Harvest Impact: Different Strokes for Different Folks!

By Wayman Ming Jr., General Secretary
“Different strokes for different folks”! Have you ever heard that saying before? If so, you know that it is often used to describe the reality that everyone is different. What a liberating and freeing fact! We didn’t all come off of an assembly line looking and acting the same. We are God’s custom design.

I believe that one of our greatest assets in effective evangelism is reaching different people in different ways. Is it possible that we have not been able to get “outside the box of evangelism” because we have operated with some misconceptions toward the dreaded “E” word?

Allow me to illustrate! What image comes to mind when you think of the word “evangelism?” Does it invoke enthusiasm for reaching your friends and family members? Or does it overwhelm you with negative connotations? Are you excited about sharing your faith? Or do you think of infamous televangelists, known primarily for extracting large sums of money? The stereotypical street preacher, megaphone in hand, blaring and bellowing out indictments about the end of the world? Or the “never say no” Mormon at your front door seeking to proselyte you?

The enemy of our soul has literally hindered the expansion of God’s kingdom because we haven’t realized that evangelism is not built upon a “megaphone in hand,” but a commitment to strategically being ourselves in evangelism.

Some people may be a megaphone blower while others may not. Some may be a door-to-door knocker while others may not. Some may be an apologist or someone who can merge faith with fact while others may not. Some may be a servant who provides random acts of kindness to win others to Christ while others may not. Yet, the important truth is allowing God to use our gifts, talents, personality and temperament in expanding His kingdom. Different strokes for different folks!

Simon Peter used a “confrontational” approach. On the Day of Pentecost he proclaimed the gospel with such boldness that he confronted his own people with crucifying the Messiah! He reached 3,000 for the Lord in one day. Some people in our world today won’t come to Christ until someone like Peter confronts them with the gospel.

The Apostle Paul used an “intellectual” approach. Read any of his letters in the Bible, especially Romans, and you will see that he was a master at laying out a sound explanation concerning the truths of God. In his writings his natural tendency was to argue point-counterpoint with imaginary foes who might challenge his positions. He was a master at crafting a road to Christ. Without a doubt, there are people who must connect with an evangelist like Paul who will not give them easy answers or platitudes such as “You’ll just have to accept everything by faith.” In our educated society today, some people need to hear the gospel not only declared, but defined and defended.

The blind man used a “testimonial” approach. The blind man was effective just like Peter and Paul; yet, he refused confrontation like Peter and intellectualism like Paul. He simply spoke from experience and said, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see.” How many people will come to Christ simply because someone is able to say, “I don’t understand a lot of things, but one thing I do know; I once was blind, but now I see.” They don’t need confrontation or debate; they simply need a testimony.

The Samaritan woman used an “invitational” approach. When she experienced Christ, she immediately went to her town, loaded up her van, and brought a bunch of people to hear Jesus for themselves. Her simple invitation brought salvation to her city. How many people in America would experience Christ if someone would just go to the special effort of inviting them to a credible life-giving church or outreach event?

Dorcas used a “service” approach. She was constantly performing loving acts of service to those who were in need in her community. In fact, her work was so special to God that when she died a premature death, God sent confrontational Peter to raise her from the dead and put her back into the evangelistic ministry. Although the service approach to evangelism tends to get less press than the others and is often longer in producing fruit, it is one of the most important of all the evangelistic approaches. Dorcas is able to reach people that nobody else can reach.

Friend, your greatest asset in the kingdom of God is to strategically be yourself! You may preach it from the housetops like Peter. Or define and direct people into the Kingdom like Paul. Or testify from experience like the blind man. Or bring a van full of people to church like the Samaritan woman. Or draw people to the feet of the Master with your kindness and generosity like Dorcas. Or perhaps . . . you may simply reach people in your own unique way like none of the above. Remember, when it comes to evangelism, there are “different strokes for different folks”!

