Sunday reflections

What a GREAT weekend at CLC:

• Friday’s tri-lingual celebration was a blast: Spanish, Romanian & English worship that brought us all into the Presence of the Lord!  Special thanks to Pastor Jaime Flores of Centro de Vida Cristiana as well as Philadelphia Church and Pastor Dennis Sempebwa!  (Those Romanian guys were good!)
• Saturday I had the privilege of attending a 50th Anniversary Bash for 2 of my favorite people: elders George & Betty Hofstra. I couldn’t hold back the tears as we heard the tributes to this wonderful couple who’ve been such a blessing at CLC for over 12 years now.  There really is a reward for the righteous, and George & Betty are living proof of that!

Today was FAMILY SUNDAY at each campus:

• Pastor Dan Johnson reports great worship at our Shorewood campus, with 210 in attendance, 2 baptized, 2 babies dedicated & 10 children responding to the salvation invitation!
• Pastor Shanna says our South Bend campus experienced awesome worship (with a closing song that made them not want to stop!), great anointing on the message, sweet fellowship together at the picnic afterwards & strong attendance with 157 present!
• In Tinley Park we had crammed-full services, with 1190 present, 6 baptisms, 4 baby dedications, plus the official kick-off for recruiting the launch team for our 4th campus (in the Lisle/Woodridge/Downer’s Grove area).  Campus Pastor Eric Stone closed our Got Questions? series by giving us some great guidelines for making wise choices in our “Entertainment”.

We’re looking for a total of about 50 CLCers to join the present Lisle congregation to prepare for our January, 2010 re-launch – so if you’re interested in volunteering or just want more info,, please contact Pastor Eric here or email me by clicking here.

Next week we begin the new Courage series, and I’m excited about sharing with you.

Now I’m enjoying some couch time with Da Bears, and especially the Ridiculous Devin Hester!

relationships are GOOD!

I know I’ve talked about it already this week, but I’ve also had the opportunity to live it, which is much better.

Friday I had the opportunity to share a meal or some caffeine with 2 different pastors, one that I was meeting for the first time (love church-planters!) and another who was once part of our staff & is now doing a great work in another suburb.

Today, I have the privilege of meeting the leader of the only Messianic Jewish fellowship in the South Suburbs for breakfast, followed by a grand 50th anniversary celebration for our own elders, George & Betty Hofstra (and I’m sure a host of my favorite folks from CLC who’ll gather to share their joy), followed by still another dinner appointment with another pastor friend who shares my DNA from my original faith family.

Why did I tell you all that?  (Not so you’d count the calories I’ll be consuming – psst, please don’t tell Chris because she doesn’t read this blog) and certainly not to blab about my day.

Nope – the only reason I share is to remind you of how important it is for each of us to take time for the people God brings into our lives.  The older I get, the more I realize: life is ALL about relationships.

Is there someone you need to forgive today?

Is there someone you need to ask for forgiveness?

Is there someone you love but haven’t connected with in too long?

STOP reading this & take care of it NOW.  It’s important.

Ask the Pastor

Finally!  We’re finishing up all the questions submitted for our “Got Questions?” series that didn’t get answered via a Sunday sermon:

Q: Someone asked, ‘why do non-denominational churches seem to not preach doctrine & only ‘feel good’ messages?

A: I don’t know if that’s a question or a criticism – but I do know that at CLC we preach plenty of doctrine each week, so I really can’t speak for others.

Q: In a similar vein, someone else asked, “What’s with the faith-teaching theology that I run across all the time, even here at CLC?

A: This ‘question’ actually was considerably longer, as the questioner expressed strong feelings against ‘faith-teaching’.  I don’t pretend to answer or even agree with everything that someone may espouse in their ‘faith-teaching’ theology – but neither do I believe your concept that everything is up to God’s sovereignty. It’s not arrogance, in my humble opinion, to think that my faith can make a difference in whether or not I receive from the Lord – but I do know that my faith is not a guarantee that I’ll get what I want every single time.  I don’t have time or space to answer your every concern, but I would urge you not to surrender to a “Que sera, sera” attitude!

Q: Since the word ‘rapture’ is not in the Bible, where does this theory come from?  Will some Christians stand against the Anti-Christ?  Will Christians escape the tribulation period?

