Servanthood

Our church is experiencing some great service opportunities. Last night we hosted a banquet for Ryan Delling, missionary with Eagles Wings Ministry. We had a great turnout. Tomorrow we are hosting the school orientation for all school employees of the Henderson County School System. We will have over 1000 people in the building. Next week we will host a banquet for Western Kentucky Teen Challenge. The banquet is on Thursday. These events are a lot of hard work and cause us some inconvenience but it is worth it. God has called us to serve, both locally and globally. When we remodeled the building we wanted our facilities to be the kind that people will want to use. We are not charging any fee for any of these events. We are even donating the food for the banquets. I am so grateful to be a part of a congregation that loves God and people and is willing to serve. I believe that our service leads to the expansion of God's kingdom and that is what it is all about. Thank you to everyone that has helped. A big thank you goes to Pam Mitchell, Jan Frederick, and Kay Gish. They have gone over and beyond what anyone can expect.

Pentecostal, part 3

Another distinctive of Pentecostals is we believe in the initial physical evidence. What does that mean? It means that a person does not have to wonder if they have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, God lets them know by giving them a wonderful gift. What is that gift? It is speaking in tongues. I know that there is a lot of controversy around speaking in tongues today in the church in America. It was not controversial in scripture and it is not controversial overseas. It really is only an issue here in the states. Why do we believe in speaking in tongues? We believe in it because speaking in tongues was the initial physical evidence of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts. If you study the times when someone received the baptism in the Book of Acts, the pattern of scripture is they spoke in tongues. It was not controversial. It was not debated. It was accepted as an act of God. We believe as it was in the Book of Acts, so should it be today. Pentecostals pattern themselves not after a modern day model but after the record of the first church in Acts.

What do I mean by initial physical evidence?
1) Initial- it is the first evidence but no the only.
2) Physical- it was outward, something that could be tested and proven
3) Evidence- it is how you know you got it.

A distinctive of Pentecostals is we believe that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostals, part 2

What makes Pentecostals distinct? What makes us different from other churches? One of the main things is we believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second experience after salvation. Acts 2 was not a salvation experience. It was an empowering experience. The disciples were saved in John 20 when Jesus breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit. This is an example for all believers. When you are saved, you receive the Holy Spirit and He resides within you. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an empowering experience when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The are two separate experiences found in scripture. This is the pattern throughout the Book of Acts. I encourage you that if you have not experienced the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, seek it with all your heart. Jesus knew His disciples needed it and He knows you need it.

Pentecostal

I thought we had a great service today. I believe people received healing and deliverance in the service. I began a new message series to day entitled. "Pentecost." I had not planned on teaching this series and to be honest it is not developed yet but God is leading me to teach on what does it mean to be pentecostal. Most people know we are a pentecostal church but I am afraid that not too many know what than means. So for the next few weeks we will focus on what does it mean to be Pentecostal. I hope that it informs and inspires.

I believe one of the biggest mistakes the American church has made is to move away from the ministry of the Holy Spirit and towards programs and methods. I believe in a church having ministries but they must be fueled by the Holy Spirit. I also believe God want to transform our community. I want us to continue in the flow of the Holy Spirit. Please pray with me that God leads and guides us into His presence.

Tent Revival, part 3

Last night was another good night. The focus was on repentance. Bro. Ken gave us a great word about complacency and allowing bitterness and unforgiveness into our hearts. It was right on. Mrs. Elaine followed up with a teaching about rivers of water flowing through us. It is a good thing when you see people on their knees at the altar repenting before the Lord.

Tonight is the grand final. I believe it is going to be the best night yet. The weather has been wonderful. I cannot believe it is this cool at the end of July. Don't let the rain scare you away. The tent does not leak. It just keeps it nice and cool.

