"Losing the Leaders!"---Part 1.

On any given Sunday, the routine is the same:  He gets up out of bed early, makes his coffee, and sits down desperately trying to hear a word from the Lord.  He knows that soon he will have to break away from this relentless pursuit to get ready to go to work.  Go to work!  When did it become just a job?  When was it just a means to meet the needs of his family?  It didn’t start out this like this.  When he was a young man, his heart burned within him to preach the Word of God.  He was convinced that even if the past generations had not completely reached the masses, he had such a special anointing from God that he would reach them!  God had chosen him to speak the eternal truths of heaven.  He felt it!  God was going to use him to bring about a revival.  He had often fantasized about it, and how it would all play out.  Yes, other churches were ritualistic, cold and even dead; but not his church!  They would burn with a passion for Jesus and operate with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Then it happened!  A church was available, he went and preached, he and his young wife prayed, and God gave him his church.  He couldn’t believe it!  It was actually beginning to take form, just as he had imagined.  The first Sunday came, and the people were kind to him and patient, yes, very patient.  However, six years into his new pastorate, and he was still waiting for revival.  He’s still waiting for some type of indication that the religious traditions and “churchy” events would metamorphosis into something real, something tangible, and something powerful, but it never happened!  He needed a change!  Perhaps, as the Bible says, he was just the one who was to plant the seed and someone else was to water it.  Yes, that must be it!  So, he petitioned those over him in the Lord, and he resigned his church and took another one hundreds of miles away.  

            This was a new phase in his life and ministry; surely this would be the church where he would tap into the passion of his original call.  His wife was unhappy with him, because now she was farther away from her Mother and Father and the rest of her family.  They didn’t know anybody in this strange new city.  However, four years later, and still no great revivals!  The process begins again, and now after 21 years in ministry and five different churches, in five different cities, the passion has died.  Drudgery has taken the place of passion and joy, and just being able to meet his mortgage payment on any given month, is victory enough.  Now, here he sits, early on Sunday Morning, trying to hear from God!  But,…. Nothing!  How he wishes there was some way, some means, which he could support his family and leave the ministry.  He often fantasizes about meeting someone who recognizes his natural abilities and offers him a wonderful paying job.  Oh, he would still go to church, of course!  But he would do whatever ministry he could do, from the safety of the security of stable income and a time clock that actually turns off at the end of the day.

            Time to go!  The people are expecting him, the pastor, to give them some fresh new word from the Lord!  Not that it matters he thinks, they won’t do anything with it!  So, he gets out an old sermon he preached three years ago, gives it a new title, revamps it a little and gets dressed to deliver “God’s Word.”  As he leaves for church, he can’t help but wondering, “Where’s the power?”

·         Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout or contention in their churches. ·         Four thousand new churches begin each year, but over seven thousand churches close. ·         Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce. ·         Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors. ·         Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living. ·         Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years. Ninety percent of pastors said their seminary or Bible school training did only a fair to poor job preparing them for ministry. ·         Eighty-five percent of pastors said their greatest problem is they are sick and tired of dealing with problem people, such as disgruntled elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors. Ninety percent said the hardest thing about ministry is dealing with uncooperative people. ·         Seventy percent of pastors feel grossly underpaid. ·         Ninety percent said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be before they entered the ministry. ·         Seventy percent felt God called them to pastoral ministry before their ministry began, but after three years of ministry, only fifty percent still felt called.

        This scene would seem silly if it wasn't being lived and played out all over America every week!  Pastors who started out with passion are now apathetic as they week after week, simply try to survive. In fact according to recent polls, the pastoral ministry is quickly becoming an “endangered species.”  Consider the following statistics, gathered from the web site “Life Line for Pastors.”   

What do these alarming statistics show us?  The pastoral ministry is in trouble!  Not only is it in trouble, but these statistics show us two additional problems that is just as alarming.  First, when the “heads” of the local Christian congregations are feeling so empty and devoid of passion, what is their preaching and teaching of the Word of God like?  It’s a relatively simple concept:  “If the gas tank is empty, the car isn’t going to move!”  Perhaps there is a direct correlation between the “emptiness” of the pastoral ministry and the ineffectiveness of the American Christian church.  If the pastors of our local fellowships don’t have anything to “give,” then the members of our local fellowships are receiving nothing of spiritual depth and spirituality.  The members are not challenged, because their pastor’s aren’t challenged. 

