Wednesday, August 26, 2009
G20 Prayer Summit
My 200th blog post will be concerning the G20 Summit coming to Pittsburgh September 24-25. If you have a chance click here and join in a 30 day journey of prayer for this event. Pastor Jeff Leake has put this together with other pastors to unify in prayer for God to do great things as these leaders gather in Pittsburgh.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
10 Things that Could Keep Your Church from Being All it Could Be
1. Lack of Identity and Vision
2. Lack of Excellence
3. Lack of Exposure
4. Lack of Welcoming Atmosphere
5. Lack of Kids/ Youth Events
6. Lack of Good Preaching
7. Lack of Genuine Worship
8. Lack of Intentionally Reproducing Leaders
9. Lack of Intentional Outreach
10. Lack of Continued Pastoral Growth and Assessment
-By Rich Fogal
This was posted on a friends blog from Rich Fogal. I thought these were interesting and wanted to get your thoughts. Where do you think the New Life Center is when thinking about these 10 things? Comment me.
2. Lack of Excellence
3. Lack of Exposure
4. Lack of Welcoming Atmosphere
5. Lack of Kids/ Youth Events
6. Lack of Good Preaching
7. Lack of Genuine Worship
8. Lack of Intentionally Reproducing Leaders
9. Lack of Intentional Outreach
10. Lack of Continued Pastoral Growth and Assessment
-By Rich Fogal
This was posted on a friends blog from Rich Fogal. I thought these were interesting and wanted to get your thoughts. Where do you think the New Life Center is when thinking about these 10 things? Comment me.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Prophetic Word from Matt Sorger
This is long but definitely worth the read. Comments are welcome.
From Charisma online---Prophetic ministry...
Editor's Note: The following message was released by Matt Sorger in his ministry newsletter on June 15. He received a tremendous response to it, and I wanted to make it available to those who haven't yet read it. Though it is not in the form of "Thus saith the Lord," it is an important word of caution for those of us who love the prophetic and may be tempted to seek the spectacular demonstrations of the Holy Spirit over a genuine encounter with God through His Word.
I am witnessing an alarming trend in some of our charismatic circles and services. I travel full time on the road all across the United States and in other parts of the world. Each week I am ministering in another state or nation to a new group of hungry believers wanting to live in the fullness of God's Spirit. Several times in the last few months I have made a disturbing and grievous observation. Before I share it with you, let me give you some of my personal background.
I was saved at the age of 14. I am thankful to have been raised in a solid Bible-preaching, Spirit-filled church. The Word was always given a priority. The necessity of living a holy, sanctified life was always preached with conviction. I took my first steps of walking, living and ministering in the Spirit there.
As a young pastor I was given some room to begin to spread my wings when the anointing and power of God began to move through my life. I took full flight when I launched out from pastoring six years ago to travel full time in a "prophetic revival" ministry.
My years before pastoring were spent seeking God, spending time in personal devotion and study of the Word, and attending a great Bible school in Rhode Island. Upon graduation I stepped into the pastoral ministry. I learned many valuable things during those years that I carry with me to this day. Life experiences have a way of shaping you into the person God has called you to be.
I want to define "prophetic revival" ministry. For me "prophetic" means hearing and then declaring a true word from God, either through preaching and teaching God's heart as revealed in His Word, or speaking forth an anointed word directly from Him. Both types of prophetic ministry should be solidly rooted and grounded in Scripture.
"Revival" holds a dual meaning for me. I see it as stirring up in the church a deeper passion for God and learning to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and then watching that passion overflow through the lives of believers into the world around us. The power of God in the life of the believer is not supposed to be contained. It must overflow and impact the world around us.
An Alarming Trend
Now I must share with you an alarming trend I have witnessed. I have seen it even in my own meetings! Because this is hitting so close to home I can no longer be silent. I am a man of deep convictions, and it is time for me to share them with you.
Recently, after a meeting I was standing near my resource table greeting people. A woman approached me to share about the wonderful overflow of the Holy Spirit she had experienced in the meeting the day before. She could sense a whole new level of God's presence. It was clear she had been deeply touched. But she proceeded to tell me something that caused me to raise a "red flag."
She said, "You know, when you started preaching, I thought, I have heard this before. I really came looking to hear something I had never heard before. But the presence of God in the meeting did have a profound impact on me, and I am not the same." I rejoiced over what the Lord had done for her, but at the same time I grieved.
