The Highway to Fulfillment

Last week I was in the Toronto area driving on the 401. Traffic was exceptionally heavy and was moving forward intermittently with long pauses in between. Thank God for the Garmin we were using. It was so helpful, not only with navigation, but also with estimating how long it would be before we arrived somewhere.

The Garmin, however, did not foresee the jammed traffic throughout Toronto's downtown and the 401. The Garmin expected us to be driving at posted speeds and would estimate our arrival based on that. When we traveled at way less than posted speeds the device would push back our estimated arrival accordingly. And then push it back again. And again.

After an hour or so of barely moving our 18 minute drive was feeling like Gilligan's three hour tour. We tried alternative routes. The Garmin changed accordingly and kept showing new ways for us to get to our destination. Good ol Garmin never gave up. We never received the "pull over and weep in your failure" instruction I was expecting.

We eventually got to our destination. It took 6 or 7 times longer than was originally anticipated. I am thankful for a few things:
* we never assumed there was no destination just because it was difficult getting to it
* the Garmin didn't care how many weird and wrong turns we made - it kept seeking the consummation of the journey.
* The fact that a wrong turn (or many wrong turns) does not mean that a journey is futile.



The road to fulfillment of God's promises feels much the same to me as the seemingly never-ending day on the 401. I feel like I have some destinations plugged into my life GPS by God, but getting there has not happened on the time table I expected. When my estimated time of arrival on God's promises keeps getting delayed I often feel pangs of discouragement. I am going to get to my destination as long as I don't get discouraged by traffic, wrong turns, and construction delays along the way.


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John Stott 1921-2011

I just read that at age 90 the great John Stott passed away today. He was a great scholar and Christian leader. I have often referred to his commentary on Romans for guidance.

Two brief points to highlight the his global impact:

Billy Graham once said that Stott was the most respected living clergyman in the world.

Time Magazine listed him in 2005 among the 100 most influential people on the planet.

Thank you God for John Stott's life of service to You and the legacy that continues on.

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Remember Egypt

A little but important post from Steven Furtick:

You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.
Deuteronomy 7:17-18

Nothing can sabotage radical belief in the promises of God quite like calculation.

The Israelites were facing a seemingly insurmountable task. They were about to enter the Promised Land and face not only a multitude of enemies, but enemies who were clearly stronger and more capable than them. God knew what would happen: they would ask the faith-shattering calculative question, how?

And so He preempted their question with an instruction: remember Egypt.
Essentially, don’t try to calculate how I’ll do it…just remember how I did it.

God’s instructions haven’t changed much thousands of years later for those of us facing uncertainty as to how God is going to come through for us. You might be wondering how God is going to provide for your family now that you’ve lost your job. Or how He is going to cover the costs of your education. Or how He is going to do any of the other number of things you need Him to do.

Well, I don’t know how. Neither do you. And the truth is, we don’t have to know how. We just need to know that He can. And the way we know that He can is by calling to mind what He’s done.

And He’s done plenty. Your life is littered with signposts of God’s faithfulness. Regardless of your circumstances, take a moment and take a look at them. Remember Egypt. Remember what God has already overcome in your past as you face your present. Then leave the how to Him.



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Catch The Fire

We worshiped with the Catch the Fire (CTF) ministry school one night this week. They just graduated several students that completed a 3 week leadership intensive.
Formerly Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship,
CTF has been a major catalyst to Rolland and Heidi Baker, Brownsville Assembly, IHOP, Bethel Redding, and many many other influential people and ministries.
It was a nice respite along the journey home.


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Delightful

Undoubtedly the best gelato I've ever had. I had pistachio & coconut. Ashleigh had chocolate if you can't tell.










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Little Italy

Ashleigh taking a break on a hot day in the Little Italy section of Toronto.



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Asking God to Help Me See

Sometimes I find myself feeling numb toward the needs of people I see throughout my day. It concerns me to think that I can become unmoved by people without homes, food, or those in pain either emotionally or physically. Sometimes I try to tell myself that it's because of how common it has become to see people in need that I don't always feel stirred inside. But I don't think that is true.

When someone cuts in front of me in line at the grocery store I am not numb to it emotionally. That has happened numerous times in my life. When I feel slighted by someone (whether perceived or real) I am not numb to it. I may not show it on the outside but I definitely notice it. When the waitstaff at a restaurant gives what I deem poor service I notice it and internally react. Why should those type of things cause reactions in me greater than when another human being is in need?

I will be more like Jesus when I care less about the goings on of my own little kingdom and more about bringing justice to the marginalized. Jesus was moved to tears with great emotion over the needs of the people of Jerusalem. I want eyes that see people the way He does.


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A Sunday to Remember (kind of)

Yesterday morning we went to church in Port Hope. The church we intended on attending started at. 10:30. We ran late so I started looking for any church in the area that began at 11. I found a Presbyterian one close enough to us that we could be there on time.