Secondly, these statistics show us something as equally alarming as the previously mentioned two issues.  This issue can be summed up in a question, in fact the question of this book.  “Where is the power?”  Simply put, if the pastor’s of local congregations are feeling burnt out and looking for an “exit” door, then how powerful can their church’s ministry be?  Since the Christian Church’s ministry is constantly involved in “power-encounters” with the flesh, the world, and most importantly, the enemy’s kingdom, without power, there can be very little effectiveness.  NO-POWER = NO-EFFECT!  And given the fact that most of our churches in America have many empty pews, and given the fact that many “outside” the church view those of us inside the church as out of touch and ineffective, then we are DESPERATELY in need of power!  We are in need of the power that was intended to be the “norm” for the Church of Jesus Christ.  However, looking at the emptiness and ineffectiveness of the Church in America as a whole, one is prompted to ask:  “Where is the power?”

Recently I have begun a kind of new hobby.  Nothing really exciting, but nonetheless, it has been kind of interesting and certainly quite telltale of what the Church of our Lord is busy doing, and more importantly, what we are NOT doing.  I have begun reading church “signs” and advertisements in newspapers and bulletin boards.  WOW!  What an education I have received in this little fascination of mine!  Most of the advertisements for the local churches around me are usually about:  Church dinners, rummage sales, music concerts, community awareness activities, special guest speakers (brought in to keep those who are already in the church, “pumped-up” and “plugged-into” the church!), etc.  Now, while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with any of these things, I have yet to see a sign advertising for community wide church repentance, or praying for healing over the things that divide the church, or a meeting to focus on unity and what we have in common (Jesus) and ignoring what we differ on.  Nope, not one sign like that!  Many churches, who have been strategically placed within our cities, are doing absolutely NOTHING in encountering the strong-holds of the enemy within those communities!  And the very saddening thing is, that if those churches DID finally encounter those true spiritual strongholds, there’s a very good chance they wouldn’t know WHAT to do, or have the POWER to do it with!  Now, this is not a “rant” against the church, there are enough within the world who are doing that!  Rather, this is an attempt at helping us within the church to see that we have a “Power Problem!”

This fact came to bear very strongly upon me a few years ago.  At that time, I felt a strong burden to have our church contact the area Christian churches within a 5-mile radius of our church.  We wrote a letter informing them that they were not alone, we were praying for them, and we were asking God to give them souls for their labor.  Basically, we were encouraging our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord within the perimeter we had established.  The first thing that shocked me was the fact that a lady in our church who works with demographics, determined that there were 256 Christian churches within a 5-mile radius of our church!  Are you hearing what I am saying?  Two hundred and fifty six churches besides our church, within a 5-mile radius in Knoxville Tennessee! 

The second thing that was a bit shocking was some of the responses we received from the pastor’s of those churches.  There were many who thanked us for our prayers and concern, and informed us on how timely this encouragement was.  However, one sticks out vividly in my mind.  The Pastor had written us to tell us that he was sitting in his office contemplating leaving the ministry because of burn out and depression, when he received our letter.  He informed us that he began to cry, and realized for the very first time, he was NOT alone!  WOW!  Such a simplistic act that had such God-timed results!  He also informed us that he would NOT be leaving the ministry.  At this news, we rejoiced!  However, as much as we rejoiced in this wonderful news, I was immediately struck with some overwhelming questions.  “If there are these many churches within a 5-mile radius within Knoxville, why were there still homeless?  Why was there still prostitution?  Why were there still hungry?  Why were there still meth dealers?  Why were there still strip clubs?”  Well, you get my point! 

The answer is quite simple, yet quite alarming.  The Church of Jesus Christ in Knoxville Tennessee, for the most part, is POWERLESS!   We have the “churchy” things down pat.  We have the “religious” things down pat.  But we do not have the “Jesus” things infused with power down pat! (end of part 1). 

...And I Sat Down and Wept!

"...The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”  When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven!"

Nehemiah 1:3b-4 NLT.

It was a late Autumn day in Susa.  Nehemiah had received some visitors who had just returned from Judah.  He asked them how the returning exiles were doing and how things were going in Jerusalem.  The answer he received was not what he wanted to hear.  They told him that things were not well; they are living in trouble and disgrace; and the wall of Jerusalem had been torn down and the gates had been burned with fire!  Nehemiah's response was appropriate for him as he though of his beloved city, the city of God, and what had become of it................"I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven!"  That seems like the correct response!  

