Pentecostal without Apology!

My sister-in-law leading worship at a rally at Raley Field, Sacramento

Pentecostal without Apology!

When I was in Bible College I took a class called “Homileties, the science of preaching.” (We called it Homo 1, much to our professor’s displeasure.)  In this class we were taught to begin all sermons with a “provocative statement” that captures the attention of our listeners.  (My dad, coming from the oil fields instead of Seminary, said it this way, “Son, if you don’t strike oil in 20 minutes, stop boring!)  But it’s the same idea. 

So, here is my provocative statement:  I believe it is better to be a Pentecostal Christian, than any other kind of Christian!  I don’t mean to offend any sensitive souls here but I honestly believe being a Pentecostal Christian is better than being anything else.  If I didn’t think so, then I’d be a Methodist, or maybe a Southern Baptist.  But, I am a Pentecostal, because I honestly believe it’s the best kind of Christian to be!  So there! 

I have personally experienced the Heavenly gift the Bible calls the “baptism of the Holy Ghost”, and I like it.  Like Paul, I too speak in tongues every day (1 Corinthians 14:18), and I like doing it.  I’m addicted to “a daily dose of the Ghost” and I don’t mind admitting it.  Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry and sometimes I do both at the same time and I like it that way!  I like what Gary Johnson said, “If a mosquito bites me, I want him to fly away singing, ‘There’s Power in the Blood!”  I am a Pentecostal Christian and I like what I am and I don’t intend to apologize to anyone for it.  So there! 

I’m not going to apologize for wanting to see, feel, and know more about my God!  King David said in Psalm 34:8, “O taste and see that the Lord is good…” Try it and you’ll like it!  If you will try Salvation, you’ll like it!  And after that:  if you’ll try the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you’ll like it too!  If you’ll try the Gifts of the Spirit, you’ll like them!  If you’ll try the Fruits of the Spirit, you’ll like them!  If you’ll try the Demonstrations of the Spirit’s power, you’ll like them too! 

The Pentecostal experience is designed to increase our capacity to love God more and serve God better!  That’s what it’s for!  If it doesn’t make us better, than what good is it?  It is loving Jesus more, and serving Jesus better, that validates our Pentecostal experience.  That’s what being a Pentecostal Christian is all about.  That’s what it means to be Pentecostal without apology!

“God created me!”

“God created me!”

Everyone sees the Sun. Everyone knows what it is and what it does. It rises every day, and in its own way (by shining, by warming us, by cheering us up, by its consistency), the Sun shouts out, "God created me!"  Ps 19:1-6.  And, King David said, it does this day after day…

This is a shining example of how to be a witness for God.  Every day, we too, should rise up and in our own way (by walking righteously, by caring, by cheering people up, by being faithful) shout out to the world, "God created me!" And, we should do this day after day...

That was King David's point. I hope you'll take it.  Amen!

Preaching at its Finest!

Preaching at its Finest!

The greatest preacher that ever lived (apart from Jesus) may never have stood behind a pulpit.  The greatest sermon ever preached was probably not recorded on tape or reproduced in a book of sermons.  That could be because it didn’t happen in church.

An angel of the Lord told John the Revelator in Rev 19:10b, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” NKJV  A loose translation of that could be, talking to people about Jesus is preaching at its finest!

When we get to heaven, won’t we be surprised if they show a video of the greatest preaching from each century. And we are expecting the likes of Billy Graham, Jonathan Edwards, and Alexander Maclaren.  But instead, we get pictures of people we’ve never seen or heard of, talking to people about Jesus in places like the break shack at the plant.  Jesus gave us an example of this on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24.  It’s true, simply talking to people about Jesus is preaching at its finest.

They Are God’s Children!

They Are God’s Children!

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.  President Reagan established this annual Pro-Life day in 1983.  We believe that human life begins at conception. When parents conceive a child, God breathes into that child the breath of life and the child becomes a living soul (i.e.: a human spirit. Eccl. 12:7, Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.) Though we have a part in the production, the child belongs to God.  They are God’s children.

Every year, worldwide, 46 million babies are aborted.  But, they are God’s children!  1.2 million of these babies are aborted here in America.  But, they are God’s children!  Due to either a cruel or a greatly deceived culture, within weeks of the divine act of conception, the lives of these children are snuffed out.  But, they are God’s children! 

David wrote in Ps 127:3, Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward (KJV).  They are God’s Children.  Writing of himself, David continued in Ps 139:13-16, You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed   (NLT). Yes, before he was born, David was God’s child.  So are we all.  We are God’s children.

Is something still lacking?

Is something still lacking?