Upon arrival I noticed a few things:

There were few cars in the parking lot.
Including us there were about 20 people present.
All of the females except one were wearing hats.
All of the males (even those preschool age) were wearing ties.
The only musical instruments on stage were a piano and organ.
All of the bible verses posted were kjv.
The hymnal had hymns and then a separate section of Psalms put to music. I thought that was cool.
Most of the people looked to be over the age of 70 except for two families.
No one spoke to each other before or after service. No one. Zero talking.

The regular pastor was on vacation and a very nice young man from Toronto was shepherding the church while he was away. He was not preaching however. The person preaching that morning was a missionary from The Czech Republic. He stated that he intended to give testimonies of the work God is doing there and then preach the gospel.

He shared mostly about the damage that Baptists and charismatics have done in The Czech Republic by spreading their heresies. The atheists are very bad too, just not as bad as the Baptists and charismatics. As a pastor in a charismatic Baptist church I had to chuckle. I wasn't offended at all but I found it funny. Of all the churches in the little town of Port Hope I have to imagine this is the only one with a missionary giving testimony of how bad charismatics and Baptists are. Unfortunately we never heard what God IS doing there.



Then he shifted into the sermon out of 1 Kings. It was the section where Jeroboam has two golden calfs formed so that people would not have to go to Jerusalem for worship any longer. Using that story as the backdrop he talked about the importance of doing things God's way and not doing what is right in our own eyes. One example was dressing appropriately on The Lord's Day. I was the only guy in the house without a tie on. Modern fashions are not appropriate for God's true people. He talked extensively about the evil of all things contemporary. Then he talked about modern music with drums showing how people have wandered away from God and made the church carnal. At this point I am realizing he may not have enjoyed it as much as i did when one of our worship leaders led playing guitar and wearing a Homer Simpson t-shirt a few weeks ago in church. He also railed against the notion that God is concerned with our hearts more than our external appearance and behaviors.

I was wearing a cross necklace that reminds me of a man named Father Bishoy from Egypt that I met many years ago. He is one of the humblest, gentlest, and most teachable people I have ever met. I wear it sometimes to remind myself to stay low, stay unoffended, and that I have much to learn. I took it out and rubbed it like a rosary. I wasn't offended. I wanted to stay humble and find some meat among the bones I was spitting out.

Several times he mentioned the importance of preaching the real gospel. The word gospel literally means good news. Good News. I don't know if it's a message of good news to say that God's goal for your life is for you to wear clothing that was popular in the 1940's, listen to outdated non-percussive music, and live unconcerned about your true self (your heart). That sounds horrible to me. I think every time we preach the gospel it should sound like good news. I have been so guilty of not letting the goodness of the gospel shine through at times. This world needs the Good News of Jesus.

The missionary had a family of six people there with him. We were a party of five. If you take away the visiting pastor that leaves a total of about 12-13 people from that church in attendance. We were clearly the only ones who missed the hat and necktie memo. He clearly wasn't preaching to the choir if you know what I mean. As he talked about churches that are contemporary being too casual with God our four year old was lying under her chair (we were in the back) coloring. Uh oh.

Now all things considered:
Being contemporary is not important. Being authentic is.
God deserves awe and reverence and He should not be treated whimsically.
Modern worship music is only as valuable as it is pleasing to God.

This isn't me complaining as much as it is me processing. It was a bit surreal. Maybe even more surreal than a costume dog show. Funny thing is that at the end of the dog show someone awkwardly yelled out "Hallelujah!" No one yelled that Sunday morning.










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Are We Pentecostals (pt 2)

"Pentecostalism has not always been linked to glossolalia (speaking in tongues). In fact, it has only been in the past 110 years that the two became linked in American religious thought. Previous to 1901 many churches that believed speaking in tongues passed with the death of the first apostles called themselves Pentecostal.

The dominant factors that we see stemming from what took place on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 are inclusion and unity. When the Holy Spirit touched the community of believers in the upper room He did so in a way that empowered them to communicate with people from diverse locales. The people from different parts of the Roman Empire were then included in mass numbers into this new community. The greatest sign of the Holy Spirit's supernatural empowering was that this new community lived at peace in unity with one another.

Ethnic boundaries were dissolved as this new community of individuals found their identity in Jesus rather than in their ancestral heritage. Social boundaries were also destroyed as the wealthy and the poor lived together as equals. Those who could had more gave of what they had so that those who had less would not be without.

For Pentecostalism to stay true to it's origin it must represent ethnic unity and social equality empowered supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. Glossolalia was one of the instruments used by God to bring those things about but it was not the core of this new community of people. It would be similar to seeing a magnificent house where many previously homeless people lived that was built where once only a vacant lot sat and then focusing all attention on a hammer that was used throughout the building process. The hammer was useful, even necessary for the house to be built but certainly not more significant than the family that dwelled in it.