I cannot help but think that there is a parallel to this story today.  Anyone who is sensitive to the "moving's" of the Holy Spirit can tell you that one of the things they are "sensing" from Him, is that things are NOT well with the Church in America!  In a purely metaphorical sense,.................."The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire!"  Now, I want you to understand, I am NOT being negative here.  I simply know what I sense by the leading of the Holy Spirit, and what the facts of the Church in America tells us.  Consider these statistics from "Into Thy Word Ministries":

• Every year more than 4000 churches close their doors compared to just over 1000 new church starts!
• Every year, 2.7 million church members fall into inactivity. This translates into the realization that people are leaving the church.
• From 1990 to 2000, the combined membership of all Protestant denominations in the USA declined by almost 5 million members (9.5 percent), while the US population increased by 24 million (11 percent).
• At the turn of the last century (1900), there was a ratio of 27 churches per 10,000 people, as compared to the close of this century (2000) where we have 11 churches per 10,000 people in America!
• Given the declining numbers and closures of Churches as compared to new church starts, there should have been over 38,000 new churches commissioned to keep up with the population growth.
• Half of all churches in the US did not add any new members to their ranks in the last two years.

........And consider this excerpt from a recent book we went through on our Wednesday Night Study at our Church..........

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group (a research organization focusing on religious trends and information), asserts that the primary issue that today’s culture has with Christianity is that it no longer resembles its Founder.[1]

In his book Unchristian, Kinnaman studied the Mosaic (born between 1984 and 2002) and Busters (born between 1965 and 1983) generations of the United States, which currently comprise approximately 77% of America’s population. With respect to Christianity, Kinnaman notes a growing tide of hostility and resentment, a statistic which is trending downward from a positive study that was done by his Barna group only one decade before.

He discovered that of the non-believers surveyed that were aware of the term “evangelical” (as it relates to Christianity), nearly half had a bad impression, 47% had a neutral impression, and only 3% had a good impression

These are just some of the statistics that are out there and available for any believer to study and analyse.  My response may seem dramatic, but I feel a bit like Nehemiah..........."...The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”  When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven!"

I am personally CHALLENGING EVERY Follower of Jesus who reads this blog to begin to pray on a regular basis for the following:

• More of the Glory of Jesus to be seen!
• Deeper intimacy with Christ!
• Spiritual sensitivity!
• Genuine Revival!
• An outpouring of the power and gifting's of the Holy Spirit! (Charismata)
• An increase in the miraculous:  Signs, Wonders, and Healing's to endorse the veracity of the preaching of the Gospel and bring glory to the Father through the work of the Son!
• The advancement of the Kingdom of God!

On Tuesday evenings at 7 pm, we are having a time of prayer at 5-different "stations" in the church.  This time of "Stationed Prayer" is for the singularity of purposeful prayer for the Followers of Christ, who are at this prayer time.  In other words, ........ WE'RE ALL PRAYING FOR THE SAME THING!

Please become a part of this MOVE OF GOD to mobilize the Body of Christ in America to UNITED prayer!

Thank you and God bless you!

Pastor Steve

Modern Apostles and Prophets!

There are several weapons that the devil has formed and uses against the Church of Jesus Christ in America.  Some of those weapons have been used very successfully by him to keep the Church off track, keep it weak, keep it bond in mere religious activities, or utterly destroy it.  In the very near future, we will be addressing some of these weapons in detail.  However, for today’s blog posting, I would like to discuss one of the most successful weapons the devil has ever used against the Body of Christ.  And, what makes this weapon so destructive and successful, is in many cases the Church is helping the devil perpetuate this weapon.  What is this weapon Steve?  It is the division of the Ministry Leadership or “Ascension Gifts” that God established for His Body the Church!  Let’s take a look at these Leadership Gifts God gave to the Church:

Ephesians 4:7-8 & 11-13 NIV.