We Need the Body: The story of how the body of Christ rallied around a hurting Miss America.

By Debbie Snodgrass
Not long ago, I shared my Miss America experiences with 5th and 6th graders at a small school in my area of Missouri. Some of the students were required to write a small report about my presentation. Here is what one of the young men wrote about me: “She does not look like a Miss America. She looks like a normal person.” Of course, he was expecting that Miss America would display her evening gown, crown, scepter, and bigger- than-life persona. Other comments from the students included: “She really didn’t seem stuck on herself at all, like I thought she would be. Best of all, I got out of seventh-hour Math!” Also: “I learned from her that the crown isn’t really the most prized possession of her life. She wasn’t that old-looking. It was amazing that she still remembers some of the experiences.” Lastly: “I thought she would have had plastic surgery since she was Miss America once, but she’s just a normal person.”

When being measured in the category of “pageant successes,” I might stand out of the crowd, but when the classification is “needy normal person,” I fit the average description. I’m so thankful that God has placed this needy normal person in the Body of Christ where we “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2, NKJV) and “pray for one another” (James 5:16, NKJV). The love of God through my brothers and sisters in Christ has been my lifeline to sanity during desperate times.

As it appears in The Message by Eugene Peterson, 1 Corinthians 12:26 reads: “If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.” Throughout my Christian life, there have been times when I have ministered to others. There is nothing more richly rewarding than being used by the Lord to bring comfort or encouragement to one who is needy. However, it is humbling and ego-shattering to be the needy one; to be on the receiving end of sacrificial prayer, love and support.

Even before I accepted Jesus as Savior, Christians were praying for me. While traveling as Miss America I would receive notes in the mail expressing that God loved me and had a plan for my life. Individuals I had never met would shake my hand and say, “I’ve been praying for you!”

Growing up in the church, I always believed in God and that Jesus died on the Cross, but had never heard the plan of salvation— that I needed to acknowledge my sin and that Jesus’ death on the Cross was payment for my sin. I had never admitted that I needed a Savior, I thought I could get to heaven by being good. Living a good, clean life and being kind to others, I thought that surely God would look favorably on me and let me go to heaven.

The Miss America Pageant and all it provided was a wonderful experience, but I can remember walking out of Convention Hall in Atlantic City after having crowned my successor, knowing that all the spotlights, glamour, excitement and travel still hadn’t met many needs I had within.

As I settled into Pittsburg State University (Kansas) to finish my degree, I explained away my feelings of unrest and questions about life; everything would surely be all right when I had completed my education, married, and had a family and some security.

I was married in January of 1969, moved to Jasper, MO, and in 1970 we had our first daughter. Outwardly, everything seemed to be going perfectly for my life; inwardly, however, the unrest and emptiness grew. What more could Miss America want? Happy family, plenty of money, education, home, possessions? Nothing really satisfied.

A neighbor invited me to a “Lay-Witness Mission” on June 29, 1971 where I realized through the testimonies of visiting lay-people that I needed to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. He was what I was missing! As you can see, the body of Christ was at work in my life!

The influence of loving Christians in my life certainly did not stop with my salvation experience. I can think of countless times when my family and I have desperately needed healing, finances, friendship, car repair, emotional support and lots of prayer. Jesus met our needs through His body every time. We were short a certain amount in order to pay our taxes one year, and a brother in Christ, not knowing the circumstances, gave us a check for the exact amount. Our daughter needed surgery. Because of the prayers of our church, she was healed before the surgery could take place. During her teens and early 20s, one of our daughters spent some time in rebellion and damaging life-styles. Our brothers and sisters in Christ just kept loving her, praying for her, contacting her, supplying her needs until she came back to the Lord. Words will never express the gratitude of heart toward these Christian soldiers who sacrificed their time, resources and efforts to come to our rescue.

