Wednesday, October 10, 2012
How to win over your problems - by Alan Carr
How To Get Past Your Jordan
Joshua 3:1-6; 14-17
Joshua 3:1-6; 14-17
Intro: Because of their unbelief, Israel was sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Those years have now expired and the children of Israel are poised to enter into Canaan Land. They are ready to claim their inheritance in the land of promise. However, before they can enter Canaan, they must first get past one final, major obstacle: the Jordan River. Normally, this would not have presented much of a problem, since the Jordan was only 100 feet wide at Gilgal where they crossed. However, it seems that God always does things in such a way that no man can boast of having done them on their own. This crossing would be no exception. You see, God brought them to the Jordan River at the time of harvest, 4:15. Those who have been there during the harvest time tell us that the Jordan swells to an impassable width of over 1 mile! It was over 50 times wider than it normally would have been when Israel arrived. There was no way they could cross this river on their own! They needed supernatural help.
My friends, we each have Jordans that we face from time to time! When we look at the obstacles that stand between us and spiritual victory in our own Canaan, we may feel that we will never be able to enter our Canaan of victory and enjoy the abundant life that Jesus promised His followers. Well, it is true that I do not know what kind of obstacles that you face in your life, I do a God Who specializes in overcoming the overwhelming and in leading His children to victory.
This morning, I would like for us to look into this account of Israel as they got past their Jordan. As we do, I would like to offer you some hope as well. You see, the things that worked for them over 3000 years ago will still work for you and me today. Allow me to show you from chapters 3 and 4 of Joshua How To Get Past Your Jordan. There are 3 steps that we must take to guarantee that we will be able to get past that obstacle that blocks our way and enter our Canaan. Let me share these steps with you this morning.
I. 3:1-13 WE NEED TO EXAMINE A MESSAGE
A. V. 3-4 It Involved A Challenge - When it came time for the people to move forward to cross Jordan, God has a message that they needed to hear. In the words they heard, they were challenged to do three very important things. These things were designed to help them follow the Lord better. These are the same things that we need to hear this morning that will help up to follow the Lord better as well.
1. Watch God - Notice that the Ark of the Covenant is mentioned some 7 times in chapter 3. The Ark, you may remember, was that special piece of Tabernacle furniture that symbolized the presence and power of God. When the Ark was in the Holy of Holies, the glory of God rested upon it and it was the dwelling place of God. To Israel, it represented God's presence in the midst of His people. In other words, when God moved, they were to move. When God stopped they were to do the same.B. V. 5 It Involved A Command - Next, the people were told to "sanctify yourselves." This referred to being sure they were as clean and holy s possible. They were to put away anything that was displeasing to the Lord. They were to examine themselves and get ready for the Lord to do something great for them.
(Ill. There is a valuable spiritual lesson in this passage for you and me. We would do well, when we face times of crisis, or when we need direction in life to learn to be sensitive to the movement of the Lord in and around us. It is a fact that God loves you and that He will show you what He is doing, John 5:19-20. If you will watch Him, He will teach you how to live day by day.)
2. Follow God - When they saw the Ark of the Covenant move, they were to "leave your place, and go after it" Not only were they to watch God, they were to move when He did. They were to pursue God!
(Ill. Again, the lesson for the believer is that it isn't enough to know what God is doing, there comes a time when you must "leave you place and go after Him." This may require us to leave our comfort zone! Israel was about to follow the Ark through a river that was over 1 mile wide! That couldn't have been easy, but it was still necessary and right! Folk, following God may not be the easiest thing you will ever do, but it will be the best thing you ever do. If you ever expect to get past your obstacles and enter your Canaan, you must learn to follow God.)
3. Honor God - Notice that the Israelites are told to stay at least 3000 feet behind the Ark. This was so that they could easily see what was happening ahead of them. Another reason is that the Lord wanted no one but the Levites near the Ark. To get too close would have meant death.
(Ill. Again, there is a lesson here for us as well. We must never be guilty of treating God like is one of our buddies. There must always be a holy reverence and a fear of the Lord in our hearts. God help us that we never allow a spirit of familiarity cheapen or walk with the Lord. Regardless of what we go through with holy, righteous God and we are still nothing but sinners saved by His marvelous grace.)
(Ill. Simply put, these three things are most easily accomplished by learning to walk in the Spirit. That is, learning to give control of your life to the Spirit of God and to follow God as He leads through His Word and through prayer. It may not always be easy, but I can promise you that if you will follow, He will certainly lead!)
(If you and I ever expect to get past the Jordan's that arise in our lives, we are going to have to learn that one of the first things we must do is examine our lives to make sure they are as clean as possible. May the Lord help us to realize that many of the things that happen in our lives that prevent us from walking in Christian victory are the results of our sin and the Lord's chastisement, Gal. 6:9; Heb. 12:6-11. Christian, is everything in your life just as the Lord would have it to be? Remember, there is forgiveness in confessing our sins to the Lord - I John 1:9)
C. V. 9-13 It Involved A Commitment - This message to the Israelites reminded them that getting across the Jordan did not rest on their shoulders, but on the Lord's. It was His plan to get them over and it was His problem. In these verses, He makes them a promise and tells them that He will bring them through in a powerful fashion. God, here, commits Himself to bringing his people across their Jordan! All that was required of Israel was that they trust God!
(Ill. May I remind you that things have not changed one bit? If God could be trusted in those days to keep His promises, then He can still be trusted today! Often, we are unable to get past the obstacles in our lives because we live a life that exhibits a deep lack of faith in the promises of God! How do I know? Because of the worry and doubt that marks the lives of the people of God.
1. We worry over tomorrow, yet the Lord has said - Matt. 6:34.(Ill. What He says to us is that He is the Lord and that He is greater than any problem we have ever or will ever face in life. His desire is that we simply learn to take Him at His Word and trust Him. We need to remember that what the Lord has promised to do, He will do, Rom, 4:21)
2. We worry over material things, yet the Lord has promised - Matt. 6:25-33; Phil. 4:19.
3. We worry about facing various things in life, yet the Lord has promised - Heb. 13:5
4. We worry over so many things, yet the Lord tells us that all of our worry is sin and that our duty is to trust Him - Phil. 4:6-7.