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says: When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” … ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

These five Leadership Gifts given by Christ Himself make up the Leadership Offices of the Body of Christ.  The craftily devised attack of the devil, is to get many segments [Isn’t that an interesting use of words?] of the Church to believe that some of these Leadership Gifts are no longer needed or in use today.  Just for a moment, think what would happen if with your car you accepted the engine, the battery, the cooling system but REJECTED the steering wheel and the transmission!....... You wouldn’t get very FAR!  This is the EXACT plan of the devil for the Church!  Get many to believe, and even teach, that certain parts of the Leadership “Engine” of the Church is not for today;……………… And the Body of Christ doesn’t get VERY FAR!

The division created by the devil within the Leadership Structure of the Church is this:  For the most part, EVERYONE accepts the gifting and offices of Pastor, Evangelist, and Teacher.  However, many of these same people, blinded by this cleverly devised plan of deception by the devil, deny the remaining two Gifts of Leadership within the Body of Christ, namely Apostle and Prophet!  The Apostle and Prophet, which according to the Apostle Paul, just happens to be the “Foundation” of the Church God established, with Christ Jesus as the “CORNER STONE!”  Isn’t that interesting?.......... Those gifts that are relegated to the past ONLY, just happen to be the ones that Christ uses as the FOUNDATION of His Church! 

Ephesians 2:19-20

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

1 Corinthians 12:28

²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.

These 2-Gifts just happen to be the Gifts that when used properly, establishes Churches, corrects Churches, corrects the Body of error, speaks the Words of the Lord, points out sins, strengthens Pastors and Churches, and hears “what the Spirit is saying to the Church!”  Now, if I were the devil, ……….. THOSE are the two gifts I would try to eliminate, and sadly, he has been extremely successful!  He has been successful even among those who claim to be Spirit-Filled, for even among these Believers, there are many that do not even recognize these Gifts and Offices! 

Interestingly enough, one has to remember that it is Christ who gives these Gifts to the Church, to develop, strengthen, and establish HIS body.  Also interesting, is the fact that Jesus was either referred to, or modeled, each of these Gifts He was giving to the Church!  Let me show you:

Of course we know that no one can dispute the fact that Jesus, in His ministry here on earth, was the consummate Evangelist, winning MANY souls to the Kingdom of God!

But, He was also referred to as “Teacher” as well…

John 3:2

² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus was also referred to as our “Shepherd” (The term for “Pastor”)…

1 Peter 2:25

²⁵ For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

……..Also asProphet…..

Matthew 21:11

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

….And, as Apostle……

Hebrews 3:1

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.

However, the devil knew that he could not leave a vacancy, a giant “hole” in the Leadership of the Church, so he cleverly rearranged the Gifts given by God to the Church, and with the Churches support, we elevated those with the Gift of Administration to the Leadership “slot” that was meant for the Apostles and Prophets.  Now please understand, the Gift of Administration is a VERY needed Gift, given by God Himself to the Church!  However, in most Denominational Structures, those with this gift, lead those denominations in place of the Apostles and Prophets.  What is so unfortunate is, many within the Body of Christ don’t even recognize the absence of these 2-Foundational Leadership Gifts nor the “rearranging” of the remaining Gifts!  But someone may ask:  “But Steve, the Church of Jesus Christ in America has done some wonderful ministries, and has helped many people and causes!  If we were absent of these two Gifts, why was this able to be accomplished?”  And in response I would say:  “This is very true!”  A lot of good ministry has been done through the Church, but, what might have been accomplished IF we had the proper Leadership Structure in place?”  Let me illustrate my point this way.  My Family and I live in Tennessee but we like to go to Florida every now and then for vacation and we usually drive there.  Now, if we got in the car and put it in REVERSE and got on the highway and drove all the way to Florida in REVERSE, we would certainly get there EVENTUALLY, but imagine how much faster we could get there driving FORWARD?  We have done a LOT of good through the Church, with the INCORRECT Leadership structure!  Imagine what could be done with the CORRECT Leadership Structure in place!

The Lord is reminding HIS Church, that HE has put together a Leadership structure for His Church, and more and more Followers of Jesus are beginning to see the truth and absolute necessity for the Modern Day Apostles and Prophets, to complete the task of advancing His Kingdom to the WHOLE WORLD!

Resurrection at Christmas!

The following article is one that I wrote for the Church of God Evangel, and was published in the December 2012 issue.  I am posting this here on my blog, not for attention, but for the purpose of glorifying Christ and creating an atmosphere of faith, for you, the reader.

