Just watching the celebration in Berlin and waxing nostalgic.  What celebration?  It is 20 years since the Berlin Wall came tumbling down.  That wall symbolized decades of fear, tyranny, and religious oppression.  We in the West lived in constant readiness for a nuclear assault from the communists in the Soviet bloc and their extended family in Cuba and Latin America.  The East Germans lived in cringing squalor under the Soviet heel, while their family members on the other side of the wall prospered in freedom. On this date 20 years ago, the East Germans literally pushed the wall down and began the domino effect that would result in the end of the Soviet empire.  As I watched Lech Walesa push over the first in a symbolic line of tumbling dominoes, I got teary.  In that day the threats were huge and dire, yet we rallied behind leaders with backbone, giants like Walesa, Thatcher, Pope Paul, and certainly Reagan.  Today I cried because I miss the day of giants in the land. We face threats of the same or greater magnitude today.  Religiously driven madmen threaten us at home and abroad.  The remaining maggots of the communist era are turning into flies and causing a good deal of distress.  And in the corridors of power in our nation midgets roam, more inclined to root for the soviets and the Imams than for freedom and individual responsibility.  I pray that God will raise up a few giants and that the remnant who remember what courage looks like will get behind them and push down the walls and stop the madness.  In this dire time I am reminded of a quote attributed to that great patriot, Jerry Garcia, “Somebody has to do something, and it’s just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us.”  

vls      www.fcftucson.org

 

I was driving up Sunrise the other morning when suddenly I saw taillights flashing red in front of me.  The frantic morning traffic was suddenly slowing to a crawl.  Brakes and adrenaline were pumping as drivers attempted to avoid rear end collisions.  The cause of this distress?  We had entered “camera enforcement zone.”  The signs told us as much, and we could easily see the mono-eyed monsters sticking their skinny necks high above the street and peering menacingly through our windshields as we carefully slowed to ten miles below the limit.  After passing the cameras, traffic immediately sped back up, only now faster to try and reclaim the time lost in the “enforcement” zone.  What a hazard!

Religion is kind of like that.  We attempt to legislate behavior, then watch each other to see if we are compliant.  When we know someone is watching, we obediently slow down, but as soon as the eyes are off, our sinful zeal is redoubled. Law actually increases sin.  Thank God for relationship.  We have a passenger in the car with us who is gently reminding us to drive safely even when the cameras are off.  The point is not law, but love.  We want to drive (conduct ourselves) in a manner that is safe for others and pleases God.  That desire is with us at all times, not just when someone is watching.  That is the essence of grace.

vls  www.fcftucson.org

This past weekend we had the rare privilege of hosting Mrs. Pat Harrison for 4 wonderful services. Pat is the Founder and President of Faith Christian Fellowship International. She and her late husband, Buddy, began FCF in Tulsa in 1977. She has spent her entire life intimately involved with ministry, the Word, and the things of the Spirit. When such people speak, I try to listen. There were several valuable themes that seemed to pop up throughout the weekend, and it seems good to me and the Holy Ghost to briefly share them with you: 

1. God wants us to know the Person of the Holy Spirit, not just the manifestation. We tend to be dazzled by the spectacular at the expense of the supernatural. Staying sensitive to the Spirit will enable us to avoid many troubles in this life, including deception that comes from following signs rather than the Spirit.
2. Intimacy with God through the Spirit is the result of time spent in prayer, especially praying in tongues, and in the Word. We all need a “mountain” where we go to be alone with God. No cell phone, no computer, just a bible, a notebook, and the Holy Ghost.
3. In our services we need to learn to reverence and esteem the Holy Spirit. We must give Him place and treat Him in a manner that does not grieve Him.
4. The Person of the Holy Spirit provides us with the power to keep on going during times of difficulty. Perseverance is the result of Spirit empowerment.
5. We are a people of the Spirit for whom the manifestation of the Spirit is the norm.