But, will the body of Christ stick with me through divorce? In 2004 my pastor husband of 35 years left the ministry and left me. I was blind-sided by the whole thing. The rejection and shame were overwhelming. There were days when I cried constantly and didn’t want to get out of bed. I grieved and hurt and mourned and vomited. King David describes my emotions in Psalm 38: 8-10: “I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me” (NKJV).

The 11th verse states what I feared would happen: “My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off.” Wouldn’t people think that this was surely my fault? “If she had been a good wife, he would have stayed. What did he need that she didn’t give him?” Would my Christian family reject me too? Would I be able to stay at my church? Would I ever be allowed to minister again?

Praise God, they didn’t reject me, but loved me, prayed for me, listened to my anger, cried with me, and hugged me on a continual basis. I’m so thankful for my church body that didn’t exclude me, but wrapped their arms around me in Christian love. They repeated to me, “The Lord’s grace is sufficient. You will get through this!” until I really believed it was true.

There were so many Sundays and Wednesday nights that I didn’t want to go to church. I was ashamed. I wanted others to care how I was doing, but dreaded them asking. I didn’t know what to say. However, I didn’t let myself stay at home, because I had already learned how important it is for every Christian to hear the Word of God and worship with other believers.

The Word of God brought life to me, because it “is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV) The New Living Translation says, “It exposes us for what we really are.” During difficult times, each of us needs to hear the truth about our circumstances from God’s perspective. It’s very easy to be deceived when our perspectives are influenced by our emotions.

For me, God used His Word to go right to the heart of the matter, which was the condition of my heart. Here are some things I learned:

1. “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me” (Psalm 41:9, NLT). I must acknowledge the sin that hurt me, or I can never forgive it. I had been mistaken in thinking that to forgive another was to “excuse” him. God doesn’t excuse my sin, but allows Jesus to take the punishment for it. Likewise, I cannot excuse the sin of another toward me. I must purposefully relieve that person of his punishment (let him off the hook), because Jesus relieved me of mine.
   
2. “Be angry, and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26, NKJV). Anger, as we all know, is almost never the first emotion. Usually hurt, fear, shame, etc., come first. It didn’t take long for my anger to surface, but I tried to stuff it inside. Should Christians express anger? If so, how? I thought of running over my ex-husband and his new wife with my car. That would be the “be angry” part, but probably wouldn’t qualify for the “but don’t sin” part. I finally realized that the emotion of anger must be directed toward the sin. However, I must not assume God’s authority to dispense the punishment for that sin.
   
3. “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten . . . ” (Joel 2:25, NKJV). God’s desire is for restoration. As I watched the hurt this divorce caused to our daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, church and friends, I was hopeless that even God could pick up the pieces. I had underestimated His sovereignty, love and grace. Even though none of us are the same as before the divorce, we are experiencing restoration in every area.

I experienced the same fears as most who experience divorce. Where will I live? How will I tell my parents and sisters? What about Christmas, birthdays, etc.? How will I make a living?

The “making a living” thing was of great distress to me. Even though I taught piano part-time at Missouri Southern State University, the main breadwinner of the family was my pastor-husband. Again, the church blessed me with a salary as their music director, and I returned to school to obtain my Master’s degree.

Many circumstances connected with my “journey to gainful employment” were obviously miraculous. Having received my Bachelor of Music degree in 1970, I re-entered college in 2005 (at age 57), and actually passed all of my entrance exams! I completed my Master’s degree in 3 semesters and some summer classes with straight A’s. The last semester, I was enrolled in 19 hours, taught a full-time load at MSSU and gave my graduate piano recital. I won the Concerto and Aria competition at Pittsburg State University, and played Chopin’s 2nd Piano Concerto with full orchestra. This would not have been possible at age 59 without God’s grace!

Then, what I think is the greatest miracle of all, a fulltime, tenure-track, assistant professor position opened in the Music Department at Missouri Southern. I was hired! I have a real job! And, who was it that prayed for me throughout this stressful time? Right! The body of Christ! I could feel the prayer support during every test I took, every note I played in performance, and every time I feared the task was impossible.