We are sitting on the brink of the last Reformation before the return of Jesus.  Myself and many others, are sensing, with holy expectation, the outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit that has been prophesized!  Signs and Wonders, healings, and the miraculous are beginning to be manifested among the worship and ministries of the Remnant Kingdom People!  With this backdrop, I offer the repost of this article!  May it serve to generate in you the faith to believe, and the hunger for more of Him!

---Pastor Steve Gardner

 

_________________________________________________________________

 While Pastoring our first church in a Milwaukee suburb, my wife put together a Christmas party for the congregation. It was a cold night, but we were having a wonderful time of fellowship, food, and singing carols . . . when suddenly one of our members came running in and said there had been a terrible car wreck on the church’s front lawn. 

We called 911, and I ran outside. The car was literally wrapped around a tree in our front lawn. Hanging upside-down tangled in the car’s wiring was a 16-year-old boy. He had only recently received his driver’s license, and on that night had decided to race. A freezing mist had begun to fall, and the boy lost control, and now was dangling from his car. 

The wiring soon gave way and the boy fell to the ground. An EMT (emergency medical technician) and I knelt down beside the boy, and the EMT said, “Pastor, he’s dead!” 

“Check him again,” I asked.

The EMT felt for a pulse, checked his breathing, and announced to me again, “Pastor, this boy is dead!” 

I couldn’t believe it! How could this hap- pen to this family so close to Christmas and at our church? The voice I heard next was the Lord saying to my spirit, “Have the people begin to pray for this boy’s life, claiming it in My name. I am going to show My power to this community!

I shared this with the people, and we began praying. Sensing the leading of the Holy Spirit, I laid my hand on the boy and said, “In the name of Jesus, live!” Immediately the boy took a deep breath of air, blinked a few times, and opened his eyes! He was alive!

I told the boy what had happened and led him to ask Jesus into his heart. Later that night at the hospital, the stunned parents thanked me, and I informed them what Christ had done for them. Two weeks later, that boy came into our church on crutches and thanked us for praying for him.

Revival broke out in our church, and our community was impacted. People talked about how those Pentecostal people at the Church of God prayed for a lifeless teenager, and God brought him back from the dead! 

The power of the Holy Spirit has not diminished. He still ministers through those who earnestly seek more of Jesus and His power, to bring glory to our King.

A Better Covenant!

"But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.......When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear."

---Hebrews 8:6 & 13 NLT.

In the Garden of Eden, both man and woman fell.  They disobeyed the command of God and sinned.  In Genesis 3:16-19, the punishment for their sin is pronounced by God.  Their punishment is pronounced on an individual basis, and with individual elements involved within that pronouncement to both the man and the woman.  Let's take a look at those individual pronouncements of judgment from God to both of them:

Genesis 3:16-19 NLT.

 Then he said to the woman, (Emphasis mine)

“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,

    and in pain you will give birth.

And you will desire to control your husband,

    but he will rule over you.”

 And to the man he said, (Emphasis mine)

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree

    whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,

the ground is cursed because of you.

    All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.

It will grow thorns and thistles for you,

    though you will eat of its grains.

 

By the sweat of your brow

    will you have food to eat

until you return to the ground

    from which you were made.

For you were made from dust,

    and to dust you will return.”

This is the pronouncement of their individual punishment for their sin, however included with that is the previous pronouncement that they would surely die!  This was a complete death; body, soul and spirit.  This is not only the point at which death entered humanities life, but the elements of death as well, such as sickness and disease.  

Fast forward to now!  Addressing Christian Believers, the members of the Lord's Body.  Here we are now faced with a very interesting theological issue before us.  That issue is the elements of the New Covenant.  A covenant that the writer of Hebrews refers to as a "better covenant.........based on better promises!"  It is an interesting theological conundrum for many within the Body of Christ, even the Pentecostal element of the Body of Christ, that they will say they believe in that "BETTER" covenant based on "BETTER" promises, but in a limited fashion.  For example:  Many Christian Believers will make the following statements of theological assertions pertaining to the pronouncement of judgment against humanities sin in Genesis.  First, they will say that they believe what the Apostle Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5:17---"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"  They are a completely new person with a new life in Christ, with new and better promises than the old covenant!  Second, they will say that in relation to man having to work by the sweat of his brow, toiling against the earth and all of creation which is suffering from humanities fall, that now our provision is in and through Christ!  They will agree with the better covenants better promise of God's provision through Christ, shared by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:19---"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