5. The bottom line is this: Jesus is all-powerful, He is all-knowing and He is all-present. He knows what you are going through. He knows everything there is to know about it. He even knows more about it than you do! Here is what He says to you: "The just shall life by faith", Rom. 1:17; "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin", Rom 14:23; "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith", Matt. 8:26.
That is the message, let us take it to heart!
I. We Need To Examine A Message
II. 3:14-17 WE NEED TO EXPECT A MIRACLE
A. V. 15b There Was A Problem - As I mentioned in the introduction, the children of Israel were facing a big problem. The river was over 1 mile wide and there were 2 million people who had to cross, and yet the Lord wanted them to go over. They couldn't build a bridge, there wasn't enough time or materials. They couldn't transport everyone over in boats, there were no boats and they would have ben sitting ducks for their enemies. There was only one way around their problem and that was through it!
(Ill. Have you ever sized up your problem and thought about how big it was? Maybe you looked at it and concluded, "There is no way around, through, over or past this problem." I suppose we have all been like the 10 spies that returned from spying out the land of Canaan with Caleb and Joshua. We have sized up our problem and think that it is more than we can ever face, Num, 13:31-33. Our problem was the same one we always have when we face a difficult situation: we forget about God! Where we see only problems, God sees only solutions. Where we look at things and say, "There's no way!" God looks at the problem and says, "Follow me, I have a plan!"
B. V. 15 There Was A Plan - The plan was this, God said, "When the feet of the priests enter Jordan, I am going to part the waters and lead you through on the dry ground!" There was a catch in this plan and it was that the waters would not part until the priests who were carrying the Ark stepped into the water. In other words, it took a step of faith, whereby the people obediently followed the Lord for them to see the miracle come to pass.
(Ill. What a lesson for you and me. Too often, we want the Lord just to fix everything in our lives for us. We don't want to have to make any decisions nor do we want to have to exercise our faith in Him. We just want Him to do it and that will be the end of it. However, most of the time, God will require us to take steps of faith in order that we might see our Jordan parted. God had a plan, but for this plan to work, it required faith on the part of His people! The same is true for you and me! As long as we are trying to solve our own problems we are not walking in faith. It is when we turn loose of the reigns of the problem, step away from it and let the Lord have it that we will see it taken care of for His glory. It never is about what we can do, it is always about what the Lord is able to do, Eph. 3:20!)
C. V. 16-17 There Was A Performance - When the priests stepped into that raging river, it parted and God opened a path of dry ground through the waters for His people. By the way, verse 16 says that the waters backed up to the City of Adam. This is some 20 miles north of where the children of Israel were crossing. God made them a path through the water that was more than adequate for His people to get through.
(Ill. We need to remember that faith honors God and God honors faith! When He does it, it won't just be patched up and ready to fall apart again, it will be done right and it will be done forever. Folks, I want to encourage you this morning by reminding you that this God Who did this great thing for Israel is still the same God we are serving this morning! What He did them, He can do now. He was ABLE all the way through the Bible, and He is still ABLE today! Regardless of the circumstances, He is still God and He still can! Ill. The question that plagued the Jews, Psa. 78:19. God can! Just ask, Noah, Moses, Daniel, the 3 Hebrews, a widow down in Zarephath, the Disciples on a little ship, and Saul of Tarsus. Just look back over your own life. How many times has the Lord opened your Jordan already? He is all we need! He is still the same miracle working God that He always had been. Learn to expect miracles when you are dealing with God!)
I. We Need To Examine A Message
II. We Need To Expect A Miracle
III. 4:1-24 WE NEED TO ERECT A MEMORIAL
(Ill. When all the people had passed over Jordan, Joshua commanded one man from each of the 12 tribes to get a rock from the midst of Jordan and build a memorial on the Canaan side. That memorial is worth taking a look at this morning!)
A. V, 6-7; 21-24 The Purpose Of The Memorial - These verses tell us that the purpose of the memorial was to remind successive generations of the power and faithfulness of God on behalf of His people. That memorial would be an important landmark to those who would come after.
(Ill. By the same token, we need some memorials in our lives as well. However, we must use caution, we do no want to embalm the past and by doing so cripple the future. Many churches have done that and are suffering as a result. What we do want to do, however, is remember the things the Lord has done for us so that we can tell others about them and so that when we come that way again, we will remember that the Lord was faithful in that day and that He will be faithful in this day as well. Never forget what the Lord has done for you in your yesterdays. It is those yesterday experiences that will tide you over when the trials of today and tomorrow arise in your life!)
B. V. 9, 20 The Picture In The Memorial - Ill. It is interesting to notice that Joshua constructed 2 monuments. One on the bank and one in the river. These 2 memorials served 2 different purposes. Notice what they were.
1. V. 20 A Picture Of The Faithfulness Of God - The one on the bak of Jordan stood as a testimony to the faithfulness of God as I have just mentioned. It was there to remind others of what the Lord had done and of what He could do. Again, we need to remember the faithfulness of God in the past. It will help us cross the Jordan we face today.
2. V. 9 A Picture Of The Faith Of The People - Now, what about the rock pile in the river? No one could see it but God! It stood as a monument to the faith of the people! You see, when you face a time of trial, others are often guilty of misjudging your motives and actions, however, only God knows the truth about your heart. Even though Israel couldn't see it, they knew the monument was there! They remembered that they had believed God then and it had worked. This was a monument in their hearts.
(Ill. We need that same kind of monument as well. As I said, too often we are misjudged by others in our times of trial, but God alone knows you heart. When you have trusted Him and He has brought you through, never forget it! Build that monument in your heart, where only God can see it, and where you wil never forget it and when the tough time comes again, and it will, look at that monument of His faithfulness and of your faith and know that what worked before will work again. God will bring you through your Jordan!)