In the Bible, the Rich Young Ruler was doing everything his religion demanded.  But something was still lacking in his life, and he knew it! (Mt. 19:20)  Guess what, if something is still lacking in your life, you know it too!  You may be doing everything you know to do.  Everything your pastor or mentor has told you to do.  But something is still lacking and you know it.

The Rich Young Ruler did the right thing in going directly to Jesus.  Jesus gave him a direct answer.  In fact, that’s what was lacking: direction!  Going through all the motions without a sense of direction is just meandering.  Are you meandering?  Jesus said stop going through the motions (religious busy-ness) and come follow me!  Ah! That’s Direction! 

It could be that the one thing still lacking in your life, or ministry, is a clear sense of direction.  You’re going through all the motions but getting nowhere; going in circles.  Something’s missing.  For this sense of lack there is but one solution.  Go directly to Jesus and follow His directions.  It’s the right thing to do.  Go on now, get moving!  (Prov. 3:5-6)

  

Quality PR Work!

Quality PR Work!

According to conventional wisdom, PR stands for Public Relations.  But it could just as easily stand for Prayer Relations!  Both are similar work.  In Public Relations you speak directly to people, in Prayer Relations you speak directly to Jesus about people.  Either way, it is quality time well spent.

Recently I visited with one of our pastors who spends 1 to 2 hours every day praying in his sanctuary!  PTL!  That is vitally important PR work.  In fact, I believe that Prayer Relations is far more important than Public Relations.  Not just in relationship building between people, but in growing your church into something praiseworthy.   

Jesus said in Mt. 6:6, “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you (openly).” NLT  We all could, and should spend more quality time doing this essential PR work. In fact, we should PUSH ourselves!  i.e.: Pray Until Something Happens!  Amen.

Basic Christianity 101

Basic Christianity 101

I love the old Irish Blessings!  Like, “May you be in Heaven 30 minutes before the devil knows you’re dead!”  Here’s one I read by Joey Adams “May all your troubles last only as long as your New Year’s resolutions!”  Most resolutions have very short life spans.  They’re born in December and die in January!  The one I’m suggesting today may die soon too, but I hope you make it anyway!  “This year, I resolve to deny myself more often, even daily (if possible), so I can take up His cross and follow Him.” 

Basic Christianity means: Stuff we should have learned in Sunday school.  Principles we should have been practicing since Junior Church.  (“Christianity for Dumdums”-Rudy Hyatt) J. Konrad Hole said, “What should be entry level Christianity, i.e.: the explicit denial of self is instead presented as something for only the veteran believer.”  That commentary is sad but true!  Instead of teaching new converts about self denial right off the bat, most modern churches today try to save it till last, or hide it altogether; hoping their new converts never find out about it.  Instead of preaching it until everybody practices it, we gloss it over by saying, “Well, maybe Jesus didn’t really mean that the way it sounds!” 

If the focus of self-denial was Jesus Himself, I think I’d do better but the focus of Jesus has never been on Himself.  Jesus doesn’t need a manicure, or a massage.  He doesn’t need me to sit at His feet and clip His toenails.  Jesus’ focus has always been on His people.  So, when Jesus asks me to deny myself, it’s not usually to do something for Him personally; it’s to do something for somebody else He loves.  And, in most cases, it’s not heroic stuff.  We say, “Lord, I’m willing to die for you!” because that’s heroic!  Maybe someone will build a Memorial in our honor!  But the Lord says, “Actually, I don’t want you to die for Me!  What I would like you to do is offer to cut your next door neighbor’s grass.”  We’ll die but we won’t mow!  And so, for most Christians, like me, it is every man for himself. 

I think the only way to practice true self denial is to stay very sensitive to the Spirit of Jesus in you, and then follow your feelings.  Self denial is really as simple as doing what the Spirit of Jesus is telling you to do.  Make that resolution today and God bless you in the keeping of it!

Try LOOKING where it’s SUPPOSED to be!

Callie sleeping with our dog, T.C.

Try LOOKING where it’s SUPPOSED to be!

If you are looking for something from the LORD, you’ll find it where it’s supposed to be!

An amazing thing happened in our home last week.  We found the lost TV remote control where it was supposed to be!  When we asked our grand children who lost it, they accused our youngest granddaughter Callie.  Without waking her, we tore up 3 rooms looking for the remote.  I even took the backs off of the sofas!  Finally, my daughter Jen said, “Why don’t we ask Callie where she put it?”  Callie said, “I put it where it’s supposed to be, by the TV.”  At their home they have a drawer by the TV where they put the remotes.  We have a drawer by our TV too, but we never use it.  We looked in the drawer by the TV and there it was, right where it was supposed to be!

We should have asked first!  We should have looked where we were supposed to!  If you’re looking for something from the LORD, stop turning sofas upside down, and go back to where you’re supposed to look. Go back to the Bible.  Go back to church.  Look into your heart.  Above all else, take the time to ask Jesus where your lost treasure is supposed to be.  That’s where you’ll find it.

