Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Pastor's Blog: A Supernatural Church
Pastor's Blog: A Supernatural Church: When the word "SUPER" is added to anything ... the substance or form is altered! The word "SUPER" can be defined as: above and beyond, or mo...
A Supernatural Church
When the word "SUPER" is added to anything ... the substance or form is altered! The word "SUPER" can be defined as: above and beyond, or more than normal. The church family of The Pentecostals of Columbia have all agreed that it is our desire for POC to be a "SUPERNATURAL" church! The word "SUPERNATURAL" is defined as: a departing from what is considered usual or normal. We want to be more than just a "NATURAL" or a "NORMAL" church!
In the Columbia metro area, there are over 650 places of worship. My intention is not to be critical or throw stones at any other group, but many of these are nothing more than a religious gathering. They may even use a Christian vocabulary and they may talk about their favorite scriptures ... but are they experiencing what the first century church experienced in the book of Acts? In Jesus' day, there was a lot of religious people. He said, "You look good on the outside, but inwardly ... you are empty!" To make the transition from being a "NATURAL" church to a "SUPERNATURAL" church ... it can only be accomplished by the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God working in and through the people of that church!
In 2 Kings, chapter 4, we find the familiar story of a widow. She had nothing "EXCEPT" a little oil! But as the story unfolds, that was enough! In the New Testament, we find that they had nothing "EXCEPT" five loaves of bread and two fishes ... but that was enough! Why? Because of the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God! Regardless of how little we feel we have in the "NATURAL" realm ... it will be more than enough once the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God gets involved! And without the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God ... a church is nothing but a religious gathering!
Have you ever considered your own life and wondered ... "Does God have more for me that what I've experienced?" Maybe you feel your life is a mess! Well, I can assure you that your mess is not too messy once you submit to the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God! Your past experience with religion may be a good starting point but maybe God has more for you! At POC, we all feel that if God has more ... we don't want to be content and satisfied with less! Join us in our pursuit of being a "SUPERNATURAL" church!
In the Columbia metro area, there are over 650 places of worship. My intention is not to be critical or throw stones at any other group, but many of these are nothing more than a religious gathering. They may even use a Christian vocabulary and they may talk about their favorite scriptures ... but are they experiencing what the first century church experienced in the book of Acts? In Jesus' day, there was a lot of religious people. He said, "You look good on the outside, but inwardly ... you are empty!" To make the transition from being a "NATURAL" church to a "SUPERNATURAL" church ... it can only be accomplished by the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God working in and through the people of that church!
In 2 Kings, chapter 4, we find the familiar story of a widow. She had nothing "EXCEPT" a little oil! But as the story unfolds, that was enough! In the New Testament, we find that they had nothing "EXCEPT" five loaves of bread and two fishes ... but that was enough! Why? Because of the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God! Regardless of how little we feel we have in the "NATURAL" realm ... it will be more than enough once the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God gets involved! And without the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God ... a church is nothing but a religious gathering!
Have you ever considered your own life and wondered ... "Does God have more for me that what I've experienced?" Maybe you feel your life is a mess! Well, I can assure you that your mess is not too messy once you submit to the "SUPERNATURAL" power of God! Your past experience with religion may be a good starting point but maybe God has more for you! At POC, we all feel that if God has more ... we don't want to be content and satisfied with less! Join us in our pursuit of being a "SUPERNATURAL" church!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Loopholes or Extra Credit?
The recent appointment with my CPA was not a pleasant one! Don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy and I trust him totally, but when he told me the bottom-line ... he and his secretary had to peel me off of the ceiling! (Not really.)
I'm proud to be an American and I really don't mind paying taxes. It's a responsibility that comes with living in the USA. However, when we're approaching the filing deadline, you will find me scrounging around through various drawers, boxes and file folders, trying my best to see if I can find another receipt ... "ANYTHING" that qualifies as an allowable deduction! What I'm trying to convey is that I'll pay what I owe ... but I'll try my best to owe as little as possible! The only consideration ... IS IT LEGAL? That's why I use a CPA rather than trying to complete the return myself. I want to trust someone competent and knowledgeable enough to keep me out of trouble.