Conc: Some of you are facing troubled waters this morning. I want you to know you can cross over. I invite you to come before the Lord this morning. Tell Him about the Jordan you are facing and allow Him to get you past it today. There is a place of victory where you can shout in spite of your troubles. The first step in getting there is dealing with what is keeping you out: your Jordan. It may sin, it may be some person, it may be some trial, but whatever it is, God is greater than it is. Come and let Him take care of it for you.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Rick Warren: Every Pastor Needs A Mentor
I will always need a coach – no matter how old I get or how successful I become. Lebron James is one of the best basketball players on the planet. He still needs a coach. You will never get to a point in your life when you can say, “I’ve learned it all. I don’t need anybody else to help me.”
A mentor brings out the best in you in three areas: your roles, your goals, and your soul. Mentors give us perspective. They help us look at ourselves and our ministry from the outside. We don’t always see what we’re doing outside of our own perspective. We see from our own limited focus. We need somebody else in our life to say, “Have you thought about…? What about this? What about that?”
Saddleback would not be where it is today without men who’ve poured their lives into me – people who’ve made me look at my ministry in a different light. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisors they succeed.” What God has done through Saddleback over the past 30 years hasn’t happened because I’m smart. It’s because I’ve had great mentors and advisors. They are people I’ve bounced ideas off of and gotten feedback from.
What do you look for in a mentor? Let me suggest three qualities –
1. Someone who has the character and values you admire. You want to find a mentor who is the kind of person you want to be.
2. Someone with the skills and experience you want. Look for another pastor who has the particular ministry skills you want to improve upon. Maybe it’s preaching. Maybe it’s leadership. Maybe it’s a pastor who has successfully navigated through a building campaign. Find someone who is good at something you want to be good at.
3. Someone you trust. If you don’t trust your mentor, you’re not going to learn anything from him. Just because a mentor has a lot of knowledge doesn’t mean you’ll click with him. To make a good mentoring experience, in time you’ll need to be able to open up to the person you choose.
Ask good questions. Once you pick the right mentor, you’ll need to make the most of the time you have with that person. Neither you nor your mentor have unlimited time. What can you do to maximize your time with your mentor? Ask questions. Before you meet with your mentor, spend some time thinking about questions you want to ask. Think about what issues you’re dealing with in your ministry. Think about what areas of your mentor’s ministry you’d like to learn from. Be specific.
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One of my mentors was a guy named Billy, who had a mentor himself. Billy went to a large church in Texas and put himself under the pastor. At the end of six months, Billy went to him and said, “I’ve watched your teaching for six months and I’ve never heard you preach a dud. God speaks through everything you teach. Every time you teach there’s power, practical information, and good insight. I would like to know how you stay fresh. What’s your secret?”
The man told Billy, “About 35 to 40 years ago, I made a commitment to stay fresh, so I could feed other people. To do that, I read through the New Testament once a week.” Billy sat there dumbfounded, trying to think up an intelligent follow-up question to ask. “What translation do you read it in?” Billy asked. The Texas pastor said, “Usually in the original Greek.”
Billy later told me that he could have been with the guy for five or six years and never found out the secret to his freshness and spiritual depth if he hadn’t asked the question. Anyone – at any time – can be a mentor if you learn to ask questions. Everyone has a reservoir of knowledge, skills, and experience they can share. A wise person will learn to draw them out.
If I were to sit down with you, I’d learn some things that would make me a better pastor. I’m sure of it. You’ve had experiences that I haven’t had – and vice versa. Be prepared with standard questions to ask every time you get around someone you might learn from. Questions like –
- How do you handle stress?
- What have been the greatest successes in your life?
- What were the causes of those successes?
- What were the greatest failures in your life?
- What would you do differently if you were starting over?
- What kind of books do you read?
- How do you manage your time?
- How do you manage your money?
- What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned?
- What have been the greatest surprises in your life?
Successful people give off clues. Look for those clues. Pull them out and learn from them
Sunday, July 29, 2012
How To Encourage Yourself
You’ve
got to learn how to encourage yourself.
Because
there are days when you won’t receive any encouragement from anyone else,
you’ve got to do it yourself.
There’s
this one passage in the Bible that I love so much. It says, David
encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6)
Let me tell you the Bible story
behind this verse.
David and his men—600 of them—went
away to work and left their wives and children in their camp called
Ziklag. Three days later, tragedy struck. The Amalekites, sworn
enemies of Israel, attacked and burned the entire village to the ground—and
taking all the women and children with them as slaves.
When David and his men arrived, the
Bible says his men “wept until they could weep no more.” Can you imagine
600 men crying at the loss of their wives and children? Can you imagine
600 men weeping over a pile of burning rubble that was once their home?
You think that was bad? It got
worse. The Bible says that these men—once upon a time fiercely loyal to
David—wanted now to stone David to death.
I’ve noticed that when things go
wrong, human beings want to look for someone to blame. We always want to
look for a scapegoat to vent our rage.
Imagine you were David.
You just lost your family. Your
kids were taken away from you. Your home is now but ashes under your
feet. You now own nothing except the clothes that you’re wearing. And
the friends that you thought were friends now want to kill you.
This is what you call an Impossible
situation.
In other words, it’s a Ziklag…
Are You Going Through A Ziklag?
Are you going through an Impossible
situation?
Then you’re going through Ziklag
right now.
Perhaps you lost your job.
Perhaps you lost your possessions. Perhaps you lost your
friends. Perhaps you lost a loved one.
In Ziklag, you have a choice: You
can do what the 600 soldiers of David did or you can do what David did.
The 600 men wept and found someone
to blame. (Because hurt people hurt people.)
But I love what David did. In
the midst of an impossible situation, he did the impossible. What was
that? The Bible said, “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”
Let me explain what that meant…
Getting Encouragement From Within
Normally, we get encouragement from
people around us.
And rightly so. Because we’re
the Body of Christ.
When I feel burdened, the first
person I go to is my best friend—who happens to be my wife Marowe. She’s
not a preacher. If given a choice not to shop for a year—or to speak in
public—she’d choose not to shop for a year. (Okay, maybe one
week…) But she’s my encourager. She’s the builder of my
faith. When I tell her my burdens, she doesn’t even say anything. She
just listens—and I feel my burdens are lifted up from my shoulders.