Last night we had some guests that seemed pretty skeptical of what we were doing. Do not let the skeptics or critics to cause you to doubt the moving of the Holy Spirit. We are a pentecostal church. We will never apologize about it. For those who do not believe in the present day ministry of the Holy Spirit, we love them and bless them but we do not water down our beliefs or practices to please them. We will always stand for Pentecost. We will always allow the Holy Spirit freedom to move in our midst.

Tent Revival, part 2

Last night was another great service. Several people had encounters with God. The evangelist preached that miracles, signs, and wonders are still for today. God still saves the lost, heals the sick, and sets free the captives. We must not water down the gospel or the power of the Cross. The difference between Christianity and other religions is the power of our God. Other gods are unable to change a heart, cause the blind to see, or make the lame to walk. As I travel in other countries it is the confirmation of the gospel through signs and wonders that draws people to Christ. It distinguishes our God from theirs. We must proclaim the full gospel. The A/G logo for the Assemblies of God also stands for "all the gospel." Too many denominations have watered down the gospel and denies it power. This was not true in the book of Acts and is not true for today. God still saves, heals, and delivers. The cross is still powerful. The gospel will be confirmed by God's power. Pentecostals stands for preaching the whole Bible not just portions. Pentecostals expect to experience all the gospel not just parts. The blood of Jesus Christ has provided for your salvation, healing, and freedom. Do not settle for anything less.

Tent Revival, part 1

The tent is set up! Tonight we will move our revival services out into the tent. Last night we met in the sanctuary because of weather concerns. We had a great service. Our evangelist preached on having memorials in heaven. You establish memorials in heaven through prayer and giving to the poor. Our young people were prayed for and I think all of them received something from God. I think it is so important for children and youth to have an experience with God at an early age. It is one thing to teach our children information about God. It is another for them to have an encounter with God.

Another thing God did last night was healing. This past Sunday I was told that an individual in our church had a MRI on their back. They were told they needed surgery. Last night our evangelist asked this person to stand. Said that God was the best chiropractor in the world and prayed for her. The neat thing is the evangelist had no knowledge about the MRI. I am positive about that. She just got into town that afternoon and did not know the person she prayed for. Isn't God great?

Michael is in town

My nephew Michael is in this weekend. He came to the tent revival last year and wanted to attend again. I always look forward to him spending time with the family. Before Cathy and I met he was the only kid in my life. We have always been close. He is still the only person that I have changed his diapers. Now he is almost 15. He is still single so tell all the girls to watch out.

Change of Plans

We have a change of plans. Because of the threat of thunderstorms and the heat advisory, we are not setting up the tent today. We are going to have service inside Tuesday night. We plan on setting up the tent on Wednesday if weather allows. We are still having the revival, just not sure if it is going to be inside or out. Please contact all your friends and let them know. It is not being cancelled. Come and expect God to move. Thanks for your help.

Excitement Builds

I am getting really excited about the tent revival. I looked at the weather report and it is suppose to get hot. I mean really hot. You may ask why does that excite you? Because that means only the hungry will come. Only those who really are in need or who really want God will be willing to show up to a tent meeting in 90 degree heat. I believe the Holy Spirit has freedom to move among the needy and hungry. No one with a religious spirit will bother to show up. They don't want to be a critic that bad. It filters the amateurs from the real players, so to speak. I want to be a player. I want God to touch my heart, church, and city and I am believing for it.

Hope you come to the services. They begin Tuesday night and go through Friday.

Batman

Last night Charles and Tyler went to see the new Batman movie. They went to the midnight showing with a bunch of their friends. When I first met Cathy, Charles and Tyler were huge batman fans. They had all the batman and robin figures, they had a bat cave, and everything else batman. When they got in trouble all we had to say was you can't watch batman and they would immediately behave. It was the best means of discipline ever.

I have thought a lot about Charles and Tyler when they were younger. They grew up so fast. In one month they leave for college. I am not looking forward to that, but I am very excited for them. I have enjoyed every stage of their lives. This weekend we are going to celebrate their 19th birthday. Parents enjoy your kids.