Now, those Christian Believers who so readily agree with these assertions of "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant which is all in Christ, these same believers will then look at our Sister's who are called by God to Leadership positions in the Church and say.........."You MUST be in SUBMISSION to your husband so, therefore, you CANNOT be in a position of leadership over men!"  When asked to explain their stance, they will say that it is because of the pronouncement of judgment against the sin of Eve that we just read in Genesis 3:16.  These are the same Believers who will readily say and believe that the affects and consequences of sin have been paid for through the vicarious atonement of Christ!  AND that those affects of sin were taken upon Jesus, AND that person who is "IN" Christ is a brand new person, AND the judgement of our sin was placed upon Christ for ALL who believe! ........Well, at least if your a male, but if your a female, you must STILL, even after being in Christ and supposedly being a new creation, pay for and be subject to the penalties of the sins of your mother Eve!

It sounds like, by some believers theology, that the "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant, which is in Christ, ONLY works if you happen to be a male!  Now listen, I really, REALLY like being a male!!!  However, I like being theologically correct even better, which is what this article is appealing to!  For those who through their subjective beliefs have tried to superimpose upon the Word of God a presuppositionalism which predominately favors males, I ask you to reconcile the following passages of Scripture, making reference to the "BETTER" promises within a "BETTER" covenant and your current beliefs:  

First, In the writings of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, in chapter 5, we see the verses most often used to show that women must remain under the judgment of the original sin, even though they are NOW in Christ.  Verses 22-33 are the verses that have most often been used to show the wife's submission to the husband.  However, if we take the admonition of Paul in regards to submission correctly, we have to back up our passage selection by one verse!  Paul says in Galatians 5:21---

"And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Then Paul goes on to show how that works within the "HOME!"  Paying vital attention to HOW God had uniquely made both male and female.  The Husband with the personal need of respect.  The Wife with the personal need of feeling loved.  However, there is mutuality within the submission, with demonstration given by Paul within the family!

Second, Paul writes to the church at Ephasus and shares the nature of that "BETTER" covenant and some of the "BETTER" promises within that covenant, which is in Christ!  Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT---"³All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault (emphasis mine) in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.^[a]7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom (emphasis mine) with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding."

I pretty much believe what Paul shares here, speaks for itself.  we are IN Christ and we are NOW experiencing "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant!  These "BETTER" promises from a "BETTER" covenant are for ALL who believe, BOTH men and women!  Thank God for those better covenant promises that unite us under the blood stained banner of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  It is theologically incongruent to say that we believe in the VICARIOUS atonement of Jesus, for the FULL pardon of our sins, and yet believe that we are still under the curse of sin's judgment!  Vicarious means:  1. performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another: vicarious punishment.  2. taking the place of another person or thing.  Theologically that means that Christ "positioned" Himself in the place of judgment from God the Father that was meant for us!  And NOW, through Christ, any and ALL who place their faith in Him are free from that judgment of sin!......... This is basic biblical Soteriology!  My Brothers and Sisters, we MUST be careful that our personal presuppositions do NOT get in the way of our hermeneutics!

Let's take a look at the broader context of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that we mentioned above and look at what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21(emphasis mine)............

"¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. ¹⁵ He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

¹⁸ And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. ¹⁹ For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. ²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,^[c] so that we could be made right with God through Christ."

WOW!!!........ That's pretty straight forward!  Look again at those two phrases in verses 16 and 21---"So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view!"  ........ "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin!"  Jesus took upon Himself the judgment, curse and penalty of the sins of humanity!  NOT just for the MALE'S but for the FEMALE'S as well,........ for EVERYONE who places their faith in Jesus!  I repeat the Apostle Paul's statement of this "BETTER" convenant's "BETTER" promise............. "This means that ANYONE who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is GONE; a new life has BEGUN!!!"..................... Oh, by the way,.......... for women too!

Okay, Okay Steve, I get it!  The Bible is VERY plain and STRAIGHTFORWARD on this matter!  But, if God meant for women to be in leadership position's within the Church, how come He said that if "any MAN desires the office of a Bishop?"  That's a legitimate question, because now we're simply dealing with a matter of exegesis!  And for the answer to that question, I will refer the reader to an article I wrote in 2010 that deals with the exegesis of that text accurately.  That article can be found by clicking on the following link:  Reclamation!: Women in Ministry!