That same week, after we had finished only one day of meetings, a pastor I was having lunch with shared his thoughts. The night before I had preached a word the Holy Spirit had placed on my heart. After the preaching of the Word, I was led by the Spirit to call some folks out from the audience, and I prayed for them with a clear demonstration of God's presence and power. I left the meeting rejoicing.
The pastor didn't share my enthusiasm. He said to me, "You know, if the preaching of the gospel could have gotten the job done, it would have been done a long time ago. What we need are the signs. I just want to see the stuff. I don't want you preaching. Preach just a few minutes. We want the miracles."
It became apparent that what this church wanted was a charismatic show—the "signs following" with no preaching of the Word. I'm sorry, but I am a Word preacher.
I believe their outlook reflects an alarming trend in the prophetic movement. It seems that we are unintentionally cultivating the idea that the truth of the gospel, which emphasizes the power of the cross and blood of Christ, is no longer good enough. We need signs, signs and more signs. A life transformed by the power of God's amazing Word is not enough.
People are clamoring: "Let me hear and see something new—something I have never heard or seen before, something that will wow me!" So we have hundreds of hungry believers fascinated by stories of supernatural encounters that have been, at times, exaggerated by charismatic personalities.
I want you to hear my heart in this. I am all for supernatural encounters. I have had many myself, and I know of others in ministry who have had some beautiful, real, life-changing supernatural encounters with God. But I am not into charismatic hype or manipulation. Just say it like it is. Don't exaggerate, add to or blow something up just to make a good story or to sell a bunch of CDs.
I am not being negative. I am seeking to bring balance into a movement I am proud to be a part of—a movement that at one time didn't want to hear just empty words but words backed up with real substance, power and glory.
I want the real thing! I want the real manifest presence of God. I want the real miracles, the real signs and wonders, the real angelic encounters (as God chooses to give them to me). I don't want a hyped-up version.
And I don't want to hear something new and different just for the sake of hearing something I have never heard before. I want my everyday life encountered in a real way by God's Word and anointing. I want to hear something that I can apply to my life. I want the fullness of God's Word to renew my mind, change me from the inside out and fill my life with real power and glory.
People who want to hear only something they have never heard before are in serious danger of opening themselves up to a gospel that is different from the one we find in Scripture. If you are running around looking for a new revelation without first putting into practice the hundreds of revelations given to us in God's Word, you are looking in the wrong direction. God has not called us to be flakey. He has called us to be solidly grounded in Him, to preach the gospel in season and out, and to impact the world around us as salt and light.
I love the prophetic. I love the supernatural. But the moment we start wanting signs without the Word of God, we are in trouble. And this is what I have been seeing.
Recently two pastors in different parts of the United States told me that they wanted the preaching of the Word to be kept to a bare minimum, with an emphasis placed on the signs and wonders. I need to set the record straight: Signs follow the preaching of the Word. If you become a sign-seeker apart from the Word of God, you will not be grounded, and if you are in ministry, you will build an unhealthy and weak foundation in other people's lives as well as your own.
The Most Precious Sign
The sign I am most after these days is the sign of a life transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to see people hungry to truly apply the Word of God to their lives—not desiring simply to hear something new but to put into practice what they already know.
I want to see people walking in love. I want to see people living righteously. I want to see people knowing who they are in Christ so the devil can't continually beat them up. I want to see people experience the abundant life Jesus came to give them. I want to see people preaching the gospel in power, laying hands on the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. But we can never forget that the power of the gospel is revealed through the foolishness of preaching—not just preaching our good stories, but preaching the Word of God with power and authority. A sign without the Word points nowhere.
I want to encourage the body of Christ in these days to evaluate everything you have believed and be sure it is pure gospel. Go back and read the New Testament from cover to cover and ask the Holy Spirit to write upon your heart the full counsel of God's Word as revealed in the New Covenant. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and to be sure your foundations are strong and solid.
Never neglect God's Word. It has the power to change your life. As you soak in God's Word and in His presence, you will live a truly Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life that will make a real difference in the world around you. Go and be the salt and light God has called you to be!
About the author: Matt Sorger is a prophetic revivalist who ministers the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit in conferences, prophetic healing revival services and miracle crusades throughout America and around the world. He also hosts pastors and leaders conferences to train and equip leaders in the power of the Holy Spirit. In his meetings, many are instantly healed and infused with greater passion for God. Learn more about him and his ministry at mattsorger.com.
From Charisma online---Prophetic ministry...