When it comes to dealing with the IRS, many people are always looking for a loophole. The word "LOOPHOLE" is defined as: "a means of escape; an ambiguity in the text through which an obligation may be evaded." It should be obvious, there is a huge difference in dealing with the IRS and dealing with God! Could we be guilty of trying to "evade" something that we see in God's Word? Sadly, when it comes to church and our relationship with God, I'm afraid many people are looking for a loophole. They are looking for a way to get by with doing the minimum. We must be careful not to approach the Word of God in the same manner as the IRS tax code! We sometimes get accused as being legalistic but my feeling is that the person who is looking for the loophole, trying to be justified in getting by with the minimum, is the real legalist! They try to dissect the Word of God to find a loophole and feel justified in living according to their own preference.
As a student, we always appreciate it when an instructor says those two wonderful words ... "extra credit." Whether we feel the need for extra credit to get a passing grade, or we feel we've got this one aced, we still appreciate the opportunity to get extra credit. The word "EXTRA" is an adjective that is defined: "more than is due or necessary." Perhaps we should consider our spiritual life from the perspective of "extra credit" rather than looking for the "loophole." I don't know about you, but when it comes to godliness, I don't want to be getting by on the minimum! The question should not be ... Is it "required?" ... Is it "legal?" ... Is this a "salvation" issue? ... Is this really a heaven or hell thing? Maybe our decisions and our lifestyle should be based on ... Will this enhance "MY" relationship with God? Will this attract God's favor in "MY" life? (Even if it's not required.) Is my motive to be as pleasing to God as possible, or simply to justify the desires of the flesh? (Under the umbrella of Christianity!) Perhaps if we focused on "extra credit" rather than minimum "requirements" we would benefit from a greater degree of God's favor in our lives. And that's what we all hope to have, isn't it?
The Pentecostals of Columbia is not about legalism. We're not about requirements and codes. We're not looking for loopholes. We are about pursuing God and learning to live a life that attracts the favor of God as we get deeper into His Word! We allow you to progress at your own pace ... but we're going to encourage you to grow with us as we all grow together. Why don't you visit us this Sunday and give the POC family the opportunity to get acquainted? For more info, please visit our website: www.pentecostalsofcolumbia.com
I'm proud to be an American and I really don't mind paying taxes. It's a responsibility that comes with living in the USA. However, when we're approaching the filing deadline, you will find me scrounging around through various drawers, boxes and file folders, trying my best to see if I can find another receipt ... "ANYTHING" that qualifies as an allowable deduction! What I'm trying to convey is that I'll pay what I owe ... but I'll try my best to owe as little as possible! The only consideration ... IS IT LEGAL? That's why I use a CPA rather than trying to complete the return myself. I want to trust someone competent and knowledgeable enough to keep me out of trouble.
When it comes to dealing with the IRS, many people are always looking for a loophole. The word "LOOPHOLE" is defined as: "a means of escape; an ambiguity in the text through which an obligation may be evaded." It should be obvious, there is a huge difference in dealing with the IRS and dealing with God! Could we be guilty of trying to "evade" something that we see in God's Word? Sadly, when it comes to church and our relationship with God, I'm afraid many people are looking for a loophole. They are looking for a way to get by with doing the minimum. We must be careful not to approach the Word of God in the same manner as the IRS tax code! We sometimes get accused as being legalistic but my feeling is that the person who is looking for the loophole, trying to be justified in getting by with the minimum, is the real legalist! They try to dissect the Word of God to find a loophole and feel justified in living according to their own preference.