Now, five years later, I can say that I am mostly healed. God has dealt with my heart, my relationships, my family, my job and my church. He has also added to my life a blessing so great that it is exceeding abundant above what I could ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20). The Lord has blessed me with a husband who loves Him, loves me and loves our grandchildren. Bill Snodgrass is Professor Emeritus from the University of Texas at Arlington. We attended Pittsburg State together in the 1960s and renewed our friendship after my divorce. He is a faithful man of integrity, and I have learned so much from him about unconditional love.

My story isn’t unusual, I’m sure. All of us go through difficulties. I survived this desperate time in my life because the love of Jesus was poured out to me through His body, the Church. This love is real, genuine, and inexhaustible! The best part is, this love is available to all!

If you would like to have Debbie to come and share her story, you can
contact her via email at debs(at)suddenlink.net.

Eye 2 Eye: What Does It Matter?

By Bishop Charles Scott
The aroma of the smoked fish lying on the coals wafted through the sober atmosphere. The water laid silent where moments earlier multitudes of the flopping fish had broken the surface filling the fisherman’s nets to abundant capacity. Their eyes could not escape Jesus; it was the third time they had seen Him since Calvary. Their ears could not believe they were hearing Him speak. Their minds could not conceive that He was now here, eating fish and teaching the matters of the Kingdom. The conversation grew even more intense as Jesus spoke three times directly to Peter with a piercing, probing, penetrating question: “Lovest thou Me?” Each one felt the agony of the question, for each knew the question did not belong to Peter alone; they all knew that the answer to Jesus’ question is all that really matters.

It had been one of those days. The calls were polite but indifferent to facts. The letters were harsh, critical and unfounded. One letter was going to receive a four-page reply, just to set the record straight and put them in their place. It was late. No one else was in the office. They left hours ago. Then the phone rang. Not now; don’t they know what time it is? A few small-talk sentences, then the bomb fell. The youngest daughter had been attacked. The felon stabbed her repeatedly. She was brutally raped. He left her for dead. Her 3-year child slept during the violence. Between the sobs, the moans and the tears as the story unfolded, it mattered. It mattered that someone was there. It mattered that someone listened. It mattered that someone cried. It mattered that someone prayed. It mattered that someone loved. It is all that really matters.

The shelves are lined with books and manuals. The web folders reveal the sites where the best resources can be located. They all tell how to build preaching ability. They all give insight to vision, faith, management skills and leadership essentials. They provide inspiration, motivation and rationalization. They engage the mind to think with success. They build the soul and its self-esteem. They challenge the spirit to achieve excellence. They fortify the vocabulary with buzz words. They develop the leader. They leave something out: “How do you know what really matters?”

If the Pentecostal Church of God is going to be a significant voice in this generation expressing biblical truth, then it must know what matters. It must know that it matters to be absolute in a culture of gray. It must know that it matters to be relevant in a culture of exponential change. It must know that it matters to be global in a culture of segregation. It must know that it matters to be connected in a culture of isolation. Its leaders must know what really matters.

What matters is Jesus, not political correctness. What matters is the Kingdom, not personal security. What matters is truth, not expression of opinion. What matters is integrity, not appeasing the crowd. What truly defines leaders is a deep spiritual knowledge of what matters. Quasileaders, or those who hold a position without the qualifications, spend time and energy and that of others on things that do not matter. They use tears and snot to attract emotional sympathy. They use fear and “concern” as smokescreens for personal platforms. They build alliances to their positions. They use bullying techniques of intimidation to control people. They talk about accountability but take no affirmative action. They take small things and make big issues. They think they are all that matters.

Peter’s eyes fell on John. What about John? Was John going to face the same demise? Was John going to be spared? Jesus’ words were tender but pointed, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.” Perspective. Priority. Parity. Paradigm. Proficient. Persuasion. What did it matter about John? You have an assignment: follow Me. Nothing else matters.

