Church on the Front Lines

August 31, 2008

 

Dino Rizzo, Pastor of the Healing Place

Dino Rizzo, Pastor of the Healing Place

I want to give props to Dino Rizzo and Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  They are already serving as a rest area for many who have evacuated New Orleans.  His blog displayed an Operation Blessing trailer and others who are preparing to move in after Hurricane Gustav hits to help with recovery efforts, if needed.

That is where the church should be!  On the front lines!

Should the need arise, there is a place on their church’s website to sign up as a volunteer to help in relief efforts.

Rob Bell made the statement a few years ago, “What is it about your church that would make your community sad if it went away?”  Dino and the folks at Healing Place are demonstrating what it means to show God’s love in practical ways.

1 Comment | Current Affairs | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

I Twittered

August 29, 2008

I said I wouldn’t, but I have decided to give twitter a try. If you want to follow the grand adventures of the scifipastor, I invite you to follow me there. It is an experiment. We’ll see what happens.

2 Comments | twitter | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

Simplify

August 28, 2008

I recently finished overhauling our church website.  I decided to drop the freebie deal that our denomination provides (which is a good deal, by the way), and post a leaner, simpler, easier to navigate site.  It funnels all prayer requests to our staff, automatically updates its church calendar from my computer (yea Mac!), and honestly looks friendlier than the format we had before (no offense, web developers in Springfield).

I am loving simplicity lately.  I am finding that the more we simplify, the easier it is to focus on and accomplish what’s important.

I was listening to Dino Rizzo’s podcast yesterday, and he was talking about this very thing.  He said that he loves drive throughs and pay-at-the-pump, and he never longs for chaos in his life.

Dino, my brother, I offer you a heart-felt “amen.”

What I find, though, is that everything tends toward chaos.  We must be intentional and strategic in our efforts to make things simple.

What are some areas of your life that you can simplify?

(By the way…  if you’re wondering, I used iWeb to create our new church site.  Talk about simple.  That’s why I love Mac!)

2 Comments | My Life, New Life A/G | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

Have You Read “It”?

August 24, 2008

I just finished reading Craig Groeschel’s new book, “It:  How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It.”

Wow.

I don’t know what to write about it.  I don’t know what to say.  I want “it.”  I want to see the lives of others impacted forever by the love and power of Jesus Christ.

So much of what we do in church does so little to reach those who are far from God.  So much “church culture baggage” keeps us too busy to connect with those around us who need Jesus.

It’s going to take me a while to digest this book.  It’s going to require some soul searching, prayer, and probably some serious adjustments in my life.

Be warned.  This book will mess you up.  It will mess you up in the best possible way.  Read “it.”

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Posted by Chad Payne

And the Winner Is…

August 20, 2008

Yesterday I posted a review of Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson.  With the review I presented my very first giveaway on this blog.  I have an extra copy of WGC, to be awarded to the lucky commenter whose number is selected by a random number generator, courtesy of RANDOM.ORG.

With a whopping THREE commenters, I have certainly strained the calculating prowess of the random number generator!  Nonetheless, we do have a winner!  Random.org gave me the number TWO!  And the winner is….

[drumroll, please]

Sharon Gadfield-Snavely!

Sharon heads up the Assembly of God Blog Ring, and has a great testimony of how the Lord brought her through a difficult season of sickness.  She was recently featured in the Pentecostal Evangel for her ministry through blogging.

Sharon, I’ll put the book in the mail to you on Thursday.  Congratulations!

Oh, and Clint gets an honorable mention for his comment:  ”i would like to take gander at the book.”

GANDER!!!  Get it?  Get it?  It’s a wild GOOSE chase, and he wants to take a GANDER!!!!!

Now THAT’S funny!

Sharon, congrats again.  Clint, you are too funny, dude!

Chase the Goose!

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Posted by Chad Payne

Discernment – Part 3

August 20, 2008

Today we conclude our series on discernment.  First, we saw that our discernment must not be based upon miracles or supernatural encounters.  Then yesterday, we discussed that discernment must be based upon God’s Word and the witness of the Holy Spirit.