If being labeled a Pentecostal caused people to think that I was a part of a movement where all human divisions were obliterated by the blood of Jesus I would surely not resist wearing that label. Either the term needs to be redefined or a new one created altogether."

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Regarding Are We Pentecostals (pt2)

About 6 am this past Saturday I wrote and I thought (?!) I published a lengthy post continuing my thoughts on Pentecostalism. It is nowhere to be found. When I finish pouting I will try again.


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Tales from the Dog Show

Yesterday we wandered into downtown Port Hope and found things that were too good to believe. Some kind of festival was taking place and the sidewalks were full of vendors and the locals were friendly. Most importantly a dog show was about to take place. A COSTUME dog show. All of the dog's competing were in costume!

(It must be understood that I have an internal monologue always running that amuses me throughout my days. Sometimes that monologue expands into dialogues with characters and skits. For the people in my head a costume dog show was the type of goldmine that Sarah Palin was for SNL.)




Here is where it gets even better. The pet owners were also in costume. They wore MATCHING COSTUMES! I don't know why it created the reaction in me that it did but I am not sure what I could have enjoyed more than a public competition matching dogs and owners in costumes against each other.

Yet it did get better for me. Way better. There was a catwalk (yes I said catwalk) erected on the street for the event. Right behind the catwalk were




two men sharing a microphone commentating the entire affair via very loud speakers. They reminded me of the two commentators in the movie "Best in Show". Appropriately there were many references to costumes being fetching.

My favorite moment happened when the commentators were announcing the first and second place finishers in one of the divisions. The announcers mentioned that only two people competed so both of them will place. After announcing the 2nd place finisher they announced the winner who put her hand over her mouth and squealed while acting totally surprised. She and her dog both wore matching red hats as part of their costume representing the Red Hat Society.

I took more than 10 minutes of video on my phone that I hope has some "Best in Show" moments on it.
each other.



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Oh Canada

Waking up slowly this morning in a little town about an hour north of Toronto. A few highlights:

Yesterday as the Canadian customs officer at the border was asking where we lived my four year old daughter yelled out "Africa!" as I was giving a very different answer. A furrowed brow and a suspicious look followed as the officer said, "Did she just say Africa?"

I forgot (again) that Tim Horton's in Canada does not accept Visa. Tim Horton's is 50 yards away across the street from our hotel. Their largest coffee is a medium.

We are not in the late 90's anymore. Cashiers treat American money like I just handed them a VHS of Waterworld in barter for goods and services.

Calling Canada Michigan's "Upper Peninsula" isn't as funny here for some reason.

Six of us crammed in the Crown Vic for 7 hours was actually very fun. Elbow room is overrated.



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Are We Pentecostals? (pt 1)

Recently I was asked by a person in our church if we are Pentecostals? That question prompted this post and probably a few more to come.

In Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost there were people in Jerusalem the followers of Jesus were all together in one place. While they were all together a sound filled the entire place that was comparable to a violent wind. They saw what looked like tongues made of fire that would separate from one another and rest on the people sitting in the house. Everyone there was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages (tongues).

There were people in Jerusalem from every area of the Roman Empire. When the masses heard the wind-like sound in the house they crowded around it. The people from various places heard wonderful things about God being spoken in their own languages by the followers of Jesus.

Some mocked the followers of Jesus and accused them of being drunk.

Peter then stood with the other 11 disciples and addressed the crowd. I presume he did that in either aramaic or hebrew. Approximately 3000 people accepted his message of Jesus being the Jewish Messiah.

The label Pentecostal is used for people or religious groups that affiliate their beliefs and practices with the people and the events mentioned above.

I have two questions:

What message is generally intended when a group calls themselves Pentecostals?

What images and ideas should be evoked by the term Pentecostal?

I ask those questions because I feel like the word Pentecostal has become synonymous with speaking in tongues in the minds of many, both in side and outside Pentecostalism. In fact, in my younger years I ignorantly thought all tongues speakers were Pentecostals and all Pentecostals spoke in tongues.

Roberts Liardon, in his book on the Azusa Street revival, poses the question "Who are the Pentecostals?" and answers by saying, "The emphasis on the Holy Spirit is essential to Pentecostal reality, and almost all Pentecostal denominations believe that the 'initial evidence' of Spirit baptism is the manifestation of glossolalia or what s commonly referred to as speaking in tongues...Pentecostal worship is characterized by praying in tongues, prophesying, healings, hand clapping, and dynamic preaching, which are all enjoyed with great zeal and fervency. This worship style divides Pentecostals from other mainline Christian denominations. Pentecostals believe in a separate experience known as the baptism of the Spirit. This experience is evidenced by speaking in tongues and a renewed experience of power in their life."