As a student, we always appreciate it when an instructor says those two wonderful words ... "extra credit." Whether we feel the need for extra credit to get a passing grade, or we feel we've got this one aced, we still appreciate the opportunity to get extra credit. The word "EXTRA" is an adjective that is defined: "more than is due or necessary." Perhaps we should consider our spiritual life from the perspective of "extra credit" rather than looking for the "loophole." I don't know about you, but when it comes to godliness, I don't want to be getting by on the minimum! The question should not be ... Is it "required?" ... Is it "legal?" ... Is this a "salvation" issue? ... Is this really a heaven or hell thing? Maybe our decisions and our lifestyle should be based on ... Will this enhance "MY" relationship with God? Will this attract God's favor in "MY" life? (Even if it's not required.) Is my motive to be as pleasing to God as possible, or simply to justify the desires of the flesh? (Under the umbrella of Christianity!) Perhaps if we focused on "extra credit" rather than minimum "requirements" we would benefit from a greater degree of God's favor in our lives. And that's what we all hope to have, isn't it?
The Pentecostals of Columbia is not about legalism. We're not about requirements and codes. We're not looking for loopholes. We are about pursuing God and learning to live a life that attracts the favor of God as we get deeper into His Word! We allow you to progress at your own pace ... but we're going to encourage you to grow with us as we all grow together. Why don't you visit us this Sunday and give the POC family the opportunity to get acquainted? For more info, please visit our website: www.pentecostalsofcolumbia.com
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
People Are The Point
A while back someone shared a link to an article published in "Relevant" magazine. When I read it, it really hit me in the gut! I've pastored in other cities prior to Columbia, SC, where I am now serving as church planter, working at establishing a new church family in this beautiful city. (I LOVE IT!) From past experience, as well as present circumstance, it seems natural to put forth effort to make our church and our church services more appealing to the public. Just to go ahead and be honest ... most of us probably hope to experience phenomenal church growth and we most likely hope it comes from the "stable" middle class (or upper class). And it's quite possible that we put more follow-up effort into the "stable" type of people!
Everytime I read this article (included below), it serves as a reminder that ... "PEOPLE" are the point! Not our organizational strucuture ... not our church growth charts ... not our target marketing plans ... and not our tithing report. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost! "PEOPLE" are the point! It's easy to "hope" to attract people like "me" ... that would make things really comfortable, wouldn't it? But if our church is only accomodating to people like me ... we would have a very narrow focus and a very limited amount of "real" ministry taking place.
While in prayer this morning, this article came to my mind once again. I feel that reading it every so often serves to remind me that "PEOPLE ARE THE POINT!" We hope that POC is a church that welcomes "everyone" and treats "everyone" just the way the Jesus would! We want to help "everyone" get from where they are now, to getting closer to where God wants them to be. And we're "ALL" in the process! Our focus is: "Building Lives - Building Families - and Building Futures". Come check us out! (www.pentecostalsofcolumbia.com)
Embracing the Distractions
The truth is we’re all guilty of thinking we’re too cool for the least of these. Our elitism shows up when we forbid others from contributing art and music because we deem it unworthy of glorifying God, or when we scoot our family an extra foot or two down the pew when the guy with Asperger's sits down. Having helped start a church, I remember hoping our hip guests wouldn’t be turned off by our less-than-hip guests. For a second I forgot that in church, of all places, those distinctions should disappear.
Some of us wear our brokenness on the inside, others on the outside. But we’re all broken. We’re all uncool. We’re all in need of a Savior. So let’s have some distracting church services—the kind where Jesus would fit right in.
Everytime I read this article (included below), it serves as a reminder that ... "PEOPLE" are the point! Not our organizational strucuture ... not our church growth charts ... not our target marketing plans ... and not our tithing report. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost! "PEOPLE" are the point! It's easy to "hope" to attract people like "me" ... that would make things really comfortable, wouldn't it? But if our church is only accomodating to people like me ... we would have a very narrow focus and a very limited amount of "real" ministry taking place.