Now let’s look at a couple of things that can hinder us from having clear discernment.

Tradition can keep us from having clear discernment.

Matthew 15:1-3 (NIV).  ”Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”  Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?‘”

Today we may look at this and say, “Gee, what’s the big deal?  So they didn’t wash their hands!”  But keep in mind that this is talking about Jews to an audience of Jews.  There were a bunch of traditions that had been handed down to them that had come to be regarded as authoritative.  They were a big hairy deal!  In reality, however, they were merely the traditions of men.

There is nothing wrong with tradition in and of itself.  And, as Andy Stanley says, “Every tradition was once somebody’s radical idea.”  When hymns were introduced to the church a few hundred years ago, it was scandalous.  How dare they take the music of bar rooms and play them in the church!  Or go further back to when they introduced pipe organs to the church…  Did you know that split churches?

Yet today, some regard these things as being an essential part of the gospel.  Is there something wrong with them?  No, of course not.  That is, unless we choose the tradition over obeying God.

The discernment of many people is wrecked by seven words:  ”We’ve never done it that way before.”

Secondly, past hurts can keep us from having clear discernment.

When we are still nursing wounds from the past, we view all things through the lens of those hurts.  We can actually transfer the wounds from one issue to another unrelated issue.

For example, when I was young, heights didn’t bother me.  I used to climb up on the roof of our house just to play.  Sometimes on Halloween I’d climb up there with my BB guns to discourage potential TPers.

But then my dad had an accident.  He was climbing down a hydraulic lift at work, and the way it was positioned, the braces could not be extended.  As he climbed down, the lift fell over, pinning him to the floor.  Bones were broken in his heel and his arm, and he was in a wheelchair for a few months.

I didn’t realize it until years later when I took a job that required me to climb buildings, but from that event I gained a relatively severe fear of heights.  I’ve overcome it to some degree, but I still stand on the Bible promise, “LO, I am with you always.”

Christians do something similar all the time.  They get hurt in a church situation.  Some pastor treats them wrong, or some Christian doesn’t act like Jesus.  And they begin to see things that happen in the church and ministry through that lens.

In order to discern clearly, we have to weigh whether our perceptions are based upon our traditions, our past hurts, or solely upon God’s Word.  Granted, I imagine that all of us have our discernment tainted to some degree by our experience.  That should compel each of us to continue growing, learning, and seeking healing from the things in our past that hold us back.

One great thing about following Jesus is that He allows us to be positioned in places to confront those things so that we can find freedom.

The good news is that we can grow in discernment as we mature in Christ.  Hebrews 5:14 (NIV) tells us, “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

How is the Lord allowing you to exercise your discernment so that you can better distinguish good from evil?

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Posted by Chad Payne

The Skit Guys – “The Chair”

August 19, 2008

Check out this video.  It’s hilarious…

And watch it to the end…  Packs a punch.

2 Comments | Funny | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

Discernment – Part 2

August 19, 2008

Continuing our series from yesterday, let’s talk about what the basis of our discernment should be.


We must base our discernment upon the WORD OF GOD.

In Acts 17:11, we read, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (NIV).

Now, consider this…  we know from other passages that the Apostle Paul had signs and miracles following his ministry.  We know from 1 Corinthians that he spoke in other tongues and prophesied.  Shouldn’t that have been enough for the Bereans?  It would be for many of us Pentecostals and Charismatics today.  But it wasn’t enough for the Bereans, and rightly so, according to God’s Word.

What did the Bereans do?  They received the message with eagerness, and they also DAILY examined the Scriptures to check out what Paul was teaching in light of God’s Word.

And notice this:  God equates this with character.

As a preacher and teacher, it is sometimes tempting to jump on the latest fad and band wagon.  Sometimes it makes for happy crowds and good offerings.  Sometimes it gets them shouting.  But it doesn’t make God happy.

Our measuring stick must not be the size of the crowd, the volume of the shouts, or the number of bodies laid out on the floor after someone prays for them.  How does it line up with Scripture?  Is it in agreement with the Word of God?