Liardon's description of Pentecostals feels too narrow. As I look at the details of what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 I am perplexed by the emphasis (mine included) on tongues at the advent of the New Testament church. It feels disproportionate when viewed both historically and biblically (see 1 Corinthians 12-14).

If speaking in tongues is not appropriate to be the definitive and distinctive characteristic of Pentecostalism, then what should define and distinguish Pentecostals?

Coming Next: part 2




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"Preach Faith Till You Have It"

The great preacher John Wesley once considered giving up preaching altogether when he came to grips with his lack of "sufficient" faith in God. He told his friend Peter Boehler of his notion to quit and was advised against it. Boehler told Wesley, "Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith." Thankfully Wesley heeded his friends advice.

Throughout church history there have been many people who have preached on what they have yet to experience. William Seymour ushered in Pentecostalism before he had yet felt the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The great English Vicar A.A. Boddy preached on the availability of speaking in tongues to modern Christians nine months before he ever experienced the gift. Just a few decades ago John Wimber professed healing as a part of normative Christianity well before he saw people being healed in his ministry.

I desire to preach that which is biblical even when I have not personally experienced it yet. I want my faith to precede my expectation. I have heard Christian leaders tell pastors that congregations will experience what they hear preached. I believe that is often true. There is a higher probability that people will pray for healing if it is encouraged from the pulpit regularly. Those that pray for healing more often will probably see more healings than those that don't.

Thinking about this makes me again thankful for Pastor John and Redeemer. Hearing sermons on and studying The Real Jesus the past several years makes me excited for what is being produced in our people.


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Speaking in Tongues

If tongues was the evidence in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then men and women that received the gift of tongues could not believe contrary to the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Since tongues is not the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, men and women can receive it and yet be destitute of the truth. It's one of the signs, not the evidence.
William Seymour

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From Azusa to the World

Within two years of The Azusa Street Mission being founded missionaries from there were in 50 different countries. Cambridge graduate and veteran missionary Cecil Polhill observed,

"Nothing has in so short a time sent so many eager souls out... Some have gone unprepared, and some have not been very steady, but these are, we believe, comparatively few out of a host of earnest Pentecostal missionaries."


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Making Room for Prayer

I am reading about the tradition In black Christianity for churches to have backless pews. That allowed for "room to pray" as well as being less costly to make.

Azusa Street's pews were made by placing redwood planks across nail kegs, old boxes, and any odd chair that could be found.

It originally had a seating capacity of 100 people. Within months more than ten times that amount were flooding the building daily.


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Coming Alive

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
- Howard Thurman


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While My Kindle Recharges

I've been reading Douglas J.Nelson's "There is More" this past week (Thank you God for my Kindle). Church historian Richard Riss calls it the best biography of William Seymour, the leader of the Azusa Street Mission, that has ever been written. So far I agree.

One thing I am especially thankful for is that Nelson surveyed a multitude of material that has been written about William Seymour and carefully critiques the historical accuracy of each. Some of the errors that he highlights I had learned through my own research (reading the very sources he cites) and then passed along the misinformation. For example, it has been written in dozens of books that Seymour had a glass eye. I have written that on this blog. It seems that he was legally blind in one eye but the severity of his ocular condition grew as the years passed. I was thankful to see that I had noticed some of the same misinformation and contradictions among the sources as Nelson had.

Nelson posits Seymour as one of the most undervalued leaders in church history. He cites a racial and religious bias for that due to Seymour's color and pentecostalism.

According to my device I am 40% of the way through the book. It is duly educational and devotional for me. Something inside me comes alive at the hope of God again manifesting His presence in such a way that people are unified in the midst of it. May it happen here. Soon.


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The Rest of the Story

Make every effort to enter into rest." - Author of Hebrews






Yesterday Kellie, Ashleigh, and John Collins drove from Green Lake, Wisconsin to Chesterton, Indiana. The traffic through Chicago was s l o w.
Beth and Ryan drove from home so that we could meet up on Lake Michigan and watch the sunset and fireworks over the water.

On of the roads leading to the beach was covered with water. It was unsure of the wisdom of driving through it's unknown depths to get to the beach, but I motored through it regardless. It proved to look worse than it actually was.

Once on the beach, the six of us skipped stones on the water, played in the sand, enjoyed the sunset, and eventually watched the fireworks show with the Chicago skyline as a backdrop. It was so restful.

I often find rest and recreation to be elusive. I think of so many things I should be doing and get discouraged at the obstacles that arise against times of rest. I am not too busy to rest. I have to rest to do things well.

Rest is a gift for me. Recreation literally gives me a chance to be re-created and re-freshed. I read a study last week that shows the increased productivity in people who take time to recreate in their busiest times compared to those who put off recreation until the busyness wanes.

The recreation and fellowship last night was more than worth Chicago traffic and a flooded road. Rest is worth working for.



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