Editor's Note: The following message was released by Matt Sorger in his ministry newsletter on June 15. He received a tremendous response to it, and I wanted to make it available to those who haven't yet read it. Though it is not in the form of "Thus saith the Lord," it is an important word of caution for those of us who love the prophetic and may be tempted to seek the spectacular demonstrations of the Holy Spirit over a genuine encounter with God through His Word.
I am witnessing an alarming trend in some of our charismatic circles and services. I travel full time on the road all across the United States and in other parts of the world. Each week I am ministering in another state or nation to a new group of hungry believers wanting to live in the fullness of God's Spirit. Several times in the last few months I have made a disturbing and grievous observation. Before I share it with you, let me give you some of my personal background.
I was saved at the age of 14. I am thankful to have been raised in a solid Bible-preaching, Spirit-filled church. The Word was always given a priority. The necessity of living a holy, sanctified life was always preached with conviction. I took my first steps of walking, living and ministering in the Spirit there.
As a young pastor I was given some room to begin to spread my wings when the anointing and power of God began to move through my life. I took full flight when I launched out from pastoring six years ago to travel full time in a "prophetic revival" ministry.
My years before pastoring were spent seeking God, spending time in personal devotion and study of the Word, and attending a great Bible school in Rhode Island. Upon graduation I stepped into the pastoral ministry. I learned many valuable things during those years that I carry with me to this day. Life experiences have a way of shaping you into the person God has called you to be.
I want to define "prophetic revival" ministry. For me "prophetic" means hearing and then declaring a true word from God, either through preaching and teaching God's heart as revealed in His Word, or speaking forth an anointed word directly from Him. Both types of prophetic ministry should be solidly rooted and grounded in Scripture.
"Revival" holds a dual meaning for me. I see it as stirring up in the church a deeper passion for God and learning to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and then watching that passion overflow through the lives of believers into the world around us. The power of God in the life of the believer is not supposed to be contained. It must overflow and impact the world around us.
An Alarming Trend
Now I must share with you an alarming trend I have witnessed. I have seen it even in my own meetings! Because this is hitting so close to home I can no longer be silent. I am a man of deep convictions, and it is time for me to share them with you.
Recently, after a meeting I was standing near my resource table greeting people. A woman approached me to share about the wonderful overflow of the Holy Spirit she had experienced in the meeting the day before. She could sense a whole new level of God's presence. It was clear she had been deeply touched. But she proceeded to tell me something that caused me to raise a "red flag."
She said, "You know, when you started preaching, I thought, I have heard this before. I really came looking to hear something I had never heard before. But the presence of God in the meeting did have a profound impact on me, and I am not the same." I rejoiced over what the Lord had done for her, but at the same time I grieved.
That same week, after we had finished only one day of meetings, a pastor I was having lunch with shared his thoughts. The night before I had preached a word the Holy Spirit had placed on my heart. After the preaching of the Word, I was led by the Spirit to call some folks out from the audience, and I prayed for them with a clear demonstration of God's presence and power. I left the meeting rejoicing.
The pastor didn't share my enthusiasm. He said to me, "You know, if the preaching of the gospel could have gotten the job done, it would have been done a long time ago. What we need are the signs. I just want to see the stuff. I don't want you preaching. Preach just a few minutes. We want the miracles."
It became apparent that what this church wanted was a charismatic show—the "signs following" with no preaching of the Word. I'm sorry, but I am a Word preacher.
I believe their outlook reflects an alarming trend in the prophetic movement. It seems that we are unintentionally cultivating the idea that the truth of the gospel, which emphasizes the power of the cross and blood of Christ, is no longer good enough. We need signs, signs and more signs. A life transformed by the power of God's amazing Word is not enough.
People are clamoring: "Let me hear and see something new—something I have never heard or seen before, something that will wow me!" So we have hundreds of hungry believers fascinated by stories of supernatural encounters that have been, at times, exaggerated by charismatic personalities.
I want you to hear my heart in this. I am all for supernatural encounters. I have had many myself, and I know of others in ministry who have had some beautiful, real, life-changing supernatural encounters with God. But I am not into charismatic hype or manipulation. Just say it like it is. Don't exaggerate, add to or blow something up just to make a good story or to sell a bunch of CDs.
I am not being negative. I am seeking to bring balance into a movement I am proud to be a part of—a movement that at one time didn't want to hear just empty words but words backed up with real substance, power and glory.
I want the real thing! I want the real manifest presence of God. I want the real miracles, the real signs and wonders, the real angelic encounters (as God chooses to give them to me). I don't want a hyped-up version.