Love: Life’s Greatest Indefinable Reality!

Love: Life’s Greatest Indefinable Reality!

How do you define love?  If you say, “God is love!” now you have two indefinable realities.  The Apostle Paul tried to define love in 1 Cor. 13, and ended up writing an entire chapter about it.  Even with the Holy Spirit’s help he was overwhelmed.  Nevertheless, love is certainly a reality.  Ask anyone who has experienced it. As they say, “It’s better felt then tell’t.”

In 1 Cor. 14:1 Paul said to “pursue” love.  i.e.: go after it!  Make it happen!  That means love is actually a volition (act of the will), not an emotion (reaction to stimuli).  At the risk of sounding unromantic, love is something we make ourselves do.  Choosing to love, and being determined to keep on loving; is what produces love’s greatest rewards.  Laughter, passion, intimacy, family, emotional highs, memories that last a lifetime; all these come from making the choice to love, and then keeping that choice with determination. 

We don’t actually fall into, or out of, love.  Instead, we choose to accept it or reject it.  When we choose to accept love, it abounds all around us.  When we choose to reject love, it abounds all the more in attempts to break through.  Love is everywhere because God is love and God is everywhere. So, if you’re fighting it, just stop.  Love is life’s greatest indefinable reality, and it’s here to stay.   

No Cloak for Sin!

No Cloak for Sin!

Remember the first vampire movies, when they actually hunted the vamps instead of marrying them?  Bela Lugosi played Count Dracula and, as this clip shows[i], whenever someone would pull out a cross, he would hide behind his cloak, turn into a bat, and make his escape from behind his cape!  You do know that was just a movie and there really aren’t any eternal, blood-sucking, Transylvanian vampires but the Devil has fabricated for us several fictitious cloaks for our sins.  However, none of them really work either!  They are just diabolical delusions from the devil, to deceive us into believing we can hide our sins from God and make our escape from behind the cape! 

1 Thessalonians 2:5, “For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness: God is witness:”

The devilish Cloak of Covetousness will not hide our economic sins from God!  We can hide not paying our tithe to the people but the Cloak of Covetousness is a cosmetic cape that God sees right through! 

1 Peter 2:15, 16, “For so is the will of god, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: AS free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as servants of God.”

The devil’s Cloak of Maliciousness will never hide our hypocrisies from the eyes of God!  Sometimes we can hide our hypocrisies from the people but there is no cloak or cape, covering, camouflage, closet, smokescreen, or excuse that will hide our sin from Him! 

The devil’s pushers are peddling these cosmetic cloaks like crazy and Christians are buying them!  “Hey, get your cloak for sin here!  Good for all kinds of sins, vices and crimes!  Guaranteed to hide your hide from the all-seeing eye of God!  Sell your soul today for our new one-piece reversible!  It’s guaranteed to work in daylight or dark for those whose deeds are evil!” 

Don’t you believe it! Throw away that cloak!  It won’t work anyway!  Cast off the dirty thing and come to an altar of repentance! 

[i] This sermon was originally preached in 1988 so the first part of this blog is my writing, not my dad’s.  I used to pretend I was preaching this sermon when I was a kid, playing church with my cousin.  I remember standing on a box and pointing my finger at her and shouting, “There is No Cloak for Sin!”  Lol!

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A Dream Comes True!

My niece, dreaming in church :)

A Dream Comes True!

Joseph, in the OT, wasn’t the only “Dreamer” in the Bible.  The Joseph in the NT was too!  Though determined to divorce Mary, Jesus’ mother, he changed his mind because of what God showed him in a dream.  Later, he took the baby Jesus to Egypt because of a dream. After that he brought his family back to Israel because of a dream, and then took them to live in Nazareth instead of Jerusalem because of a dream.  Joseph was literally living the life of his dreams.  His life was a dream comes true.  He followed his dreams to God’s will. 

God still speaks to people today through dreams.  His primary choice is the Bible, but He still uses dreams and visions, as prophesied by Joel and confirmed by Peter, to specify His will.  This means that your life could be a dream comes true too!  You could literally live the life of your dreams as Joseph did!  You could follow your dreams to the will of God. 

 

My hope and prayer for you is that you will listen closely to Him, however He speaks, and that 2012 will be the year your dreams come true! Amen!

 

With Us in Exile

With Us in Exile

Did you ever notice that when God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3) He went with them?  It’s true!  In the very next chapter, in the process of time, when Adam and his family needed God for anything, He was right there with them just as before.  He was with them in exile.  Why would He do that?  Because He loved them more than He loved the Garden of Eden.  He loved them more than He loved His stuff.  He did exactly what Savior’s do when they are in love.  He went with them into exile.