And I’m spoiled. God gave me
the most fantastic friends on planet earth. They’re my Super Friends, my
Avengers Team. When I’m going through my struggles, I share it with
them—and when I do—I don’t feel alone anymore.
But I believe there are times when
we go through Ziklag. Ziklag is a place where even the family and friends
that we depend on aren’t there. Perhaps because they’re busy. Or
because they’re faraway. Or because they themselves are going through some
struggle—and they’re not there for us.
And that’s where you have to learn
how to go to God directly.
Ziklag is the place where your
relationship with God goes to a whole new level.
Ziklag Is A Furnace…
Let me warn you…
Ziklag is a burial place and a
birthplace. It’s where boys are buried and kings are born.
Ziklag is a furnace. If you are
made of wood, you will be pulverized. If you are made of gold, you will be
purified.
Ziklag is a rock. You can be
crushed under the weight of the rock or you can stand on top of the height of
the rock—and see the world in a whole new perspective.
Ziklag is a sword. It can kill
or it can cut. It can kill your soul or it can cut the cancer in your
soul.
In Ziklag, David had to learn a very
important life skill, a life skill you need to win permanent victory: You
need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord. Do not wait for
others to encourage you. Do not wait for your spouse to encourage
you. Do not wait for your friends to encourage you. Do not wait for
your leaders to encourage you. You need to learn how to encourage yourself
in the Lord.
How To Encourage Yourself
I don’t know what David did specifically. The Bible doesn’t say what he
did.
But I have a guess.
Because I’ve been through Ziklag
many times. And I know how I encouraged myself.
I believe David went back into his
own history to remember those special times when he saw God intervene in his
life. Like when God rescued him from the bear and the lion. Or when
God rescued him from Goliath with a stone and a slingshot.
I have those special stories too. I dig deep and remember them….
Like the day God called me to preach when I was twelve…
Or the day God rescued me from my addictions…
I even remember the small miracles in my life.
Let me tell you one of them…
Recall God’s Interventions
Twenty-five years ago, I attended a graduation ceremony in PICC. Not as a
preacher but as a photographer. My cousin was graduating and I volunteered
to take his pictures. To do that, I borrowed a friend’s expensive camera,
complete with a long lens that the paparazzi use. I went up in the balcony
and took lots of photos.
It was a long graduation ceremony.
By the time it was over, it was
evening.
After the ceremony, I congratulated
my cousin and walked back to my borrowed car. (Borrowed camera, borrowed
car… You get the picture how poor I was then?) But when I rode the
car, I noticed that my bag was light. I looked inside it. To my
horror, I saw that the long lens was gone!
I knew that long lens was expensive—more expensive than the camera
itself. And I was a poor missionary. I stepped out of the car and
looked back at gigantic PICC. Where will I look?
I remember praying, “Oh God, you’ve got to help me!” Immediately, I felt
peace. I knew God was in charge.
I walked back to the building, taking a shortcut through the
grass. Picture this: I was walking on grass in the dark. And that was
when I felt an inner nudge to stop walking.
And I did. At that exact spot, I felt the same nudge to bend over and
reach down. In that darkness, I stooped down and held something
round. I lifted it up—it was the camera lens!
The grounds of PICC are massive and covered with darkness. It was literally
like finding a pin in a haystack.
I remember that day and tell myself,
“If God guides me for a something as small as a camera lens, I believe God will
guide me for the bigger things in my life.”
God allows Mt. Tabor experiences in
our lives to ready us for Mt. Calvary experiences. In Mt. Tabor, Jesus
showed Himself with brilliant light beside Moses and Elijah to Peter, James,
and John—because he knew that in a few days, they’ll experience the horrific
sight of him hanging on a criminal’s cross. When they start doubting, “Did I
follow the wrong guy?” they can look back that once upon a time, they saw a
glorious Jesus.
Which reminds me of a very important
point in the story of David and Ziklag…
God Will Return What Was Stolen From
You
David wasn’t only seeking for
Encouragement. He was also seeking for Enlightenment. He asked God,
“Can I pursue the Amalekites? Can I overtake them?”
God told David, “Pursue the
Amalekites. You shall be able to overtake them.” So David rallied his
men and they chased after the Amalekites. They found them in the middle of
a party, drunk and distracted. They attacked them, defeated them, and took
back their wives and children. They also brought home the spoils of
war—the wealth of their enemy.
When you experience loss, I believe
that if you “encourage yourself in the Lord”, you’ll experience what David
experienced: God returned to him what was stolen—plus interest!
What kind of interest? The Old
Testament says that the thief, once caught, should return seven times what he
has stolen. (Proverbs 6:30-31)
Have you lost anything?
Whenever I lose money in business, I
ask God to return it to me sevenfold. It happens.
If you go to the courthouse of men,
they may punish the thief and ask him to return what he has stolen. But if
you go to the courthouse of God, claim in faith that God Himself will see to it
that what was stolen from you shall be returned sevenfold.
Perhaps you’ve lost a loved
one. Perhaps a parent just passed away. Perhaps you experienced a
miscarriage. And there’s a deep wound in your heart. Believe me, God
will not only return this person to you sevenfold, but eternal-fold. Be
patient. In Heaven, you’ll be reunited with your loved one forever and
ever and ever…
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Morris Cerulo
Early life and ministry
Cerullo, whose evangelistic ministry is based in San Diego, California, was born in Passaic, New Jersey to a Russo Jewish/Italian family. His parents died in an automobile accident when he was only two years old. By virtue of being of half Jewish parentage, he was then raised in an Orthodox Jewish orphanage in nearby Clifton, New Jersey, in which he recalls being led out of by heavenly messengers. This experience then led him to a receiving Jesus Christ as his Savior at age fourteen. From this experience he then begin preaching the gospel at the age of sixteen after claiming to have seen a vision from God, in which he witnessed people suffering torments in Hell. He then later attended and graduated from divinity school in New York State in 1953, and began ministering with the help of his then soon-to-be bride Theresa.