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV).  ”For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.“

You can trust the Word of God!  No matter what you see or hear claiming to be from God, it must line up with the Word!

 

Second, we should base our discernment upon the witness of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:17 (NIV).  ”I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.“

Notice that he prays for us to have the spirit of wisdom and revelation.  Discernment is wisdom and revelation working together.  Through discernment, we know Jesus better, and we recognize His Spirit at work around us.

The Holy Spirit dwells within the spirit of every believer.  And He bears witness with our spirit in order to guide us.  Jesus tells us in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth!

Many times this is manifested in a simple KNOWING down deep inside of us.  Some people call it, “trusting your gut.”

Early on, when the news of the Lakeland meetings first came out, I watched several of the meetings on GodTV and online.  I’m no stranger to healings and miracles.  I’ve seen God do amazing things.  But even before I started researching some of the background and the things that had been taught, down deep inside, I knew, “Something’s wrong.”

People would ask me my opinion of it, and all I could say was, “Something’s wrong.”  I tried to be careful of what I said, because I wanted to wait and see at that point.  I tried to keep an open mind, but I could not stand to watch it for very long at a time.

I don’t say this to tear down any person, and I’m not trying to appear super spiritual or say “I told you so.”  I simply want to illustrate that even when we don’t yet have all the facts, we can trust the witness of the Holy Spirit within us.

So what about those who say that to speak out against a minister regarding his doctrine or lifestyle is rebellion?  What about the verse that says, “touch not my anointed”?

Well, that verse is in reference to David’s thoughts to kill King Saul.  Saul was a corrupt leader, but he was still the one God had placed in position over Israel.  Therefore, it was not David’s place to take his life.

That verse has nothing to do with correcting error or confronting sin.  Those who flash that verse when they are in the hot seat are simply trying to stay above accountability, often because they are either insecure or they have something to hide.

And listen, I believe in submission to authority!  We only have authority if we are under authority!  (John Bevere’s book “Under Cover” is the best resource available on that subject.)  But we must be accountable in how we steward that authority.

In fact, when it comes to preaching, teaching, and the exercise of spiritual gifts, we are commanded to judge everything:

1 Corinthians 14:29. (NKJV)  “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.”

We must not be gullible.  We must test everything to see whether or not it lines up with God’s Word.  And we must trust the witness of the Holy Spirit within us as followers of Jesus Christ.

But is it possible to have our discernment hindered or skewed?  It sure is.

How?

Come back tomorrow and we’ll see.

1 Comment | Theology | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

Are You on a Wild Goose Chase?

August 19, 2008

I am in the middle of reading Mark Batterson’s new book, “Wild Goose Chase,” which hits bookstores today.  I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy late last week, and it is phenomenal!

The idea behind the title comes from the Celtic Christians’ name for the Holy Spirit:  An Geadh-Glas, which translated means, “The Wild Goose.”  For them it carried the idea of the mysterious and untamable nature of God’s Spirit.  Since the Holy Spirit is unpredictable, those who pursue a deeper walk with God will experience life on the edge, and will live a life of (as Mark puts it) “responsible irresponsibility.”

The subject matter here is somewhat resonant of John Eldridge’s Wild at Heart and Epic.  Mark is showing us that following Jesus and seeking the work of God’s Spirit in our lives means that we live an adventure, and that it involves risk-taking and faith.  He writes:

“We want to solve the mystery of the will of God the way we solve a Sudoku or crossword puzzle.  But in my experience, intellectual analysis usually results in spiritual paralysis.”

“A part of us feels as if something is spiritually wrong with us when we experience circumstantial uncertainty.  But that is precisely what Jesus promised us when we are born of the Spirit and start following Him.  Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time.  And I know that is unsettling.  But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name:  adventure.”