Margaret once told me, “Lonnie, I’ll go with you to the jumpin’ off place!  But, if you decide to jump, you’re on your own buddy!”  But, she must have changed her affection for me somewhere along the way because over the years I’ve jumped a time or two, and she went right over the deep end with me.  That’s what people do who are in love with you. 

My point: no matter where you are today, or what you’re going through, God is with you!  And He always will be!  Why? Because He loves you just that much.  More than the Garden of Eden.  More than all His stuff.  And, He’s proved it! He went with us into exile because, when You love someone more than anything else in the world, that’s what You do.   

January Newsletter (First 2 pages)

Pentecostal Church of God

Northern California/Nevada District

Newsletter

Rev. Lonnie J. Cox, District Bishop

01-01-2012 (For December 2011)

To the excellent Pastors, Ministers, and Congregations of our District Church,

Happy New Year!!!

We have a new copier in the District Office! Man is it sweet!  And fast!  If the pictures in this Newsletter look clearer than before, it’s because they ARE!  PTL!  I apologize for some of last month’s Newsletters being in black and white.  When the old copier went down I still had 65 Newsletters to go. Staples charges .50 cents a copy for color! I was shocked! B&W copies are only .11 cents p. copy, so now you know what happened. The old copier still works and we’re deciding what to do with it.  For now it’s going in our District Conference room. 

Revival! A heartfelt “Thank you!” to Woodbridge Community Church and Pastors Larry and Anna Bradford for inviting us to preach a revival on Dec 4-6.  1 soul saved and 1 filled with the Holy Spirit.  It was great to meet Pastor Bradford’s brother Roy who pastors in Roseville.  Pastors Ken and Rhonda Pearson and Larry Spivey visited. PTL!  We also visited Sister Lee Butt and Pastor Charles Patton while we were in town.  They have been very ill and need our continued prayers!

Bishop Norman and Dorothy Fortenberry!  They were our District Bishops at Central California and we love them dearly.  We were pleasantly surprised when they walked into service at Woodbridge on Sunday morning!  They’ve moved to Lodi. If you don’t know them you must get acquainted.

Women’s Ministries Rally for Mount Shasta Section at Red Bluff with Pastors Mike and Sue Cox. Margaret preached without me and I’m not used to that!  She, Amy and Melissa drove up for the Saturday afternoon service on Dec. 3, while I prepared for the Woodbridge Revival starting the next day.  Margaret loves these rallies and we thank you all, especially the Sectional Women’s Ministries Directors, for working so hard to make them happen.  Margaret has used the sectional rallies to promote the Ahikam Project for District Convention (Mar. 7), and the Ladies Faith Lift with Sandi Burris (April 19-21).  When Margaret and the girls got home they said, “We had a wonderful time without you.”  What? 

Vision Visits:

As most of you know, Margaret and I visit a different church every Sunday and we’ve kept to that schedule for 3 years (based on 1 Thes. 3:11, “Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.”)  Of course we are open to invitations to preach Revivals, Anniversaries, Sunday morning or evening services; if you’d like for us to come.  Otherwise, we’ll just drop in some time. Since Don invited us to preach at Orangevale on Dec. 11, and Christmas fell on Sunday the 25^th, we decided to not travel the last 2 Sundays of the year.  I’ve spent most days working on the parsonage and district grounds, and most evenings reading and resting.  We especially enjoyed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with all of our family at home with us. PTL!      

 

Orangevale Community Christian Center with Pastors Don and Giovanna Cox.  It was my treat to preach for this lovely congregation on Dec. 11.  We love the way this church is evolving.  Pastor Don believes in “Starting them young!” as the photo above shows. How can you NOT give with an usherette like that!  She’s there every Sunday too, as faithful as clock work.  It is always good to see the Bill King family and the Fritz Dalton family when we visit OCCC. PTL!

Youth Impact Winter Blast!  On Friday night Dec. 9 over 300 teens gathered inside the OCCC Sanctuary for worship followed by an all-nighter at Scandia!  DYD Don challenged each teen to “Stand Up & Stick Your Neck Out!”  30 teens raised their hands for salvation! During the Snowball Fight, Margaret hit Sis. Barlow in the back of the head with a whopping 18 inch throw! Ouch

 

Happy New Year!

Dad's Office

I love getting up early on New Year’s Day to read my Bible and pray.  It’s a wonderful feeling to be in the Presence of the Lord as the dawn breaks on the first day of a new year.  Even though I know I’m not alone, I feel like I am the only person in the world who is up and talking to God!  It’s wonderful how God can make us all feel special that way.  Like we’re the only person in the world and we have His full attention. And with that special feeling comes the calm assurance that it will always be so.  PTL!