The phone was placed back in the cradle. The four-page letter of rebuke and rebuttal was reduced to two paragraphs. What does it matter? When you take a course of action, someone is always going to tell you it was wrong; what does it matter? When you serve with all your heart you never get it all right, what does it matter? It matters only when you do what you do because you do it for Jesus Christ. It matters only when you do what you do because Jesus did everything for you. And that is all that matters. We should see that eye to eye.

Harvest Impact: What Pastors Would Like to Say, but Probably Won't

By Wayman Ming Jr., General Secretary
As I view the spiritual dynamic of these last days, I see a wonderful phenomenon occurring in the Church—the tearing down of destructive walls between pastors and people. Like never before, a wave of armor bearers are rising to protect their leaders, and in turn, church leaders are pushing themselves to transparency and accountability. Even though the journey is arduous, pastors are seeking to step forward and share their struggles, needs and imperfections. I believe that one of the greatest gifts we can receive is a better understanding concerning the life of pastors. Perhaps these few insights may “enlighten the eyes of our understanding” even more.

Pastors: “We also require spiritual care.”
Many Christians realize that a church’s zeal and stamina are largely connected to a pastor’s spiritual health. Yet, do they ensure that their pastors are operating on a full spiritual tank or are staying spiritually fit?

Our current “ecclesiastical landscape” is strewn with many shocking examples of bankrupt churches and spiritually compromised pastors! The body of Christ is filled with pastors who have been burned out and burned up.

In his book, Your Pastor is an Endangered Species, H. B. London states that 40 percent of all pastors think of giving up every week, and 40 percent of those presently serving will not be doing so in 10 years. Although most pastors may seem to don the cape of Superman at times, many of them spend most of their time as Clark Kent with very real needs.

Do your church a gigantic favor by finding ways to resource your pastor.

• Send your pastor to a pastor’s conference every year.
• Encourage your pastor to get in a support group of other pastors.
• Urge your pastor to take 1-2 day retreats on a quarterly basis for prayer and reflection.
• Give your pastor a book allowance to read current books and magazines.
• Allow room for experimentation and creativity in ministry
• Develop a prayer team that will keep your pastor spiritually vibrant and accountable.

Pastors: “Our family and ministry are tied together.”
Some people do not understand the degree of pressure that pastoral families live under. Whether consciously or unconsciously, undo expectations are placed upon them as they constantly live in a fish-bowl environment. Here are a few thoughts to protect pastors’ families from viewing ministry and the church in an adversarial role:

• Don’t expect perfection of the pastor’s family.
• Families are unique and should not be expected to be like any other family. Resist words like, “Our former pastor’s family did it this way.”
• Encourage pastors to set weekly time blocks for marriage and family.
• Don’t expect the pastor’s spouse or children to play the piano, head a highly visible ministry or have all the answers.
• The pastor’s family needs a surrogate extended family—uncles, aunts and grandparents.
• Offer them massive amounts of affection and affirmation.

Pastors: “Criticism wounds deeply!”
Why can’t pastors be more thick-skinned? Why are politicians satisfied with a 51 percent approval rating while pastors are troubled when one person criticizes or complains? Pastors are sensitive to criticism because they live with it continually. From the man who wants to debate one sentence in the sermon to the lady who squawks because you missed shaking her hand!

As a pastor I once had a family leave the church because we were too Pentecostal, and another family leave the church because we weren’t Pentecostal enough… all in the same week. One Nervous Nellie or Ned stirring up criticism can do as much damage as a careless mechanic spilling gasoline on a hot engine. Allow me to suggest that you double the affirmation of pastors and watch the result. They will preach better, pray better, serve better and care better.