Next Sermon Series

We have two more weeks left on our sermon series "A Life Well Lived." I have been praying on what is next? I think our next series (I always reserve the right to change) is 50 Days of Community. We are going to learn about what it means to be a member of the body of Christ. The Bible uses several metaphors to teach us what it means to be saved. It uses the word family of God. It uses the metaphor body of Christ or army of God. These metaphors teach us that we are saved into a community. It is not a "personal private relationship with God." You are born into a corporate relationship with God that includes all believers around the world. It especially includes the local church, the local body. You are not an island unto yourself. You are a member of God's family, body, community. The chapters of the Bible we are going to study are Romans 12, 13 & 14 and I Corinthians 12, 13, & 14. We will start the first Sunday of August. I think it is going to be a great series for the church.

Tent Revival

I always look forward to our tent revival but I think even more so this year. I am really ready to spend a week and focus on nothing but meeting with God! When Cathy and I went to Springfield last week we visited the Flower Museum. It is a museum about early Pentecost and the formation of the Assemblies of God. When you looked at the early pictures you saw a lot of pictures of tents. Tent revivals are a part of our A/G heritage. Most of those revivals focused on salvation and healing. This is exactly what we will focus on next week. I believe people will be saved and the sick will be healed. It is good to remember your heritage. The A/G began because God poured out His Spirit. People began to get saved. Healing became a part of the gospel and the church again. Next week come to the revival and believe for the miraculous.

Losing

My team lost. I am a baseball fan and last night was the all star game. I always cheer for the national league because I am a Cincinnati Reds and Saint Louis Cardinals fan. They got beat in extra innings. The American league has won several years in a row.

Sometimes your team loses. Sometimes you lose. Life does not always go your way. How you respond during these times reveals much about what is in your heart. You will learn how mature you really are. You will learn how dedicated to God you really are. You will learn how loyal you are. Nothing reveals more about you than losing. Make a decision today that you are going to remain true even when you lose. Don't take your ball and go home. Stay in the game. Keep playing. Be faithful.

Missing Pages

I have read through the One Year Bible for many years. It is a habit I started and has been a great benefit in my life. Today I had a very unusual experience. Some pages were missing. I turned to today's reading and it was not there. The Bible I use is so worn that some of the pages have fallen out. It was a weird experience. You go to read the Bible and it is not there. I began to think of the many countries where Bibles are not available. In China many Christians have only hand written scriptures and they are not complete. Some pages are missing. There are still languages the Bible has not been translated to. The people who speak those languages are unable to read the Bible. I am really grateful that I live in a nation that has freedom of religion. I am grateful that I not only have one Bible but many bibles (I am too embarrassed to count). I am glad that the Bible is available to me and I can learn from it and be changed by it every day. I love the Word of God. I cherish the Bible. Do not take yours for granted. Read it. Study it. Allow it to transform you.

Home

The mission team got home safely yesterday. Cathy and I were able to greet them at the airport. It sounds like they had a great time. They were excited and full of stories. They are going to give their testimonies in the service of the first Wednesday of August. You want to be there.

Mission trips are life changing opportunities. I encourage you to go on the next one.

A Great Trip

Cathy and I had a great time at school of missions. The leadership team at AGWM has actually changed the name to Missionary Renewal Week. This year it was not as much training as spiritual renewal. They are able to provide the training on the Internet and Cd's. This enables them to minister to their hearts and spirits during the summer.

The highlight of the week was Thursday night. It was the commissioning service for new missionaries. Their were 101 missionary candidates. At the end of the service they sing a song as a choir. It is impossible to watch them sing and not have tears in your eyes. They were singing the song "Order my Steps." As they were singing you knew they were about to leave their families, homes, careers, friends, everything to go to a foreign field and share Jesus. It is an amazing thing to behold! These 101 new missionaries are going to over 30 countries in the world. Please pray for them.

Cathy and I are glad to be home. The drive from Springfield is pretty boring. I am looking forward to the service in the morning. We will continue the message series "A Life Well Lived." We are going to begin a two week mini-series on the rapture. I believe it will challenge us to live a life ready for Jesus' return.