A: My first inclination is to say that Christians have disagreed on this subject for hundreds of years, so I’m not likely to settle the dispute in this blog.  But since I’m paying for this space, I’ll give you my opinion:

• while the word isn’t in the Bible, the concept of the rapture is NOT a theory – read 1Thess 4:15-18 for yourself and it’s quite clear: Jesus will return for His Church, and we will be caught up to meet Him in the air.
• I think many believers are already standing against the Anti-Christ, as 2John 1:7 would indicate.
• As to whether the rapture is pre-, mid-, or post-tribulation, I’ve already responded earlier in this post.  All things considered, I don’t know the answer to your question, but I lean toward the post-tribulation position, which would mean that, yes, Christians would be alive to face and stand against the Anti-Christ.

Q: A similar question was – can you give some clarity about the pre, post & mid tribulation eras?

A: Probably not to anyone’s satisfaction, but let’s try: the ‘pre-trib’ view says that prior to the AntiChrist and the period of God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth, that the rapture of the Church will take place and we will be caught away to be with the Lord forever.  The ‘post-trib’ view says that the Anti-Christ will be revealed and the world will enter into a period of about 7 years of trouble & difficulty such as we’ve never known before (particularly for the nation of Israel), and that Christians will remain here during that entire time, to stand against the AntiChrist.  Finally, the ‘mid-trib’ view says that Christians will remain here on earth for the first half of the tribulation, to experience the suffering that comes upon Israel, but that this was to purify us, not to punish us.  That view says the last half of the tribulation (3.5 years) is the period of God’s wrath, and that believers will never experience His wrath, so He will rapture us away to be with Him prior to that time of “Great Tribulation”.  I deliberately didn’t list any verses for you, as my experience is that each position has different passages to support its view.  (I realize that all 3 positions can’t possibly be right, but at this point I don’t feel I have enough insight to make this a test of fellowship at CLC – my STRONG position is that all Christians should live so as to be ready to endure the tribulation, and if we escape sooner, Praise the Lord!)

Q: I have no feelings of love toward my Mother, because of the past.  How is the best way to deal with this fact?

A: Your question was much longer than this and understandably showed a lot of mixed emotions on your part as to whether you have deal with the bitterness & resentment left from the way she treated you.  I would simply say, you must forgive (I know you say you have, but, as my wife has taught here at CLC, forgiveness is like peeling an onion – there are different layers.  Each time you encounter another layer, you must choose to forgive again.) This has nothing to do with her deserving or even asking for forgiveness; it has to do with you being free from the bitterness and resentment and the ‘closed heart’ that unforgiveness causes – so you can still receive everything God has for you.

Beyond that choice to forgive & release her (by the way, I suggest you do that verbally in prayer), you may be a prime candidate for counseling.  Sometimes it just helps us to process things in a more healthy manner if we have a close confidante with whom to share.  We have trained lay counselors at CLC, and we also refer to professional Christian counselors, so call the office to set up an appointment if you desire.

Q: A precious CLCer asked me to explain how the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are all God, and to explain what Paul meant about women keeping silent in the church in 1Tim 2:11-12

A: I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at your confidence that I could do this in one sermon,  let alone one blog post!  But since fools (and pastors) rush in where angels fear to tread, here goes:

• The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all God, because each of them possesses Divine qualities; i.e., each of them can do & know things that only God can know or do.  The doctrine of the Trinity (another word that is not found in Scripture, like ‘rapture’, but the concept certainly is found all through Scripture) simply embraces the fact that since each possesses those qualities of Deity, and the first and greatest commandment of all is Deut. 6:4 (this truth that God is One is what separated Israel from every other nation on earth, all of whom worshiped a multiplicity of gods), then they must be One.  (Some say ‘one God in three persons’; others say, ‘one God in three manifestations’ – makes me no difference so long as we understand that the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are One!) That’s a 75-second explanation of an 8-hour concept….hope it helped a bit
• To be honest, the 1Tim. 2:11-12 passage is difficult.  Some have said Paul ordered women to be silent because, in that culture, women & men sat on opposite sides of the church gathering, and since women were generally uneducated & illiterate in that era, they were constantly interrupting the teaching to ask their husbands for explanation.  While that does make some sense, it doesn’t really satisfy.
• What I do KNOW is that the Greek word for “silent’ in that passage is the same as in verse 2 of the same chapter, where living a ‘quiet’ life certainly doesn’t mean ‘silence’.  I also KNOW that Paul makes reference to many women leaders in the New Testament, including some who were considered ‘apostles’, and others who ‘prophesied‘, which would be difficult to do while keeping silent.  And since I KNOW that the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, and that Gal. 3:28 is clear that it no longer matters – male or female have the same rights & privileges in Christ Jesus!
• I suspect that the true meaning of 1Tim. 2:11-12 has to do with the word ‘usurp’ (in the KJV) – and that Paul was addressing the fact that no woman should ‘take over’ or ‘forcibly seize’ the authority from a man (by the way, no man should do that, either!).  God has always ordained authority, and He always works through delegated authority (see Romans 13:1 and Luke 7:7-9 for two of my favorite examples). So my interpretation of the passage you asked about is that it has more to do with order in God’s house than with the male & female issue.