And I don't want to hear something new and different just for the sake of hearing something I have never heard before. I want my everyday life encountered in a real way by God's Word and anointing. I want to hear something that I can apply to my life. I want the fullness of God's Word to renew my mind, change me from the inside out and fill my life with real power and glory.
People who want to hear only something they have never heard before are in serious danger of opening themselves up to a gospel that is different from the one we find in Scripture. If you are running around looking for a new revelation without first putting into practice the hundreds of revelations given to us in God's Word, you are looking in the wrong direction. God has not called us to be flakey. He has called us to be solidly grounded in Him, to preach the gospel in season and out, and to impact the world around us as salt and light.
I love the prophetic. I love the supernatural. But the moment we start wanting signs without the Word of God, we are in trouble. And this is what I have been seeing.
Recently two pastors in different parts of the United States told me that they wanted the preaching of the Word to be kept to a bare minimum, with an emphasis placed on the signs and wonders. I need to set the record straight: Signs follow the preaching of the Word. If you become a sign-seeker apart from the Word of God, you will not be grounded, and if you are in ministry, you will build an unhealthy and weak foundation in other people's lives as well as your own.
The Most Precious Sign
The sign I am most after these days is the sign of a life transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to see people hungry to truly apply the Word of God to their lives—not desiring simply to hear something new but to put into practice what they already know.
I want to see people walking in love. I want to see people living righteously. I want to see people knowing who they are in Christ so the devil can't continually beat them up. I want to see people experience the abundant life Jesus came to give them. I want to see people preaching the gospel in power, laying hands on the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. But we can never forget that the power of the gospel is revealed through the foolishness of preaching—not just preaching our good stories, but preaching the Word of God with power and authority. A sign without the Word points nowhere.
I want to encourage the body of Christ in these days to evaluate everything you have believed and be sure it is pure gospel. Go back and read the New Testament from cover to cover and ask the Holy Spirit to write upon your heart the full counsel of God's Word as revealed in the New Covenant. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and to be sure your foundations are strong and solid.
Never neglect God's Word. It has the power to change your life. As you soak in God's Word and in His presence, you will live a truly Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life that will make a real difference in the world around you. Go and be the salt and light God has called you to be!
About the author: Matt Sorger is a prophetic revivalist who ministers the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit in conferences, prophetic healing revival services and miracle crusades throughout America and around the world. He also hosts pastors and leaders conferences to train and equip leaders in the power of the Holy Spirit. In his meetings, many are instantly healed and infused with greater passion for God. Learn more about him and his ministry at mattsorger.com.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Interesting Video...
I've been challenged by another blogger to make sure that I'm blogging if I'm going to have a blog. I have not been good at that.
With that said, check out this video and let me know what you think. I am interested in hearing your thoughts and opinions on this. You may have already seen it, but if you would, type down your thoughts.
With that said, check out this video and let me know what you think. I am interested in hearing your thoughts and opinions on this. You may have already seen it, but if you would, type down your thoughts.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
What I'm Reading and Listening Too
I figured I'd let everyone know what I'm reading and listening to. In case anyone was wondering. (I am hoping to do this more often so that people have a list of books and CD's to look into buying.)
What I'm listening to... The Glorious Unseen. I heard about them from David Santistevan, worship leader at Allison Park Church. Great music. I'm enjoying listening to this CD called "Tonight the Stars Speak". They also have a new CD coming out in August.
On another note, I'm looking forward to a new Jesus Culture CD coming out in August. And the new David Crowder Band CD coming out in September.
I finished up a book by Wayne Cordeiro called "Leading on Empty." It deals with ways to keep from burning out in ministry and if you have burned out in ministry, how to slowly find healing. Another book I finished was, "The Covenant" by James L. Garlow. I plan on doing a small group on this book starting in September.
Currently, I am reading a book by George O. Wood, Gerneral Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, called "Living in the Spirit." This book offers a comprehensive compilation of perspectives concerning the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He shares his desire that Pentecostals resist being content with memories of powerful past experiences and instead seek to be overwhelmed by the Spirt and demonstrate the enduring evidence of His fullness.
And "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders. A book that has principles of excellence for every believer.
What I'm listening to... The Glorious Unseen. I heard about them from David Santistevan, worship leader at Allison Park Church. Great music. I'm enjoying listening to this CD called "Tonight the Stars Speak". They also have a new CD coming out in August.
On another note, I'm looking forward to a new Jesus Culture CD coming out in August. And the new David Crowder Band CD coming out in September.
