believes that trusting and obeying the voice of God will yield victory can break through to a huge victory in this summer.  I’m calling on every church that is tired of a perennial denial of revival to come to camp expecting a breakthrough! 

If no walls existed, who would need a breakthrough?  The reality is that, in this world, walls are everywhere.  Walls of fear keep potential soulwinners from reaching out to the lost.  Walls of past defeat stop Christians from victorious living.  Walls of carnality derail aspirations for spirituality.  Walls of failure prevent churches from the fires of revival.  Walls of false security keep a district from a Holy Ghost revolution.  Every pastor, every minister, every church leader—all of us encounter walls that restrict, slow down or stop us altogether from realizing the will of God in our lives.  

The lament of many churches is a litany of familiar refrains:

• “We have a burnt-over field.”
• “The culture is too far gone.”
•  “No one wants God anymore.”
• “We don’t have enough money.”
• “We don’t have the right people.”
• “All we can hope for is to hold on ‘til Jesus comes.” 

Walls will not go away on their own; they will not meekly fade away.  They were not built for leisure or pleasure; they were built for the very purpose of repelling invaders.  In fact, left alone, walls will only grow stronger, more stubborn and more formidable.  We need to understand that the walls we face are not mere accidents or inevitabilities of life.  They were put in our way on purpose!  Our enemy seeks to thwart the plan of God to build His church so that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  The challenge that lies before us then, is whether or not we will do something about the walls.  They need to be identified, confronted, attacked and conquered!  

The walls of Jericho stood in the way of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land.  General Joshua did not play mind games with the people by pretending the walls didn’t exist.  They were real.  Archeologist Bryant Wood says, “The mound, or ‘tell’ of Jericho was surrounded by a great earthen rampart, or embankment, with a stone retaining wall at its base. The retaining wall was twelve to fifteen feet high. On top of that was a mudbrick wall six feet thick and about twenty to twenty-six feet high. At the crest of the embankment was a similar mudbrick wall whose base was roughly forty-six feet above the ground level outside the retaining wall. This is what loomed high above the Israelites as they marched around the city each day for seven days. Humanly speaking, it was impossible for the Israelites to penetrate the impregnable bastion of Jericho.” 

Undoubtedly, those walls had repelled many invaders.  They gloated in silent derision at every flimsy attempt to climb and conquer them.  The Israelites must have felt their scornful mockery even as they marched around their base.  “Give it up!  You’ll never get through us, over us or under us!”  Joshua’s army of priests and praisers had no battering rams to beat down the walls nor ladders to scale them.   They had no bombs or guns. But they didn’t languish in the shadows of wishful thinking, waiting and hoping for some benevolent army to come and dismantle the walls for them so they could enter the city!  Neither does the church’s breakthrough power come from superior weaponry.  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV) 

Breakthrough revivals do not happen in the best of times; they happen when things can get no worse.  Breakthrough revivals are dependent upon a dedicated band of disciples saying “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us!” Ephesians 3:20. (KJV)  The detonator is not hidden in secret location far away.  It is within our grasp, but it can only be seen when the light of faith and obedience is turned on.  

Ohio, we can break through to victory!  Our battle plans come from God and His Word; our strategy is plotted in the prayer room; our trusted weapon is obedience; our banner is the Name of Jesus and our battle cry is praise and worship.  “Joshua fit the battle of Jericho—and the walls came a-tumblin’ down!”

Just Say Jesus!

“They commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council… they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:40, 42. 

(On the morning of April 15, 1913, John G. Schaepe ran through the Pentecostal camp meeting in Arroyo Seco camp in California proclaiming his revelation of the Name of Jesus.  This year marks the 100^th anniversary of this truth, the hallmark of the Apostolic faith.) 

There is a reason why these disciples ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ forms the centripetal point of the law—everything converges upon Him, and the centrifugal point of grace—everything emerges from Him. He is the theme of both Old and New Testaments, the raison d’être to every dispensation of time, the reflection of every great personage and the substance of every great type. He is the arch-superlative. He is the writer’s masterpiece, the composer’s magnum opus, the architect’s signature creation, the artist’s exposition work, the mountain climber’s Mt. Everest, the scientist’s Nobel prize, the soldier’s Purple Heart, the actor’s Oscar, the Olympian’s gold medal, the sports hero’s championship ring, the miner’s mother lode, the judge’s landmark decision, the investor’s windfall and the inventor’s chef-d’oeuvre. Jesus is the best, highest, greatest, biggest, farthest, widest, richest and finest.