Scripture Reading: But about the things of the spirit, my brothers, it is not right for you to be without teaching. (1 Corinthians 12:1 BBE)

Somebody Said: Not ignorance, but ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge. Alfred North Whitehead

Thank God we have the opportunity to learn from those who have walked with God. Heaven forbid that we should waste it.

vls         www.fcftucson.org

Yesterday I had the experience of updating the operating system on my Blackberry.  It was quite a trauma.  It required removing, backing up, keeping some old stuff, replacing some stuff, learning to operate the new stuff, talking to tech guys, booting and rebooting, and waiting patiently for promised changes to take place. Finally I can see the light.  I think it will work better. I think there is a sermon in here somewhere.  I’ll let you figure it out.  “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  (Romans 12:2 NLT)”         vls

 

 

 

Hey – check out our new website at www.fcftucson.org.  The blog entries are now there as well, along with service audio and video and new live feeds.

vls

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to pray for a six-month-old baby who had leukemia. The parents were nice people. Not church folks, but regular, every day people. Their lives seemed taken up with making a living and raising kids and trying to be a decent family: not rich, not poor, not evil, not political, but just people. Now granted, I have never understood this kind of person. Since before I was saved I have always felt compelled to look for a larger reason to live than just making a living. That never gave me much of an impetus to get up in the morning. That being said, I realize that these folks are typical of the vast majority of Americans. They love their kids and cling to their existence and try to be nice people. What struck me, however, was their theology. Even after we had prayed for the baby, the mom asked a friend something to the effect of, “Why would God do this to a little baby?” Most people believe God is causing sickness and disease, torturing children for some grand purpose in the sky. If they don’t credit Him as the direct cause, they at least believe that He “allows” such things. When I told this story in our church there was a corporate gasp of horror. That encouraged me. It means that our church knows that God is not the problem. Unfortunately, most folks, Christian or not, don’t know this.

As I prepared to leave for Mexico City that week, it occured to me that I would be driving past a great mission field on the way to the airport. We have watched lives in Mexico being changed as we have spent three years teaching them that God is good, the devil is bad, and that the covenant God is on their side. They are teachable because they live in lack. They see the message as hope of a better tomorrow. In our own country, however, there are millions of “regular people” who are just as lost and just as deceived. They are mostly comfortable and semi-content. In their moments of need they become a teachable and reachable mission field to those who have access to their lives. God has placed us in strategic positions to speak truth into the lives of precious but ignorant people. You have been planted by God in the lives of those around you. Be alert to teachable moments. Be the one willing to say, “Can I pray for your baby, mother, husband,…” Look for the opportunity to let the afflicted know that God is their answer, not their problem.

Scripture Reading: So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. (James 1:16-17 MSG)

Somebody Said: A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people. – Will Rogers

You are on a mission from God. You are His emissary and your acquaintances are His target audience. Be alert! Remember the message: Good God, bad devil. Now preach!

vls                                                            www.fcftucson.org

As I was driving to the store this morning I noticed a group of people on the corner at a very busy intersection.  They were holding signs and screaming at passing cars. Their signs were of the “Jesus is the answer” genre, hand-scrawled on cheap poster board. I couldn’t hear what they were yelling, but I assume it was something about getting saved.  I thank God for their effort, but I had to wonder about their effectiveness. The world we live in has changed radically from street-preacher days. The modern scientific age ushered in an era of rationalism that debunked much of Christian thought. Science and so-called reason led to progressivism in politics and modernism in theology. In the Christian West, the gospel became to a large extent a social program, and Protestantism devolved to debates over textual accuracy and the reality of miracles. Intellect replaced experience, and evangelism became more about believing an historical event than having an encounter with God. Beginning in 1900, the Pentecostal movement began running parallel to the evangelical. The Holy Spirit was poured out, but was generally associated with the ill-educated and socially unacceptable. Every generation since has moved away from the power of the Spirit in an attempt to become genteel. The spiritually neutered Christian church became a postscript in modern culture. It was science that would raise us to a new world order. 