Pastors: “We are stressed-out with finances.”
Except for the reasonably well-paid pastors in larger churches, most pastors’ wages are not adequate to cover family needs. In many situations, the spouse’s outside income is what makes it possible to continue in ministry. Unfortunately, the frustration for many pastors is that their financial support is often placed quite low in the church’s economic priority list.

Whether we want to face the truth or not, money talks about how much churches really care for their pastors. What kind of message does it send when the finance committee or the members of the church ask periodically, “Pastor, is there anything that we can do for you financially?” It sends a wonderful message.

In our American culture, we can pay athletes and rock stars millions of dollars, but we can’t seem to provide for our pastors. God will bless those churches that are looking for ways to bless their pastors.

Unlike any other line of work, pastors live with the daily challenge of eternal accountability. The health of a church is often reflected in the health of the pastor. Let’s keep them healthy and life-giving. At times, let’s even listen to “What pastors would like to say, but probably won’t.”

Don't Die Until You Die: Don't give up; don't give in; keep fighting; and keep moving.

By Boyd Crook

And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. (Genesis 37:34-35).

Jacobs’s sons brought him the bloody coat of many colors, the evidence of what Jacob perceived was the death of his beloved son. Joseph was the elder son of his first love, Rachael. Now the evidence was staring him in the face—Joseph was gone, dead. All of Jacob’s dreams were in Joseph.

Jacob had received an erroneous report; he believed a lie and it led him to a life of mourning. He could not be happy when grandchildren were born or when sons or daughters were married. Although he was the patriarch of the family, no one wanted to go near him because of his attitude, which was steeped in grief. He had died before he died!

Nothing more is mentioned of Jacob until the time he tells his sons they are starving and that he heard there was corn in Egypt. He did not do as David did when he knew his son was dead. David rose from petitioning the Lord for the baby’s life, washed himself and asked for food, saying the child can no longer come to me but I can go to him (2 Sam 28:23).

You know the story well, but Genesis 45:27 says, “And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.” All the false reports his sons had brought him were demolished in a second; when he saw the wagons, his spirit was revived. His spirit was dead for perhaps 17 years. When Jacob arrived in Egypt he was 130 years old and he was 147 when he died. He was able to see Joseph’s children and to bless them. His spirit revived, the dead parts of his heart were raised and God gave him another 17 years.

In the year 2000 my mother had to have a leg amputated; she was 86. It seemed life was over. She soon realized things would be different; she had already given up driving, but could still get around some in her home. She could no longer do the things she had done, dressing antique dolls and making quilts, keeping her hands and mind busy.

She had lived in the same home for over 30 years, living alone for 25 of those years. Finally, there was no choice; a convalescent hospital was the last resort. To her, like Jacob, life was over. It took several different nursing homes and a couple of years, but her family kept working with her, encouraging her. My sister Neva bought beads and materials for her to make bracelets and necklaces. Neva, being an evangelist, would then take these items out and show them. Several were sold and Mom became excited; she could do something! As Mom worked with those beads, making sets for grandchildren or friends and a few to sell, her spirit revived and she began to regain muscle and be strengthened. She even went out Christmas shopping for her seven children!

She also got a promise box and began to use it to minister to the staff. As each would come by, pick out a card and read it, they asked Mom for the meaning.

Mom continued to minister until she died at the age of 93. An additional seven years of life, real life. Don’t die until you die!

What are some things you can do?

Have a plan
Have a schedule, start your day with devotions, make a prayer list, honor God, give Him praise, spend time in worship. The first part is the Lord’s so give Him the first part of the day; don’t delay, thinking you have to do this or that because it is so important. Nothing is more important or necessary than spending time with God. Make it a practice; put it into your schedule; plan and do it. Your day will be much more profitable if you put Him first.

Eat right
Maintain a good nutritional diet. We are what we eat. Watch what you eat; count carbs and calories.

Exercise
(Make sure you have your physician’s OK before doing exercise). Physical exercise is necessary for good health, and good health includes not only diet and exercise, but good mental exercise too. Read, get a hobby, make friends. Plan it and do it.