That’s ALL, folks!  Join us this Sunday for the final installment of our “Got Questions?” series and for next Friday’s feature here, what would YOU like to “Ask the Pastor”?

Never the same again…

Last night Chris & I put our one & only babygirl on a plane for Uganda.  Jen will attend the wedding of Churchill’s best friend in Kampala before bringing him back here with her for their wedding.  (Churchill has never been on a plane before!)

For us, this was the beginning of the end – the end of life as we have known it for the past 31 years – because when she returns, there will be the excitement of the long-awaited wedding, and then a honeymoon….and then our babygirl will begin a whole new life as Mrs. Churchill Ogolla.  Their plans are to minister to the youth & children in Uganda, with hopes of eventually operating an orphanage and outreach to feed, clothe and educate some of the poorest of the poor there.

My point is, life is constantly changing….for all of us.  Sometimes we resist change….sometimes we pout or throw a tantrum….but it’s changing regardless.  So we might as well embrace the change and enjoy the new season that we’re in (knowing that it too will eventually end and be replaced by another ‘new’ season!)

I’m determined to make the most of mine.  How ’bout you? 

What have you been complaining about that you really need to embrace?

3 thoughts…

Don’t you love how your Bible keeps talking?  Here’s 3 random thoughts that spoke to me this morning:

1.  Proverbs 2:7-8 > wow, love these promises: (a) God is storing up success for you (we’re pursuing it, while He has it waiting for us – when we walk with Him!; (b) and if we live with integrity, He’s shielding us from stuff we may not even know about!; and (c) He’s protecting our path…..love it!

2.  2 John 1:8 > the Word not only has promises; it also has warnings, like this one.  I want to finish well!

3.  2John 1:12 > this may sound funny since I’m coming to you electronically, but it really struck me in a world of tweets, FB, email, texts and blogs, that there is still NO substitute for genuine fellowship.  I’m glad for technology and thrilled that folks connect with CLC via the internet, but you really, really have to get connected in person (like in a Life Group or a Ministry team) to get the full benefit.  Have you signed up a Life Group this semester? You can this Sunday.

Keep reading your Bible….there’s GOLD in there!

My Bible is talking (again)

Really enjoyed my devotional time this morning, especially Proverbs 1, since I need and WANT wisdom and discipline in my life, and I definitely need help in understanding the insights that God has already given wise men who wrote the Scripture.

I also noticed that verse 3 promises that the Word will help me in the area of integrity – and in today’s world, that’s something I need more than ever before.  In fact, as a pastor, my integrity just may be the most important quality for a ministry that’s truly effective.  (No slams intended, but I’ve lived long enough to see lots of preachers more eloquent and gifted than me, who drew huge followings for a while, but whose lack of integrity eventually caused them to shipwreck and leave hundreds of casualties in their wake.  I don’t want that for me or CLC – I SO want us to finish well!) And my/our intake of God’s Word is one of the primary ways to insure that!

Verse 4 promises shrewdness to the inexperienced, as well as knowledge and discretion – those are words we don’t often use anymore, but there are a lot of young people in my life, who don’t yet have years of experience, but who can gain shrewdness & discretion by learning from the experience of others who will mentor them through the pages of Scripture!

Finally, verse 5 was my favorite – not only because it promises increased learning, but especially because of the promise of guidance.  Don’t know about you, but it seems like I need that more now than ever before – every day, the decisions seem to get more complex and more important – but I’m not stressing; I’m burying my nose in the Book that says if I’ll discern (recognize it!), the guidance I need is right there!