In our Post-modern era, the idea that science can explain all there is, that the entire universe operates with Swiss-watch, Newtonian order, has come into question.  The intellectuals have now added the doctrine of multiculturalism to their catalogue of essential ideas. To their dismay, much of the world still believes in a supernatural realm. Hence, in order to be properly broad in their thinking, they must acknowledge the possibility of “spirituality.” We now live in a world where it is cool to be spiritual. (See Oprah)  It is just not cool to be Christian. Christianity doesn’t offer a real spirituality. The Protestant and Liturgical world have so neutered themselves that they aggressively deny the supernatural power of God. In the ditch on the other side of the road, much of the Pentecostal, charismatic world has been associated with TV preachers and lunatics and intellectual midgets. The baby of Spirit power has been dispensed with the bathwater of Elmer Gantry production. In an age where spirituality is acknowledged as real, we must step into the fray with something that has weight, breadth, and depth.  We must:

1. Present a belief system that has intellectual weight.  Quit being afraid to ask questions and seek concrete answers. I must know what I believe and why I believe it.
2. Hunger after a move of the Holy Spirit in our churches that is powerful and persistent rather than pompous and preposterous.  God comes to Church. We should let Him speak.
3. Move in the compassion of Christ to touch our communities in ways other than placards and slogans. Doctrine is dead if it doesn’t move us to help people.
4. Live in such a way that our lives reflect our faith.  My life and my bumper sticker need to be more congruent. People can’t hear the love of God from a mouth that also spews bitterness and hatred.

Scripture Reading:   We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God                           2 Corinthians 4:2 MSG

 

Somebody Said: “It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.”  Winston Churchill

There is a world around us looking for a spirituality that smells real.  We have it. Let’s live it.

vls
www.fcftucson.org

I was talking to a lady the other day who is a member of another local church. She said they were having trouble because so many were leaving the church to begin their own work. This is not an uncommon phenomenon. It is really the rule rather than the exception in our culture. I see it in the countries where I travel as well. Someone disagrees with leadership about a bible issue, or even an issue of philosophy or direction.  They get more and more worked up about it until they believe the Lord is calling them to go start something themselves.  In the early church we see some record of this, but the big explosion came when the bible became commonly available and the authority of the church was questioned.  Where lies authority: scripture or church leaders? As the Protestant era progressed, the bible itself began to be questioned. In the 19^th and 20^th centuries debate raged over the trustworthiness of Scripture. In the midst of that, around the turn of the 20th century, came the Pentecostal movement. People were being filled with the Spirit and beginning to prophesy, claiming divine communication on a direct basis.  The result is a secular world and a Church without absolutes; there are no objective standards. Living in an age where there is no final authority for anything presents interesting issues in trying to lead a post-modern church:

1. People outside the church don’t recognize the Scripture as real. Therefore, you can’t simply tell them, “Well, the Bible says…”  It won’t hold water.  We have to live lives that demonstrate that Jesus is real.
2. For many in our congregations, subjective feelings are more important than objective authority.  Commitments last only as long as emotional attachment.  When the entertainment value wanes, so does the commitment.
3. Church discipline as it was understood in the bible is well nigh impossible. If a pastor tries to correct a congregant, the next church down the road welcomes them with open arms.
4. In order to help people become disciples we have to teach them about authority, commitment, and accountability.  They won’t get it anywhere else.

Authority for the Christian flows from the throne of God to a hearing heart. The Lord is pretty clear that He esteems His appointed authorities and His written Word. That means that every subjective impression should be measured against two standards:  “What does the Scripture say” and “What does my Pastor or his appointed leadership say?”  Thank God for the internal leading of the Spirit and for His gifts and manifestations, but Christianity is not every man for himself.  It is exactly the opposite: Myself for every man.