Mark and Chad at NOC '07

Mark and Chad at NOC

I’m thoroughly enjoying this book.  Mark is such a refreshing voice for today.  I had the opportunity to meet Mark at the National Outreach Convention last year, and he is a really cool, down-to-earth guy.  If you are not familiar with Mark, I encourage you to check him out.  Here’s the official bio from the promotional material for this book:

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of Washington, DC’s National Community Church, widely recognized as one of America’s most innovative churches. NCC meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the city, as well as in a church-owned coffee house near Union Station. More than seventy percent of NCC’ers are single twentysomethings who live or work on Capitol Hill. Mark is the author of the best-selling In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and a widely read blogger (www.markbatterson.com). He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and their three children.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of the book today.  You can purchase it from amazon.com here.

AND…  I have an extra copy to give away right here and right now.  Would you like a free copy of Wild Goose Chase?  Then leave a comment to this post with your name.  Wednesday morning I will put the total number of comments in a random number generator, and if the number matches your comment, I’ll send you the book postage paid (to anywhere in the United States or Canada — hint, hint, Kevin…  Get in on the game!).

Finally, check out the book’s website at http://www.chasethegoose.com.  There is some great additional material there, including Mark’s “Ten Steps for Setting Life Goals.”

Chase the Goose!

3 Comments | Books, Following Jesus | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

Discernment – Part 1

August 18, 2008

Last Sunday I preached a message at our church about discernment.  In light of recent events with the Lakeland meetings, moral failures of leaders in various quarters, and the …  shall we say, “questionable theology” that is presented in Christian media nowadays, we need discernment now more than ever before.

So, for the next few days, I want to present a few thoughts from my message for our discussion.

It has been reported that the attitude presented in the Lakeland meetings was, “This is God.  Don’t question.”  God TV’s hosts even stated that “any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic.”

The point here is not to denounce any person.  I’m not saying that Todd isn’t sincere.  I don’t know. I’ve never met him, and it is foolish and dangerous to judge another person’s heart.  That’s God’s job.

But there are issues of discernment that need to be addressed.  Lee Grady, editor of Charisma writes, “A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: ‘I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.’”

Here’s what God’s Word says:

Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV).  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Here’s today’s point:

Our discernment must not be based on Spiritual Encounters or Manifestations.

Notice verse 8.  “Even if an angel from heaven should preach a different gospel.”  Our experience cannot be the only basis of our discernment.  The Bible says that Satan presents himself as an angel of light.  If we believe that God and angels exist, then we must also accept that Satan and his minions also exist.  And if evil spirits exist, it stands to reason that they will attempt to deceive.  Jesus said that Satan is the father of lies.

It’s possible that Todd Bentley truly encountered “Emma.”  But that does not necessarily mean that “Emma” is from God.  Nowhere is Scripture are angels presented as female, and I do not know of anywhere they are shown teaching.  They are messengers and servants.

Once when I was selling advertising for a radio station, another salesman and I made a cold-call on a small business, not knowing the people who ran the business.  Turns out that one of the owners read tea-leaves, and was involved in other such activities.  Not only did she tell me and my associate some things about our lives, she also told us a story about “Jesus” appearing to her one night.  She said that He only spoke to her in her mind, but never moved his mouth.  (By the way…  no, we did not have our tea leaves read.  She told us these things just standing around in the main area of her business.)

Satan counterfeits what God provides.  Psychic phenomena simply mimics the gift of prophecy and the word of knowledge.  Satan masquerades as Jesus in order to bring deception.

Secondly, our discernment must not be based solely on Miracles.

Mark 13:21-23 (NIV).  At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

This passage makes it clear that miracles are not necessarily God’s mark of approval regarding the person.  In our charismatic circles, we often have the attitude, “Well, this one must be from God!  Look at the miracles that are happening!  Look at the supernatural manifestations!”

That’s how we get deceived, my friend.

Miracles are merely a sign to point others to Jesus.  Primarily, they are to point unbelievers to Jesus.  They are not the end unto themselves, and they are not a badge of superiority or spiritual maturity for those who are involved in ministering them.  Besides, their purpose is to lead others to the greatest miracles of all:  embracing Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives.

So, if we do not base our discernment upon supernatural manifestations and miracles, on what do we base it?  What is the measuring rod we are to use?

Come back tomorrow and we’ll discuss it.

1 Comment | Theology | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chad Payne

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