Does that encourage you as much as it encouraged me this morning?

Sunday reflections

Whew….what a DAY at CLC….about 1,700 people in worship and the text messages on my iPhone from our campus pastors have been smokin’!

• at our South Bend campus, Pastors Doug & Shanna report that it was an “absolutely fantastic day!  From the worship to the prophetic to the Word there was a great manifest Presence of the Lord!” Seems that one of the long-time members gave a prophetic word from Isaiah 62, which took on even greater significance considering the ‘name change’ as the congregation of Christian Tabernacle has become Christian Life Center.  Praise God for what He’s doing in South Bend!
• next I heard from Pastor Dan Johnson at our Shorewood campus about the incredible worship & awesome response to the message, with 4 salvation decisions & such a sense of compassion as he closed with Donnie McClurkin’s story.  Dan often ‘grades’ their services for me, and today he said it was an “A+”!
• later I heard from our ‘next campus’ Pastor Eric Stone, who says all four of their worship experiences today were fabulous – the 9am traditional, the 10:30am charismatic, the 3pm downtown and the 5pm soup kitchen – he was elated with what God was doing today!
• finally I heard from our Davao, Philippines campus as Pastor Herley Montes reports an awesome weekend where they led an Encounter Retreat for ROLFC, pastored by our dear friends Tito & Nelrose Sasam, as many were set free, filled with the Holy Spirit and about 60 submitted to water baptism!  Herley says their own services were jam-packed with many making new commitments to reaching & discipling others – I love what’s happening at Household of Faith-Christian Life Center in Mindanao, Philippines!
• what to say about Tinley Park today?  Attendance was back up, worship was wonderful, and I’m grateful for the response to the teaching about ‘Same Sex”.  It was the first time I’ve ever publicly addressed the subject of homosexuality, and the comments afterwards made me a ‘proud’ pastor – thankful to be part of a church family that wants to love homosexuals as Jesus does!

Only ONE message left in our “Got Questions?” series – don’t miss our FAMILY SUNDAY next week with a look at “Entertainment” – it’ll be ‘G-rated’ as all our children & students join us for a great celebration!

That’s all, folks….it’s couch time now-

Do you have a story?

Been thinking about this since January, when two different pastors shared two different stories that sparked my faith to believe God for similar blessings in my ministry.  My pastor pointed out that Revelation 19:10 indicates that a testimony works like a prophecy; i.e., it releases faith for others to receive.

That’s why we want to gather as many CLC stories as possible – to encourage & inspire others to believe God.  And we hope to use many of them during our upcoming “Friend Day” at each campus, through a ‘cardboard testimony’ that we believe will impact the many friends & guests we expect that day.

Here’s a quick sample of what one church did to give you an idea:

Cardboard testimony

I’m excited about people who will be reach by your stories!  So, if you have a story to share, please let us know via your Connection Card on Sunday OR by clicking here OR by simply leaving a comment below:

Ask the Pastor

Still continuing to answer questions that didn’t qualify for a sermon during our current “Got Questions?” series:

Q: Are we overstepping our bounds by using technology like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?  If God meant for us to have children, he’d allow us to have them naturally, right?

A: Not sure this was really a question as you seem to have already made up your mind – but if you are asking, my answer is (a) the Bible is silent on this issue; and (b) that being the case, it seems strange to me that we would rule out some technology like IVF, but welcome the technology that allows us to defeat diseases or correct near-sightedness, or any other number of quality of life improvements that modern technology has afforded us.  Personally, I’m very thankful for an air-conditioned church, with video screens, wireless microphones, and electronic keyboards – none of which God provided for us before modern technology.  You don’t have to agree, but I’m just sayin’……..

Q: Is it wrong for me to get a tattoo?

A: Ahhh, I already answered this one in depth over a year ago – check it out here

Q: Is it ok to still teach our children “tough love?” Or do we be careful not to upset them and have them not like us? Another similar question was: Is it wrong to spank your children or do we still follow “spare the rod spoil the child”?

A: I suspect this is too complex a subject to attempt to answer, but I’ll wade in anyhow (that’s my nature).  If by ‘tough love’ you mean that, as parents, we choose to do what’s best for our children even if they don’t like it, then certainly we should do so (see Heb. 12:4-11 tempered with Eph. 6:4).  Finding that balance is never easy, but it is the goal.  And to answer the last question, Scripture was given to us long before Dr. Spock wrote his book, and it actually doesn’t say sparing the rod spoils the child, but that if we spare the rod we hate our child (see Prov. 13:24). While I never condone harsh spankings done in anger, I’m convinced that the Bible’s instruction in this regard is wisdom that parents should heed.