Power of Prayer
There are many claims that people at his rallies were healed of serious medical conditions by the power of prayer. After the prayer many people came forward giving testimony of miracles that they feel have happened to them or to those they have brought with them to the meetings. His posters for a London appearance featured abandoned canes and wheelchairs.
Schools of Ministry
For many years Morris Cerullo conducted repeated “Schools of Ministry” in several countries like Mexico, Brazil, The Philippines, Korea, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, Netherlands and many others. During these “SOMs” one of the days of the conferences he would preach in an open air crusade, or a large theater/arena, and lead people in a commitment to Jesus Christ and then would pray for healings to happen in the crowd. He would have the school of ministry students test the genuineness of the reports from the people’s testimonies. After the large mass meetings he would charge the “SOM” school of ministry students to reach out to their countryman with the same message being inspired by the results of the public rally. Cerullo often stated that not he, but Jesus Christ was the healer. He would encourage faith in, as he would say, “the written and the living word of God.”
Personal
Morris and Theresa Cerullo recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary and are the parents of three children, David (b.1952), Mark (b.1960) and Susan (b.1961). Cerullo still travels as a missionary in 2009. Cerullo and his son David, who serves as Inspiration Network’s CEO, were both featured in a May 23, 2009.
Heritage USA
In 1990, Cerullo purchased, from the United States Federal Bankruptcy Court in Columbia, South Carolina, the assets of Jim Bakker’s bankrupt ministry, PTL.[citation needed] These assets included the Heritage USA Christian theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina which he purchased in partnership with Malayan United Industries (Berhad). After a dispute with his business partners over his issuance of discount cards to the theme park, the Malaysian entity bought out Cerullo’s interest in Heritage USA.
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Keys to Church Growth
A. The process of church growth as a whole can be divided into four steps.
THE FOUR "E'S" OF GROWTH:
- Evangelize the lost
- Edify the new convert
- Equip the willing
- Entrust to the faithful
- children of members
- mass media approach
- personal approach.
I believe we must place most of our emphasis in the personal approach category. Placing the emphasis on mass media approach hampers our goal of activating all the members to reach the lost because the members are not required to do anything personally. They are content to just supply the money and rely upon the preacher. On the other hand, the personal approach is wholly dependent upon individual effort. Success will be limited unless the individual is doing his part.
Generating Contacts (Luke 14:23)
Luke 14:23 tells us to go into the highways and hedges and COMPEL the lost to come to the great feast. Most churches need to place more emphasis in this area of work. Many churches have a number of members capable of teaching the gospel. Unfortunately, the talents of capable teachers are often not utilized because of the lack of effort in contacting people and locating those who want to study (seekers). The shortage of seekers can cause capable soul winners to become idle. We must recognize our deficiency in this area and put much more emphasis on contacting and finding seekers.It is my opinion that mass media methods such as mail dropping and newspaper and handbills on windshields should only point in one direction the correspondence course. I suggest, for example, that church services not be advertised at all. Replace these advertisements with an enrollment coupon for a correspondence course or a number for a Bible Call messages.
The personal invitation avenue of contacting seekers contains the most potential for new contacts. It is powerful but often neglected. Three basic categories of the personal invitation approach are: first, personally inviting those we know our friends, family, neighbors, and fellow-workers. The key here is conduct or letting your light shine. Second, personally inviting anyone we run into during the normal course of the day. The key here is alertness to opportunity. Third, aggressively inviting unknowns by phone, door-to-door contacts, contact in the parks, etc. The key here is boldness.
The focus of most personal invitations is best directed toward the Bible discussion groups in the home. (Also called cottage meetings or Luke/Acts readings. ) Begin by personally inviting those you know. However, before long this avenue will be exhausted and you will be forced to invite those you don't know. In order to have continued success, a change in lifestyle will be required so that you automatically and instinctively invite everyone you come in contact with. At this point you are only interested in the names and phone numbers of persons interested in Bible study.
Cultivation Studies (John 4:7-42)
Cultivation studies are an important intermediate stage between the point of contact and a one-on-one Bible study. This stage is often overlooked. Bible correspondence courses, Bible discussion groups, Jule Miller filmstrips (Nos. 1, 2, and 3 only), and the 2-minute Bible Call messages are all examples of cultivation studies.Once we find a seeker, we need to cultivate their interest in the gospel. At this stage you are not trying to convert them but you do have two very important objectives. First, develop their thirst for more Bible study. Second, allow a cold contact to become a warm contact by letting them develop a personal relationship of trust toward you as a person and a Bible teacher. The account of Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4 is an excellent example of the principles behind a cultivation study. Jesus discussed spiritual things in such a way as to develop her interest and trust in him as a person and teacher.
All efforts to contact people should be directed toward only two Bible study programs: the correspondence course and the Bible discussion group. It simplifies things for a local church to have only one main program in each of the two areas of contacting people mass media/correspondence course and personal/Bible discussion groups.
It may be that a person is contacted through the Bible Call number advertised in the personal column of the newspaper. They then enroll in the correspondence course offered daily on Bible Call. After completing the course, they check on lesson four that they want to attend the Bible Discussion Groups. After they have attended a number of these small group studies, set up the Jule Miller filmstrip study and show lessons 1 through 3 only. Now you are ready for the next stage of development the conviction studies. Now, for the first time, your primary motive is for them to be converted to Christ.
Conviction Studies (Acts 24:25)
Cultivating their interest may require several months. You have developed a relationship with the seeker. They trust you as a teacher and respect you as a human being. Now, your purpose is to convict them to bring them to a point of decision about becoming a Christian be it positive or negative. A good example of this kind of study is when Paul tried to teach Felix about righteousness, self-control and judgement in Acts 24:25. Paul brought Felix to a point of decision. Felix replied, Go away for the present and when I find time I will summon you. Ever heard that before?Although a number of conviction study sequences are available, such as Ivan Stewart's, Charles Goodall's Same Hour Of The Night, Bradford/Nerland question/answer series, and the McDonald system, there is very little available to choose from. Much more thought and energy needs to be put into this important area. I am amazed at how few evangelists have tried to develop their own study sequences. It is like a salesman who never develops his own sales pitch. The main thing to keep in mind with whatever you use is that the entire church is going to be taught how to use it. Some of the basic subjects addressed in most study sequences are: the Bible and authority, covenants, the New Testament church, denominationalism, the need and plan of salvation, and what it will cost to become a Christian. There is a need to have both a single and multilesson series prepared.