God bless each and everyone of you!
Pastor Steve Gardner

What Do You Say?

"But seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land."

--Genesis 41:30 NIV

There is a famine ravaging the land today!  America is in the middle of the deepest and hardest famine it has ever experienced.  Now while this verse is in reference to the dream given to Pharaoh from God and then interpreted by Joseph, this verse today fits the American landscape so appropriately.  The famine that America is facing is not a famine of a shortage of food or provisions, America's famine is a "spiritual famine!"   

We have had years of abundance!  In 1886 the rivalistic movement that would become known as the Church of God was formed, and began to branch out all through the Southeast.  At about the same time, in 1906 on the West Coast, the Azusa Street revival began under the direction of William Seymour.  These two revivals began to burn with the fire of the power of the Holy Spirit, with signs and wonders, miracles, Holy Spirit baptism, the outpouring of the Gifts of the Spirit as mentioned in 1 Corinthians and racial and class unity!  The book of Acts had come alive again in America as the fires of Pentecost burned across a nation!

Then in 1960, the Fire fell again with what became known as the "Charismatic Renewal." The beginning of the charismatic movement is usually dated to Easter 1960, when Dennis Bennett, rector of St Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, shared his Pentecostal experience to his parish. Unlike the previous revivals with the Church of God and Azusa, these who experienced the Pentecostal baptism did not form new congregations, but rather remained in their traditional churches.  Then the Fire fell again in 1980 with what has been termed the "Third Wave" of the Holy Spirit.  This powerful outpouring centered around the teachings and leadership of C. Peter Wagner and John Wimber, the founder of the Vinyard Movement.  3-Waves!  3-Different outpourings of the Power of the Holy Spirit upon the Church!  Years, no, decades of "PLENTY!"  And now, here we are, in the middle of the worst Spiritual Famine America has ever seen!  a spiritual famine so severe, that it has made many of us forget the years of abundance we were blessed with!

Is it time of a Fourth Wave?  Perhaps a Final Wave?  I believe with everything in me that we are in the beginning stages of another outpouring of the Holy Spirit!  I believe that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be a renewal of signs and wonders, miracles, healing's and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that will advance the Kingdom of God, through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus, and its verification through these manifestations of the power of the Holy Spirit!  I believe we are on the verge of nothing less than...........REFORMATION!  Not the doctrinal reformation of Luther's day, but an Ecclesiological reformation that will raise up, purify, and empower the Bride of Christ.  We will once again know who we are, and what our mission is!  We will position ourselves to be used of the Holy Spirit for the glory of Christ!  We will cross the lines that have divided us; the denomination/sectarian lines that have been drawn and used by the devil to weaken the Body.  Genuine Men and Women will fill the office of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teachers!  These leadership offices within God's Economy will be more about service than titles.  

This Revival that we are in the beginning stages of is being "felt" in several different denominations, even in churches that are not traditionally "open" to the Power and Gifting of the Holy Spirit!  Pentecostal type churches as well are beginning to experience a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and for those who are open to the ministry and move of the Holy Spirit, "FIRE" is once again beginning to fall!  YOU and YOUR Church, can be a part of this reformation of the Body of Christ!  YOU and YOUR church can experience the power of the Holy Spirit to advance the Kingdom of God through gifts, miracles, healing's, signs and wonders that validate the message of the Gospel of Christ you are preaching!  Seek deeper intimacy with Jesus!  Make yourself available to the filling and working of the Holy Spirit!  As Paul said, "keep in step with the Holy Spirit!"  I am eager to be a part of this perhaps Final Wave of the Holy Spirit before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ!  

What do you think?.......................

A New Season! Part 1.

I am aware of all the hype over 2012 (See our post here entitled: "The End of the World").  And while I place no value in the predictions of destruction for 12/21/12, I do recognize that many people, even those who are not active followers of Jesus, sense that there is something exciting and new about 2012.  That "newness" can best be described by the Followers of Jesus Himself!  It is not a description of destruction, but rather a description of a New Season in God's economy!  What I mean is this.  We have turned a page in the scheme of things as it relates to the Kingdom of God.  We are in a brand new season that God has determined for His people.  2009 and 2010 were very hard times for the Body of Christ!  Many Followers of Christ suffered severe economic issues.  Many Pastors who were tired, empty, and 'burnt-out" decided to call it quits!  Churches suffered reductions in giving due to the economic upheaval of our Country and there was a general feeling of despair that generated a feeling of depression for many Believers.  Yes, the enemy had a "field-day!"  And in the midst of all of these attacks against the Body of Christ, you could hear the Holy Spirit saying to the Body:  "Hold-on, occupy, be strong in His might, a New Season is almost upon us!" And THAT New Season arrived with the beginning of 2012!