You can see why, then, that Peter, James, John and the rest kept speaking Jesus when they were told not to speak Jesus.  But the disciples knew something the Jewish leaders refused to know.  This man was not an imposter.  He healed the sick, made the blind to see, unstopped deaf ears, cleansed the lepers—when they experienced his power, they exalted his name!   If God has a name, it must not be hidden, silenced, muted, ignored, changed or compromised.  It must be spoken, pronounced, invoked and expressed.  In fact, there is a bias in the mind of God in favor of speaking, of verbal communication. In the very beginning, God began with nothing and began to speak everything into existence. 

God commanded Moses to speak to Pharaoh.  David knew that God desired us to use the gift of speech to talk about His name.  “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.  Psalm 35:28.  We in Pentecostal churches wear that label because we believe that when the Spirit of God comes into our hearts, our mouths will speak out the evidence of his entrance.  “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

There is power in speaking something that has God’s attention.  Jesus said, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”  Mark 11:23.  There is an old saying, “Has the cat got your tongue?  The real question ought to be, “Has the devil got your tongue?”  Some people look straight at their mountain but don’t say a word.  Don’t stare at your mountain and keep your mouth shut.  The devil will play games with your mind.  He will start speaking for you—and he’s not going to be speaking faith, hope and love!  He will use words of doom, gloom and defeat.  Next time you run into a problem, you need to say to the devil “Don’t you say a word!  I’m going to beat you to the punch!”  You need to speak to your mountain! 

There is a name that explodes into the realm of men, angels and demons.  Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”  It is the name of Jesus!  This name must be spoken.  It is not enough to think the name. It is not enough to envision the name.  God wants it spoken.  In case you need a scientific explanation, here it is:

“Words are produced when air expelled from the lungs passes through a series of structures within the chest and throat and passes out through the mouth.  Air that leaves the lungs travels up the trachea (windpipe) into the larynx, the organ that joins the trachea to the lower part of the mouth. Two sections of the larynx consist of two thick, muscular folds of tissue known as the vocal cords. When a person speaks, muscles in the vocal cords tighten up. Air that passes through the tightened vocal cords begins to vibrate, producing a sound. The nature of that sound depends on factors such as how much air is pushed through the vocal cords and how tightly the vocal cords are stretched.  The moving air—now a form of sound—passes upward and out of the larynx. The epiglottis at the top of the larynx opens and closes to allow air to enter and leave the larynx. The resulting sound is altered by the tongue and lips. A person can form these structures into various shapes to make different sounds.  The soft palate at the back of the mouth, the hard or bony palate in the front, and the teeth also affect the sound. The nose provides an alternate means of issuing sound and is part of the production of speech. Movement of the entire lower jaw can alter the size of the mouth cavern and influence the tone and volume of the speech.”  (Adapted from encyclopedia.com).  In case you were wondering, that’s how you speak the name!

This name must be declared.  “That my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”  Romans 9:17.  This name saves.  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13.  This name is above all other names.  “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named.”  Ephesians 1:21.  This name demands worship.  “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.”  Philippians 2:9-10.  This name will make us live forever.  “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13.  This name is the centerpiece of the last days!  “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Revelation 19:16.

The Bible teaches us to speak the name, not just think or understand the name.  We don’t just mean the name.  We speak the name.  We speak the name when we baptize.  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  Acts 2:38.  We speak the name when we pray.  “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”  James 5:14.   We speak the name when we preach and teach.  “But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”  Acts 9:27-29.  It is the name of Jesus that contains the power and the authority, the might and dominion.  It is the name of Jesus that commands the attention of Satan himself.  It is the name of Jesus that means “Jehovah has become our salvation!”

Some say this is too simple.  They want us to launch into long, complicated explanations and treatises on various aspects of salvation, religion, recovery and spiritual metamorphoses.  They believe we ought to search for answers in the realms of education, of politics, of activism, of mind power, of high finance.  They believe we should analyze, scrutinize, categorize, pasteurize, downsize, revise, stylize, theorize—anything but baptize—the message of the name of Jesus. 

Sometimes we fall prey to the desire to find something deeper, something more enlightening, something more palatable for the twenty-first century educated mind.  But after going in full circle, we always come back to the name.  When you are in trouble, just speak the name.  When you are in the dark, just speak the name.  When you are sick, just speak the name.  When you are tempted, just speak the name.  When you are discouraged, just speak the name.  When you are challenged, just speak the name.

It is our covenant relationship.  It is our family identification.  It is our sin-remitter.  It is heaven’s attention getter.  It is the devil’s worst nightmare. 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!  There is just something about that name!