While in prayer this morning, this article came to my mind once again. I feel that reading it every so often serves to remind me that "PEOPLE ARE THE POINT!" We hope that POC is a church that welcomes "everyone" and treats "everyone" just the way the Jesus would! We want to help "everyone" get from where they are now, to getting closer to where God wants them to be. And we're "ALL" in the process! Our focus is: "Building Lives - Building Families - and Building Futures". Come check us out! (www.pentecostalsofcolumbia.com)
“IS YOUR CHRUCH TOO COOL?” by Rachel Held Evans
How a pursuit of relevance can undermine authentic community.
People sometimes assume that because I’m a progressive 30-year-old who enjoys Mumford and Sons and has no children, I must want a super-hip church—you know, the kind that’s called “Thrive” or “Be,” and which boasts “an awesome worship experience,” a fair-trade coffee bar, its own iPhone app and a pastor who looks like a Jonas brother.
While none of these features are inherently wrong (and can of course be used by good people to do good things), these days I find myself longing for a church with a cool factor of about 0.
That’s right. I want a church that includes fussy kids, old liturgy, bad sound, weird congregants and—brace yourself—painfully amateur “special music” now and then.
Why?
Well, for one thing, when the Gospel story is accompanied by a fog machine and light show, I always get this creeped-out feeling like someone’s trying to sell me something. It’s as though we’re all compensating for the fact that Christianity’s not good enough to stand on its own so we’re adding snacks. But more importantly, I want to be part of an uncool church because I want to be part of a community that shares the reputation of Jesus. Like it or not, Jesus’ favorite people in the world were not cool. They were mostly sinners, misfits, outcasts, weirdos, poor people, sick people and crazy people.
That’s right. I want a church that includes fussy kids, old liturgy, bad sound, weird congregants and—brace yourself—painfully amateur “special music” now and then.
Why?
Well, for one thing, when the Gospel story is accompanied by a fog machine and light show, I always get this creeped-out feeling like someone’s trying to sell me something. It’s as though we’re all compensating for the fact that Christianity’s not good enough to stand on its own so we’re adding snacks. But more importantly, I want to be part of an uncool church because I want to be part of a community that shares the reputation of Jesus. Like it or not, Jesus’ favorite people in the world were not cool. They were mostly sinners, misfits, outcasts, weirdos, poor people, sick people and crazy people.
Embracing the Distractions
Cool congregations can get so wrapped up in the “performance” of church that they forget to actually be the Church, a phenomenon painfully illustrated by the story of the child with cerebral palsy who was escorted from an Easter service for being a “distraction.”
Really?
It seems to me this congregation was distracted long before this little boy showed up. In their self-proclaimed quest for “an explosive, phenomenal movement of God—something you have to see to believe,” they missed Jesus when He was right under their nose. Was the paralytic man lowered from the rooftop in the middle of a sermon a distraction? Was the Canaanite woman who harassed Jesus and His disciples about healing her daughter a distraction? Were the blind men fromJericho
Really?
It seems to me this congregation was distracted long before this little boy showed up. In their self-proclaimed quest for “an explosive, phenomenal movement of God—something you have to see to believe,” they missed Jesus when He was right under their nose. Was the paralytic man lowered from the rooftop in the middle of a sermon a distraction? Was the Canaanite woman who harassed Jesus and His disciples about healing her daughter a distraction? Were the blind men from
Jesus taught us that when we throw a banquet or a party, our invitation list should include “the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.” So why do our church marketing teams target the young, the hip, the healthy and the resourced?
The truth is we’re all guilty of thinking we’re too cool for the least of these. Our elitism shows up when we forbid others from contributing art and music because we deem it unworthy of glorifying God, or when we scoot our family an extra foot or two down the pew when the guy with Asperger's sits down. Having helped start a church, I remember hoping our hip guests wouldn’t be turned off by our less-than-hip guests. For a second I forgot that in church, of all places, those distinctions should disappear.
Some of us wear our brokenness on the inside, others on the outside. But we’re all broken. We’re all uncool. We’re all in need of a Savior. So let’s have some distracting church services—the kind where Jesus would fit right in.
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