Grounding Studies (Matthew 28:18)
The fourth stage is most commonly called follow-up. We all know that we neglect follow-up, but when are we going to start doing something about it? We are losing souls every year. It is like someone who smokes. They say they should quit and know it harms their body, yet they keep smoking year after year. We know the virtues and importance of grounding studies yet we keep neglecting them. An example of this kind of study is found in Acts 14:21-23 when Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith. Another example is in Acts 15:36 where Paul said, Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word to see how they are. Matthew 28:18,19 says we are to make disciples (conviction studies), baptize them, and teach them to observe all I have commanded you (grounding studies).The best way I have seen to follow-up a new Christian is by using a combination of two methods. First, have a rotating new converts class on Sunday morning. The one we had in Lethbridge, Alberta, had about 30 lessons. By rotating, I mean that if a babe in Christ enters the class at lesson 20 they will continue through the end of that series of classes (lesson 30) and up through lesson 19 in the next series. After completing the 30 lesson series they will join the regular adult class. The 30 lesson series is taught in a cycle over and over. Every cycle has one teacher and an apprentice. During the next cycle the apprentice becomes the teacher and a new apprentice is selected. Great experience for the men! Watch it spark life into the church.
The second follow-up method has the babe in Christ studying one-on-one with someone every week ideally, with the one who taught him the gospel. This develops a close friendship and provides an opportunity to give him the personal attention he needs at first. The revolving class and the one-on-one studies will provide for almost every need of a new convert. Generally, the revolving class has doctrinal lessons while the one-on-one lessons are exhortational. The kind of follow-up I have suggested here is a big project but one that is long overdue in every church.
Training Studies (2 Timothy 2:2)
This is the stage where you teach them to fly on their own, take the training wheels off, and where you produce producers. Most Christians are capable of teaching the gospel after receiving some training; therefore, everyone who is going to be involved in teaching the lost and grounding the new converts needs to go through some kind of training. Both men and women should be involved in the training studies. (Remember, most of the new converts are women. So train the women to convert and ground other women.) Some of the men who progress through the training studies are the evangelists of tomorrow! It is the church's job to train men for full-time service.FOUR GENERATIONS OF 2 TIMOTHY 2:2
- Paul: The things you learned from me
- Timothy: "you"
- Faithful men: Entrust to faithful men
- Others: Who will in turn teach others
Training studies can be broken into two basic levels:
LEVEL 1:
Train Christians to teach the gospel to the lost; then train them to ground the new converts they have led to Christ. Prepare the outlines for the conviction study sequence and the grounding lessons. Make these outlines available at the building or some other central place that has 24-hour access.LEVEL 2:
Every growing church will need to develop new leaders. Now you instruct mature Christians to TRAIN younger Christians to teach the lost and the new converts. This is exactly what 2 Timothy 2:2 says to do, The things you (Timothy) have learned from me (Paul) entrust to others, who will in turn be able to teach others also.Summary
At the outset, we asked how we can motivate the general membership to reach the lost. As you can see, it is hard work and will require us to change the way we have been doing things. Church growth can be broken down into two parts:Part 1. Three C's before baptism:
- Contact them
- Cultivate their interest
- Convict them
Part 2. Three T's after baptism:
- Teach them (grounding)
- Train them to ground others
- Train them to train
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Benny Hinn: Preaching the miracle of money
Evangelical faith healer Pastor Benny Hinn claims he can cure the sick, make the crippled walk and rid terminally ill patients of cancer.
But Hinn’s supposed spiritual powers were no match for Brisbane’s peak-hour traffic.
The multi-millionaire was 50 minutes late for his Australian “miracle crusade” after his limo became stuck in traffic on a notorious stretch of the Gateway Arterial Freeway.
When Hinn eventually arrived at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall, in Brisbane’s north, he wore a white shot silk suit. Standing in front of a 350-piece choir, the televangelist, whose sermons are broadcast in 192 countries, strutted the stage, his brass buttons flashing and Madonna-style microphone headset firmly in place.
The 10,000-strong crowd reacted. Young children, teens, adults and the elderly rose to their feet. They wept, rocked and chanted, cried silent tears, spoke in tongues and smiled as the Californian preacher, who lives in an $8 million waterfront mansion in Orange County, performed a 20-minute rendition of the hymn I Love To Praise Him.
In a roped-off section of the entertainment centre, faithful in wheelchairs, unwell elderly and other infirm waited for a “miracle”.
Kelly Smith, a paraplegic, travelled from Ipswich. The 43-year-old recently suffered two strokes and a blood clot, and her husband Gavin has cataracts on his eyes.
“We’ve tried everything,” Ms Smith said. “Feng shui, wind chimes, crystals and positive thinking. We really wanted to give this a go.”
Nearby sat seven-year-old Bernie Hudson. The bright-eyed Cairns local, who was born with spina bifida and now suffers scoliosis, begged parents Ken and Karen to bring her along. She sat in her small wheelchair and waited, excited about the possibility of being able to walk.
“She gets up every morning at 5.30am to watch Benny’s show This Is Your Day!” Ms Hudson said.
“She watches the pastor healing other people, and thought maybe he could do something for her.”
But business comes before miracles when Pastor Hinn is in the building, it seems.
After an hour of songs, Hinn preached a recurring topic. Gold and silver. Silver and gold. The flamboyant non-denominational preacher, who receives an estimated $A110 million in donations per annum, used scripture to encourage crowd members to give. “Do you know how much gold the children of Israel gave Moses to build a tabernacle?” he asked. “Fifty thousand ounces of gold, 150,000 ounces of silver. In today’s prices that’s over 40 million US dollars in gold alone. I don’t know how much that is in Australian dollars, but that’s a lot of gold . . . and God blessed them.”