Q: Since Peter, James and John were asleep when Jesus was praying in the garden of Gesthemane, who heard the words that Jesus spoke to the Lord so they could be recorded in the gospels?

A: Great question!  While there may be other possible answers, the one I know heard for certain is none other than the Holy Spirit, who gave each of the Biblical writers the inspiration to write what they did – just as Moses was able to record for us the events contained in the book of Genesis, even though he wasn’t born until Exodus!  (see 2Pet 1:20-21 and 2 Tim. 3:16)

Q: I’ve heard it said that those who don’t tithe will go to hell.  Is that biblically sound?

A: To be honest, I’m always amazed at how any human can pronounce who is going to hell – since eternal judgment is reserved for GOD, and God alone.  (Personally, I’m thankful that’s not my responsibility, since I would no doubt send some to heaven who should be in hell and others to hell who should be in heaven – all because of my own finite understanding and inability to see someone’s heart!) But as I climb down from my soapbox to get at the real question you asked, my answer would be, “if that’s the only reason someone is tithing, I doubt it will work”.  I don’t believe we tithe out of the fear of hell; we tithe because we love the Lord and we want to obey His Word, and especially because we TRUST that He knows best, and that by honoring Him with the first tenth of my increase, HE  will become my financial partner to insure that my 90% will go further than the entire 100% would have!

My personal favorite quote in this regard comes from Andrew Wommack, who was asked, “If I don’t tithe will I go to hell?” replied, “No, but you’re stupid to miss out on all the benefits of tithing!”

Q: Why is it seen as ok that Rebekah & Jacob stole the blessings intended for Esau?  Isn’t that downright theft?

A: I’m not sure.  First, I’m not sure that “it is seen as ok” – I don’t recall any Scripture that indicates God was pleased with their conniving.  Second, I’m not sure the blessings were “intended” for Esau, since other passages indicate that God planned even before their birth to bless Jacob above his brother (see Romans 9:10-14).  It may simply be that Rebekah & Jacob plotted together to accomplish something that God would have brought about in His own way anyhow.

Q: Why so many interpretations and only one Holy Spirit?

A: The question of the ages!  My quick answer is “a whole lot of flesh”. One thing is for certain: all of us can’t be right! The question you raise is the primary reason that the body of Christ is divided into so many different denominations and that Christians oftentime are found fighting against their own brothers and sisters in Christ.  While I don’t have the answer to your question, I know it’s one of the reasons Jesus prayed for us (see John 17:20-23), and that God’s plan is to someday bring us together in unity (see Eph 4:11-15) – although I believe that unity will begin in the Spirit rather than in doctrinal views.

Hope this has helped a bit.  Next Friday, we’ll finish off the questions that didn’t make the sermon series by looking at all those dealing with “end-times”.  Meanwhile, you don’t want to miss THIS Sunday – most controversial topic of the entire series!

T-21 and counting!

It’s just 21 days until we resume a midweek “FAMILY NIGHT”, with an Adult Bible study  and ministry for children and youth on Wednesday nights at CLC-Tinley Park!

I posted here the reasons behind this schedule change, but let me tell you about the ADULT options beginning Wednesday, September 9:

• in the Multi-Purpose room, my wife will be leading “Heart to Heart”, helping women know how much they are loved & valued by God.  This Fall term will feature a look at some women in Scripture, with practical application for today’s ladies.  Each week includes some pampering, a little food, a study from Chris, and the opportunity to really connect with some sista’s in the small group time!
• in the main Auditorium, we’ll do some in-depth Bible studies on a variety of subjects, with yours truly doing most of the teaching.  (We will be hearing from other CLC pastors & elders on occasion, so there should be enough variety to keep anyone engaged!)
  
• For the first series of studies beginning on September 9, we’ll look at what I believe is the “single most important key to a successful walk with God”, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
• Add to all of this the fact that on the first Wednesday of each month we’ll enjoy a time of extended worship & prayer, along with the Lord’s supper, and you know why CLC is the place to be every Wednesday this Fall!

Help me spread the word!

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