I finished up a book by Wayne Cordeiro called "Leading on Empty." It deals with ways to keep from burning out in ministry and if you have burned out in ministry, how to slowly find healing. Another book I finished was, "The Covenant" by James L. Garlow. I plan on doing a small group on this book starting in September.
Currently, I am reading a book by George O. Wood, Gerneral Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, called "Living in the Spirit." This book offers a comprehensive compilation of perspectives concerning the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He shares his desire that Pentecostals resist being content with memories of powerful past experiences and instead seek to be overwhelmed by the Spirt and demonstrate the enduring evidence of His fullness.
And "Spiritual Leadership" by J. Oswald Sanders. A book that has principles of excellence for every believer.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
When Life Gives You Lemons
We began a new sermon series called, "When Life Gives You Lemons" last week. When I say lemons, I mean the troubles in life that come our way that are expected and unexpected.I started off last week by putting lemons into perspective with who God is. I showed parts of a video by Louie Giglio from the How Great is Our God tour. Did you know that there are stars in the universe that are way bigger than the earth? In fact, you could fit 960,000 earths in the closest star that we know which is the sun. Putting that into perspective, if the earth was the size of a golf ball the sun would be equivalent to 6 Empire State buildings on top of each other. And that is only half of it. Check out the video. They are both 10 minutes long, but well worth the watch.
Part One
Part Two
This week we will look at why lemons come into our lives. If you don't have a church, stop by. We would love to see you.
Monday, July 6, 2009
"Finally"
Yesterday, I spoke on James 2:14-26 and putting your faith into action. I also hit on Acts 16:16-18 which says:
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
I have really been meditating on stepping out in faith. The Christian faith is supposed to be an adventure but we seem to take all of the adventure out and make it a safe walk full of hand rails, parachutes, foam, and every other safety device that we can think of to keep us from getting hurt in the everyday. We pretty much take all of the faith out of it and make it a, well, a ritual. But faith, when excercised with deeds, is exciting.
The Lord gave me a picture. So picture yourself in a fruit tree. The fruit is always out of reach, or on the branches that we know cannot support our weight. We can choose to leave that fruit alone and continue to hold to the trunk of the tree (the Church) or we can let go and crawl out on those limbs and trust God for whatever happens. If we want to see miracles and people getting saved, we have to step out in faith into the unknown of what might happen.
But what will it take to get you there? For Paul, it was after many days of being followed by a demon possessed girl shouting at him and Silas that he finally had enough. Why didn't Paul do something sooner? After all, this girl was a slave to Satan and the men who made money off of her. Whatever the reason, Paul had a "Finally" moment. He "Finally" couldn't take it anymore and turned around casting the demon out.
I pray for us all to have that "Finally" moment where we get fed up with the status quo, mediocrity, complacency, laziness, the sin that has so many people entangled and we say, "Enough is enough," and we begin to live out loud for Jesus putting our faith into action. The world needs men and women to walk in faith, not afraid of what others might think. Who have a "Finally" moment that leads them to greater living for a greater purpose. It will enhance your life and change your family, work place, church, and community.
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
I have really been meditating on stepping out in faith. The Christian faith is supposed to be an adventure but we seem to take all of the adventure out and make it a safe walk full of hand rails, parachutes, foam, and every other safety device that we can think of to keep us from getting hurt in the everyday. We pretty much take all of the faith out of it and make it a, well, a ritual. But faith, when excercised with deeds, is exciting.
The Lord gave me a picture. So picture yourself in a fruit tree. The fruit is always out of reach, or on the branches that we know cannot support our weight. We can choose to leave that fruit alone and continue to hold to the trunk of the tree (the Church) or we can let go and crawl out on those limbs and trust God for whatever happens. If we want to see miracles and people getting saved, we have to step out in faith into the unknown of what might happen.
But what will it take to get you there? For Paul, it was after many days of being followed by a demon possessed girl shouting at him and Silas that he finally had enough. Why didn't Paul do something sooner? After all, this girl was a slave to Satan and the men who made money off of her. Whatever the reason, Paul had a "Finally" moment. He "Finally" couldn't take it anymore and turned around casting the demon out.
I pray for us all to have that "Finally" moment where we get fed up with the status quo, mediocrity, complacency, laziness, the sin that has so many people entangled and we say, "Enough is enough," and we begin to live out loud for Jesus putting our faith into action. The world needs men and women to walk in faith, not afraid of what others might think. Who have a "Finally" moment that leads them to greater living for a greater purpose. It will enhance your life and change your family, work place, church, and community.
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