Trip to Springfield, MO

Cathy and I are leaving tomorrow for School of Missions. We look forward to this trip every year. I see the main priority as District Mission Director is to serve our missionaries. This week I get to do that. We buy them dinner, give them gifts, and basically love on them for a couple of days. They deserve it. They leave their jobs, homes, and family to take Jesus around the world. They are required to come to this school once every four years and I get to give them something. It isn't much but it lets them know that the people in Kentucky love them. Missionaries are my heroes.

I am going to sign off blogging for a couple of days. I will blog again on Saturday and give you a report.

Please keep our mission team in Ecuador in prayer. I have heard that Pastor Chuck is battling a cold. Keep him and the team members in prayer. The Vacation Bible School began today. They are expecting 600 kids in attendance. What a group!

God Bless America Service

Tomorrow we are going to continue the message series "A Life Well Lived." It is a study of I Thessalonians. This week we will learn that in order to live a life well lived, we must live a God pleasing life. Our main goal in life is to please God. In the church today we hear a lot that God wants to give us a fulfilling life. There is a truth in that. God is love and does have a purpose for our life but it is a bit misleading. Our main goal in life is not to live a fulfilling life but a God-pleasing life. When we live to please God we will find fulfillment. Just don't put the cart in front of the horse. In addition to the sermon series our choir will perform some patriotic music and we will pray for our nation. Hope to see you in the morning.

Fourth of July

I hope everyone has a happy independence day. The family and I helped another family move so it did not seem like a holiday. It has been awhile sense I have moved or helped someone else. It is a lot of hard work. Thankfully we had plenty of help and got it done. I doubt if I do fire works tonight. Cathy and I will probably go to bed early. Tomorrow we are going to my parents for a cookout.

I know America has a lot of problems but it is still the best country in the world. Being born in America is an act of grace. I could have been born in a place where they have no gospel witness. I could have been born with AIDS. I could have been born in a village with no electricity or running water. Because of God's grace I was born in a nation with the freedom of religion, with the best medical care in the world, and the most prosperous nation in the history of mankind. Thank God for his grace and thank God for America.

Mission Team

This morning I went to the airport and saw the mission team to Ecuador off. We were able to get in a circle and pray before they left. They were so excited to be going. There is nothing like a mission trip. They are life changing experiences. I am especially excited that we have several middle school students going on this trip. I didn't get to go on a overseas trip until I was an adult. Many times I have wished I would have gone earlier in life. They did not do that much when I was young. If you have never gone on a trip I encourage you to do so. It will draw you closer to God and change the way you see the world. You will come home with a different perspective on everything in your life. Our church takes several mission trips a year. Try one out.

School of Missions

Today I made reservations for School of Missions next week. I go and represent the Kentucky District. I will drive up next Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday I will be in meetings during the day. Wednesday night is District Dinners. We take all the Kentucky missionaries out to dinner and give them a gift. It is usually a gift card from Target. Thursday night is the highlight of the week, the commissioning service for the new missionaries. It is incredible to be a part of that service. This year Kentucky does not have a new full appointed World Missionary but I am still looking forward to the service.

Cathy and I will come home on Friday. Be in prayer for us.

Western Kentucky Teen Challenge

I met with a representative of Western Kentucky Teen Challenge today. First Assembly is hosting a Henderson banquet on Thursday, August 7. The Teen Challenge center is growing and thriving. I had the privilege of being on the first board that helped begin the ministry. First A/G was one of the first churches to support the ministry. It will be good to partner with the ministry again. Teen Challenge is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It was started by David Wilkerson in New York City. A famous book and movie was produced about it "The Cross and the Switchblade." If you have not read it, get it. It is wonderful to support a ministry with a long successful track record.

This is actually one of two opportunities you will have to support missions this summer. On July 31 we will host a banquet for Ryan Delling.

I encourage you to attend both banquets. First A/G is called to reach its world.