Ministry:
Every one of us is called to minister.
“Even so send I you,” were Jesus’ words (John 20:21). Regardless of your physical or mental condition, everyone can pray.

Do some worthwhile volunteer work.
Use the life-skills you have and offer to help the pastor. There are many things you could help the pastor with; just ask him or her.

Get involved with the senior adult ministry in your church.
If your church does not have an official Senior Adult Ministry, ask your pastor to start one. (Check out the Ministering to Senior Adults Training Manual available at messengerpublishing.com or 1-888-444-4674. The cost is $10.00. The item number is 150114.)

Make phone calls to help raise funds or to get others to volunteer.

Go to a rest home and visit with the residents.
A touch or a smile will do wonders for these shut-ins. Every one wants to feel loved and to know someone cares about them.

“The truest lengthening of life is to live while we live, wasting no time but using every hour for the highest ends. So be it this day.” – Charles Spurgeon

Harvest Impact: And Both Are Preserved

By Wayman Ming Jr., General Secretary
What a contrast! In the previous edition of The Messenger, the focus was “next gen. ministry.” In this edition, senior adult ministry! One of the greatest tensions existing in every generation is ministering to the younger generation and the older generation. And yet, Jesus brought such a simplistic answer to this generational issue when He uttered the words: “and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17).

Of course, Jesus is speaking here about wine and wineskins. Unfortunately the contextual pitfall is to only focus on the wine and miss the attention that Jesus gives to the wineskins. The reality is that we can’t have new wine without new wineskins and old wine without old wineskins. The wineskins are necessary to preserve the wine.

We’ve got to have the new wineskins, and we’ve got to have the old wineskins. We’ve got to have the new, and we’ve got to have the old. We’ve got to have both. Both must be included. Both must have a place. Both must have a part. Both must be preserved.

The strife that exists in next gen. ministry and senior adult ministry exists because of exclusivity. The exclusive mind-set declares, “The new wine and new wineskins are better so we don’t need the old wine and the old wineskins.” Or, “The old wine and the old wineskins are better so we don’t need the new wine and the new wineskins.” In truth, Jesus is addressing that very attitude when He declares, “and both are preserved.” Nowhere do we see the implication that Jesus desires any of the wine to perish. Allow me to make two simple observations . . . .

We need the new wineskins or we will run out of wine.

Unless we have new wine and new wineskins, we run out of old wine and old wineskins. If we don’t have next gen. ministry, we run out of wine. If we don’t train our Joshuas and Elishas, we run out of wine. If we don’t include our Joshuas and Elishas in the decisionmaking processes, implementation and planning strategies, vision casting and ministries of our churches, we will miss out on the new wine. Some may say that the old wine is better, but that doesn’t change the fact that we still need the new wineskins and the new wine or we will run out.

We need the old wineskins to add value to the wine.

The older the wine skin, the more valuable the wine! Winston Churchill once said, “The farther one looks back in history, the farther one sees into the future.” Methods and programs are not longterm, but the foundational principles that created them and supported them are. The more we affirm the principles of the past, the more we build on a foundation for the future.

Continuously throughout Scripture, we are reminded of the truth that God is a generational God—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There are lists of entire families, such as found in Genesis 5, “This is the book of the generations of Adam” (verse 1). And in 6:9: “These are the records of the generations of Noah.” Scripture obviously took the theme of generations seriously and affirmed the different nature of generations—particularly that some generations were more responsive to the gospel than others. What is more, the Bible affirmed that there is a natural succession of generations: “A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4, NASU). The point is: every generation has value and adds value.