Scripture Reading:   Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.   (Psalms 119:89 NKJV)

 Somebody Said: When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.
            — Marquis de la Grange

In a world quite apparently run amok, I am grateful for the anchor of God’s ‘Word and the godly people He has placed in my life.  I pity those who are left entirely to their own devices, their own ideas, and their own emotions. It must be terrifying.

vls
www.fcftucson.org

We recently returned  from the annual Faith Christian Fellowship Family Church Conference in Tulsa. I usually try to write updates to you from the conference to let you in on what God seems to be saying to us as part of the FCF family.  For some reason this year I didn’t have the time or energy to keep up, so I waited to get home. I came home with three strong messages:

1. One of the real shockers to most folks who enter the ministry is the revelation that God’s people can be so incredibly mean.  Every pastor who stays at it very long has his little portfolio of horror stories.  It is one of the reasons we like to get together with preachers.  Misery loves company.  The message, however, was not the inevitability of misery, but the faithfulness of God :  1Ki 8:56  “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”
2. The world is in a mess, but we still have the things that brought us to the dance:  the Word and the Spirit.   Thank God for the message of faith in God’s holy, written Word.  And thank God for the Holy Spirit who still manifests Himself to His people.  The outside of the package may change over time, but the Word is true, faith works, and the Holy Ghost is alive and well.  Don’t get sidetracked by fads. Stay on the Word, make room for the Spirit, and expect God to be God.  As we say at FCFT, “the Word and The Spirit… Keepin’ it real!”
3. We live in a post-Christian society.  In order to reach our world we have to leave the confines of the church building and get out there where the harvest is.  We must be prepared to find creative ways to invade their reality with something other than a theory, a bumper sticker, and a t-shirt.  Just like Jesus, we have to sit down with tax collectors and sinners. They are going to hell out there and we are their only hope. We have a great Message, a great God, and a Great Commission.

 Scripture Reading:   When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”   (Matthew 9:12-13 NLT)

 Somebody Said Let’s quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.  Billy Sunday

I believe each of us has a part of the grand plan.  Our passion is to help you find yours, equip you to do yours, and inspire you out to get outof the pew and into the harvest.  We can do this!

vls
www.fcftucson.org

July 4, 1776:  The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, with particular emphasis on the wrongs done by King George III. The second sentence of that document has become part of the American legend:

 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

 Note that there is no argument for an American concerning these truths.  Our founders held them to be evident of themselves.  These are the postulates from which all the rest of our culture and system follow.  First, all men are equal, not in ability or beauty or social station, but in creation.  The existence of a Creator is deemed to be self-evident, and all men are created equal before Him, and are therefore of equal value. They must be treated equally by any legal system based on this self-evident truth.  Living up to that singular ideal has been an arduous process, bur one no other nation has ever even attempted.  Note the following:

1. The existence of a Creator is necessary to understand what it means to be an American.  With all due respect to atheists and agnostics, you are incapable of grasping our country.
2. Our rights are given by the Creator, not the government. (the government serves at the pleasure of the people, not the other way around)
3. The rights He has given us are unalienable – that means they cannot be taken away because they are part of the nature of the created being.  I was created free.
4. We have many inalienable rights, but these three are paramount. (Specifics may be found in the first ten amendments to the Constitution.)
5. There is a right to life, not to sexual activity without restriction.
6. There is a right to liberty. The only restrictions on that liberty would come as my liberty infringes on the rights of others.  One purpose of government is to protect my liberty.
7. I am free to pursue happiness as I choose to define that term.  Government protects the pursuit but can never guarantee that I will obtain it.  My happiness is my responsibility.

I could continue, but that is enough to give us something to consider this Independence Day.  The men who signed this document understood that they were putting their lives on the line for these ideas.  They were revolutionary then, and so they remain. The next sentence reads, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” 

Scripture Reading:   The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.  (Psalms 33:11-12 NKJV)

Somebody Said: Its hard to top the way they said it:

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Happy 4^th of July.  Have a hot dog, say a prayer, make a commitment.

vls
www.fcftucson.org