Hinn, who owns a $36 million private jet, continued in the same “rich” vein. For 90 minutes he talked dollars. The term “wealth transfer” was uttered 20 times in 10 minutes. “Gold” and “silver” was said 35 times in six minutes alone.
The man believed to be the world’s richest evangelist, who has repeatedly refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, continued his focus on the almighty dollar.
“If God tells you to give $5000, obey him,” Hinn said.
“If God speaks and says give $10,000, obey him. Do not argue with God.”
Yet, as he talked of God’s love, the pastor couldn’t hide his quick temper. The 56-year-old became angry when a crying child interrupted the sermon.
“People came to hear God’s word, not children crying,” he snapped, singling out a distressed mother. “Do something with that baby.”
Seconds later Hinn’s security guards, former gridiron players in pinstripe suits and dark glasses, distributed donation envelopes to the crowd.
What’s your view on Benny Hinn? Perth student Amy Andrews, 25, gave $1000 and pledged to donate more.
“Pastor Hinn says the more you give, the more wealth and love you receive,” she said.
Then came the healing – a surprisingly hands-off affair administered by Hinn’s Australian volunteers.
People were stripped of canes and Zimmer frames, those in wheelchairs helped to their feet. One man, in his late 50s, cried with what looked more like pain than relief.
For Ms Smith, the Friday night event was a disappointing affair.
“There was too much talk about money, about the more you gave the more God loved you,” she said.
“I feel drained, let down and let’s face it, I still can’t walk.”
Hinn held two more miracle crusades in Brisbane yesterday. He flew to Auckland for the New Zealand leg of his world tour last night.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The Osteens on the Power of Positive Believing (Part 1)
Pastor Joel Osteen makes you feel good. He’s positive. He is encouraging. That’s what draws some 30,000 people a week to Lakewood Church in Houston. It’s also why Osteen’s new book, Your Best Life Now, is on the New York Times bestseller list.
Osteen’s father, John, founded Lakewood in 1959. He pastored the church for 40 years until his sudden death in 1999. Joel never wanted to preach. He never went to seminary. He loved running Lakewood’s TV ministry – from behind the scenes. When his father died, Joel sensed an overwhelming call to the Lakewood pulpit.
LISA RYAN: It is amazing that your church has grown in the last six years from 8,000 to 30,000 people. How do you account for the growth that you’ve had? What draws the masses?
JOEL OSTEEN: I don’t know if it’s one thing, but I just think people respond to hope and encouragement and that atmosphere of victory in the celebration we have each week. There are so many things pulling us down during the week. They want to come and get something to lift them up.
LISA RYAN: I was amazed to see how much family has rallied around you in the last six years. It’s not just Joel Osteen. Your entire family has rallied around this.
JOEL OSTEEN: That’s right. My brother Paul, he came back. He left from being a surgeon for 17 years in Little Rock. He came back home and he shares up there. He and my sister Lisa, they alternate on Wednesday nights. And, of course, Victoria’s involved in all the services. You saw my mom up there. We just believe it’s not a one-man show. We’re all called to do this.
VICTORIA OSTEEN: I love the fact that we’re still just normal Joel and Victoria and our children and our dog, and we can still have fun. That is miraculous to me. God is wonderful. He has a good life for people, and I don’t think He wants us to be burdened down. I think our marriage is stronger than it’s ever been. I think we’re stronger than we’ve ever been. We’re just pushing forward.
LISA RYAN: With a church the size of yours, how do you meet the individual needs of people?
JOEL OSTEEN: The key, we believe, is to get more people involved. We have about 3,000 or 4,000 volunteers. We try to get everybody involved like that, and we have a lot of organization in terms of hospital ministries and care groups and cell groups.
LISA RYAN: Joel, before your father’s sudden passing, did you have a desire to preach or be in the pulpit or pastor?
JOEL OSTEEN: I never had. My daddy tried to get me up to speak for the 17 years that I worked behind the scenes, but I never had the desire. Naturally, I was nervous and kind of shy. I just didn’t want to do it. When my father died, it sounds kind of simple but I just had the desire to step up and pastor the church. It was what I was supposed to do. I just took that step of faith. Looking back now, I don’t even know how I preached back then. I didn’t know how to preach, necessarily, but God just gives you the grace to do what you need to do.
LISA RYAN: [to Victoria] Did you believe that this was something he could do? Did you encourage him?
VICTORIA OSTEEN: Yes, but I am Joel’s biggest fan, and I’ve always been Joel’s biggest fan because I, being his wife, know what’s inside of him. I could see more than he could see. We can’t always see what we can do, but someone who’s close to us can.
LISA RYAN: Did you have an inkling when he walked into your family’s jewelry store 17 years ago that this was the man for you?
VICTORIA OSTEEN: Not at first, but after awhile. It wasn’t that it wasn’t love at first sight, but I was just cautious. It didn’t take long to realize. What I did know about him was that he was everything that I wanted in a man. He came from a good family. He had great character. He was kind and he was considerate, yet he was strong. After 17 years, going on 18 years -- and that’s thrilling for a wife to say -- he still surprises me. He still excites me. My respect level -- and I’ve always said this -- goes up, up, up every year, and I love that.
LISA RYAN: [to Joel] Your book is doing extremely well. It’s been on the New York Times bestseller list. You’ve sold over 1.5 million copies, soon to be 2 million. Why did you decide to write a book?
JOEL OSTEEN: I just wanted to get the message that God had put into my heart into another form, because I knew the print media would reach a different group of people.
LISA RYAN: You talk about the power of thoughts and words. How do you stop the runaway thought life?
JOEL OSTEEN: I don’t think it’s enough just to get rid of those thoughts. You need to replace them with something else to dwell on. I like to replace them with what God says about me or with God’s Word. I think the first thing to do is to be aware that you can choose what you’re thinking about and that your life is going down the path that you’re thinking. So many people are looking at what’s wrong, and I try to encourage them to look at what’s right in their life. A lot of people have it a lot worse than you do. So, it’s just a matter of choice.
LISA RYAN: There are always critics whenever there is any success. Your critics say that you’re light on theology, that it’s a simplistic, merely motivational message. How do you respond to that?