Allow me to close with the brief example of television. Televisions first became available in 1939. The battery-powered television arrived in 1950. In 1956 the first portable black-and-white television set was introduced. NBC began broadcasting all programs in color in 1966. By the early 1980s, 98 percent of all homes in the United States owned at least one TV set, and some even more. Today we have HDTV (high-definition television), and some predict that we will soon have hologram televisions where three-dimensional figures acting out scenes on our living room floors. The reality is that if there had not been a 1939 television, there would not be a 2009 television.

When we connect this example to a ministry perspective, we understand that if there had not been a 1939 generation of ministry, we would not have a 2009 generation of ministry. In other words, we need the old wine and wineskins and the new wine and wineskins. Or, in the words of Jesus, we must value the importance of “and both are preserved.”

Eye 2 Eye: When Seasons Change

By Bishop Charles Scott
It is inevitable. The seasons will eventually change. Regardless of the warmth of the summer breezes it will give way to cool fall nights. And the winter chills will not last forever; spring will announce its arrival with gentle warm winds, soft green shoots pushing themselves from the cold ground and birds that refuse to hush their singing. The Bible declares it: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22) This is an absolute.

It is frustrating to be in the wrong season at the wrong time. A recent trip to the Northwest proved this point as our family went prepared for 90-degree weather. We forgot to check the Weather Channel and discovered 65-degree weather. Someone commented to us, “Oh, you must have enjoyed the cooler weather.” We smiled and nodded, but truthfully, no, we did not enjoy the cooler weather; we did not have a jacket or a sweater or a hoodie or a blanket. We were in the wrong season, prepared for the wrong season, expecting the wrong season and suffering in the wrong season. No one can enjoy being in the wrong season. You can pretend, you can put on, you can act, you can make believe, you can confess, but you know when you are unprepared for the season. This means you are not relevant.

Nestled away in the annals of Israel’s history is a powerful verse of Scripture: “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment” (1 Chronicles 12:32). An understanding of the times means that these individuals knew the season, had insight into the proper response to the season, and possessed the leadership credibility to lead others through the seasonal transitions of life. These men matured beyond pretense, refused to live in denial, faced the facts and led others to do the same. This means they were connected.

It is entirely possible to get older but remain immature. It is tragic to anesthetize ourselves with the busyness of religious activity, inebriate ourselves with contradictions, and distract ourselves with non-essentials and miss the next season. It is tragic to age but never move forforward; to get closer to retirement but not closer to a productive life; or to advance in years but refuse to advance in spiritual growth. That tragedy is global.

I must admit that it happened to me. I never thought I would see the day. It came in the mail. The application to join AARP arrived just the other day. I tore it to pieces and threw it away, smirking that I am way too young to start ordering off the senior menu. Then I found myself retrieving the invitation in order to learn just exactly what opportunity I had discarded in my state of denial. And then I heard the Lord ask, “What are you missing because you do not know your season, and what have you thrown away because you did not agree with the season?”

As I pondered the unfair below-the-belt questioning of the Lord, I reflected that we are made in the image and the likeness of God. And our Father God is a creator. From the opening lines of Scripture, the Bible declares the creative power of God. Therefore, we who are made in the likeness of God were birthed to be creative. We were born to kill giants, subdue devils, shout down impregnable walls, cross briny seas, preach life into graveyards, see into the eternal, touch the invisible, do the impossible and perform the unimaginable because we are the people of the Most High God. It requires maturity of thought to embrace the next season.

We will fail if we cannot shift with the seasons. We will become crystallized by doing outward religious duty without experiencing inward Godly transformation. We will become formalized by stagnated thinking that is not transformed by the renewing of the mind of Christ. We will become institutionalized by endeavoring to hold to a season that has passed rather than reaching for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Our last days, our next seasons should be better than the last. For those of us who declare, “WE ARE PCG,” we sense a shift is coming in the seasons. There is an expectation that the glory of the latter will be greater than the glory of the former; the anointing will be a double portion; the fruit will be increased; and the last days will be the best days. But when it arrives, let’s pray we can see it and not throw it away. I hope we see that eye to eye, because we are PCG.