My wife and I are not in the habit of making "New Years Resolutions."  I find it quite discouraging to make a commitment out of the fact that it is a new year, only to fail within the first three months (speaking from past experiences, LOL!!!)  However, many Christian Leaders and Laity alike sense that there is something very unique and special about the year 2012.  Dealing with what I believe makes 2012 so special in the Kingdom of God, I want to address two very important issues.

First, as Followers of Christ, life is best understood not from a linear mode of thinking, (i.e. Years, months, days, weeks, etc.), but rather from the understanding of 'SEASONS!"  Listen to the Word of God on this subject from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 

 A time to be born and a time to die.  A time to plant and a time to harvest. 

 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace."  NLT.

Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, under the direction of the Holy Spirit informs us about this truth here.  He gives a partial "list" of the types of activities that we as humans are engaged in all of our lives.  These are the types of things that make up our existence here upon this earth at this time, but he begins by identifying these things within the framework of "SEASONS."    The word 'season" here is the Hebrew word---zem-awn' which simply means:  "A set time or appointed time."  The dictionary of Bible Themes gives this definition:  "Appropriate or appointed periods of time which are part of the variety and development of human life and experience and which influence human affairs. The times and seasons for individuals and nations are set by God, who works all things together towards the final fulfillment of his purposes."  

With this understanding in mind, these "seasons" are God's appointed times among humanity for the purpose of His Kingdom and will.  Therefore, life is best understood within the content of "seasons" rather than our typical linear understanding of Years, months, days, etc.  That being said, 2012 is a brand new season for the People of God!  While 2010 and 2011 were seasons of hardship, difficulty, and violent attacks from the enemy; 2012 is a New Season of blessing for God's people!

Second, prophetically speaking, 2012 is a brand New Season!  As stated, many of God's Leadership and Laity alike, are saying that they believe the Holy Spirit has reveled to them that 2012 will be a VERY important year in the scheme of God's agenda.  I believe several things are going to begin to happen in 2012 among the people of God.  1)  Even though we will always be in battle with the forces of darkness, we are going to begin to see God begin to bless His People once more, moving into a brand new era of blessing for those who are obedient to God's will.  2)  God is going to begin the "winnowing" process of separating the "wheat from the tares" and the "sheep from the goats."  We will begin to see the beginning of the "Great Falling Away" mentioned in the Word of God.  This will not be a mass exodus from our churches, but will rather be a very recognizable separation between the merely religious and the devout Disciple of Christ. 3)  Of a necessity, churches will begin to have to consolidate and come together, even combining congregations and ministeries together under one roof. Pastor's and Minister's will have to begin to become creative in redefining job descriptions and titles.  Many churches will have to close, and either merge and consolidate with other congregations of Believers, or cease to exist.  WHY?  Because God DOES NOT BLESS DIVISION and if the Body of Christ will NOT voluntarily come together, God will FORCE the issue using the current economic crises! Denominational affiliations that have perpetuated many dividing lines, will cease to be as important to those who are being used by God.  4)  Boldness in preaching and evangelism will increase as more and more Followers of Christ begin to sense both the urgency of the time and new anointing of the Holy Spirit.  5)  Signs and wonders that point to the veracity and validity of Christ will increase and again accompany the preaching of the Gospel, becoming expected and anticipated.  This will NOT be for the "showmen" and the "charlatans" who rip-off and abuse the Body of Christ for personal gain and notoriety, but for the GENUINELY dedicated Followers of Jesus, EVEN the laity!


As we have already begun this "New Season," a sense of anticipation and expectancy seems to permeate the hearts of the People of God who are praying and seeking God to move once again among in His Church!  In the appointed time of God, in this New Season, God is INDEED moving and His People feel it!  SEEK HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, and get ready for God to move in your life, your church, and your country!  WELCOME TO THIS NEW SEASON! 


God Bless You!