JOEL OSTEEN: I made a decision when my father passed away that I was going to be who God made me to be and not try to preach like my father or somebody else. I feel like what’s come out of me is the gift God has given me just to encourage people, to help them know that there’s a better life. I don’t argue when people say that my message is simple, but I believe Jesus’ message was simple. Jesus didn’t go around condemning people. The Bible says it’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance.
LISA RYAN: Some people would say that it’s just positive thinking. Is there a Biblical foundation for positive thinking?
JOEL OSTEEN: Well, I think there is. It’s more than positive thinking because it’s backed up well by the Bible. It’s faith-based, positive thinking, but there are principles -- I’ll be the first to admit -- that will work for anybody if you put them into practice. People sometimes say, 'Well, Joel, you’re so positive. You’re too positive.' But you know what? The Bible says, 'Rejoice in the Lord always.' Paul said, 'I’ve learned how to be content in every situation.' That tells me that even in the tough times, I can say God’s got better days ahead and I can be positive even in those times.
LISA RYAN: What’s in store for the next generation of Lakewood?
JOEL OSTEEN: That we would really be able to help change the culture and not just a Christian or a church group of people. Let’s start affecting our whole city, and maybe we can affect the whole nation, the whole world. I’d like to affect it with the fact that God is a good God and He’s on your side and He’s got a good plan for you and when you put your hand in His, great things can happen.
Joel Osteen: The Power of Positivity (part 2)
CBN.com – It's not easy pastoring 30,000 people, but Joel Osteen does it with a smile on his face. In the second part to this special interview, Lisa Ryan caught up with the busy Texan to talk about his positive preaching style and Lakewood's new church home.
Joel Osteen (preaching): I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.Lisa Ryan (reporting): Joel Osteen is called “The Smiling Preacher” – and no one wonders why. His brand of preaching is upbeat, full of hope and victory. Does it work? The 30,000 people who attend Lakewood Church in Houston think so. As do the millions who tune in to catch Osteen on TV.
Osteen’s father, John, founded Lakewood in 1959. He pastored the church for 40 years until his sudden death in ’99. Joel never wanted to preach. Never went to seminary. He loved running Lakewood’s TV ministry – from behind the scenes. When his father died, Joel sensed an overwhelming call to the Lakewood pulpit.
Joel (preaching): There is a place that God has specifically designed for you where all your needs will be supplied, where you’ll be happy and fulfilled, and where you’ll be using your gifts and talents to the full.
Lisa (reporting): Osteen’s new book, Your Best Life Now, is on the New York Times Bestseller List and has sold nearly two million copies.
Lisa: You talk in your book about having a good self-image. Is it selfish to want to have a good self-image?
Joel: I don’t think so. We are made in the image of Almighty God. [Yet we] go around not feeling good about ourselves with that weak-worm-of-the-dust mentality. So many people even talk about themselves: “You know what? I’m unattractive, my mind’s so slow, and I can’t do this.” And you know what I tell them? “God didn’t make a mistake when He made you. You need to see yourself as God sees you.”
Lisa: You spend an entire section of the book talking about letting go of the past. Is anyone too broken or too wounded to be healed?
Joel: I don’t think so. In a big church like our’s, we deal with people that have lost their children or [went through] some kind of accident -- things like that. You gotta say, “I don’t know why that happened to me, but I’m going to trust You that You’re in control anyway.” That’s what I try to encourage people with. You can live your life angry, bitter, mad at somebody or even guilty, not letting go of your own mistakes, but you won’t receive the good things God has in store.
Lisa: You talk about the benefits of adversity. How does that work for our good?
Joel: The Bible talks about how God uses difficult situations to develop our character and get us stronger. The death of my father is probably the biggest thing that I ever faced. Daddy and I were best friends. I worked with him all the time, and I thought, “How am I ever going to make it with my father gone?” But out of that darkness, out of that disappointment in my life, that’s what God used to push me into another level of victory or another level of ministry that I never knew I had.
Lisa: You say in your book that happiness is a choice regardless of our circumstances.
Joel: I see so many people say, “Well, Joel, I just don’t have a good job, or my marriage is not where it’s supposed to be.” Really it’s excuse after excuse to not be happy. To me it’s a waste. I’m going to look at what’s right and not what’s wrong in my life. I’m alive, I’m healthy, and you know, a good thing to remember is somebody’s got it a lot worse than we do.
Lisa: Do you think God is more concerned with our happiness or our holiness?
Joel: I think He’s really more concerned with our holiness. I think we need to live a holy and a Godly life. But I think when you do that, I think it all works together. You may never get to that perfect world that you’re waiting for where everything’s going to be perfect and you got that much money and your house paid off.
Lisa: Like the Walgreen’s commercial.
Joel: I know, yeah. (laughs) And you’re waiting for it, then it never comes. What a disappointment to not enjoy every day while you’re in the process of God changing you.
Lisa (reporting): Eight thousand people in a service would be plenty for most folks. But when Lakewood moves into Houston’s Compaq Center – they’ll have room for a few more.
Lisa: Joel, how many seats can you fit in here?
Joel: There’s gonna be about 16,000.
Lisa: Oh my goodness, and you’ll have no problem filling that on a Sunday.
Joel: Well, I hope not, I really feel good about it.
Lisa: Well, you’re not only doing this here, but you’re taking Lakewood on the road to other venues like this around the country, aren’t you?
Joel: We are. We’re going to do 22 different nights this year, all across America. Finally we decided to lease the big ones and thought if no one shows up, we’ll turn the lights off on top, but God just does more than we could ask or think and the places have all been full, so we’re excited about it.
Lisa: Did you ever dream that Lakewood Church would be in a facility like this?
Joel: I never did. And I grew up here, coming here as a big Rockets basketball fan, I had seats over there, sec. 104, row 5, and I saw Akeem, Larry Bird, and all those guys play here... I don’t say it arrogantly, but I believe one day they’ll be 100,000 people coming between four to five different services, and not for our glory, but I just believe church can impact the whole city, can impact the culture, so we’re just gonna believe for big things.
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