Tongue-Tied to the Miraculous In Very Practical Ways

This weekend I wrapped up our sermon series called Tongue Tied with a study about a very controversial subject in the Bible: Speaking in unknown tongues. You have to realize, we have a very diverse audience at Crossroads, people from all kinds of denominational backgrounds. Many of our people were raised to believe that this Biblical doctrine is taboo.

The point we've made all through the series is that we are tied to the things we say. Our words are tied to both the success and the disfunction in our lives! If you think about it, the same could be said about the practice of speaking in tongues. In the New Testament tongues were tied to both the miraculous and the messy! The same is true in the church today.

Pretty much the entire fourteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is Paul's effort to clean up the mess associated with speaking in tongues there at the church in Corinth. What's interesting to me is that he took a very practical approach to the supernatural. He dealt with supernatural issues on very practical terms. He laid out in very practical ways how the gifts should and shouldn't operate. I believe he set a precedent there. You see, the issues that were tied to speaking in tongues or operating in other spiritual gifts in the first century may be different than those tied to these practices in the twenty-first century, but they still require us as leaders in the church to deal with supernatural things in very practical ways.

I'll give you an example. We have services in a 650 seat auditorium. If someone in our church felt led to give a word of prophecy or if there were a message in tongues and interpretation, at least half of those in attendance wouldn't even hear what was being spoken. We're about to move into a 1,500 seat auditorium where it will be even more impossible. So we require anyone who feels they have a message for the church to let our ushers know, so that one of our pastors can hear it and decide if it is something that should be shared. If so, we can do so over the sound system so everyone can benefit from it. That's what Paul was doing in Corinth. He applied practical guidelines to the supernatural things God was doing in the church.

Through the years, the practice of speaking in tongues has been tied to all kinds of weirdness and confusion that God is not the author of and I don't want our church to be connected with. But I refuse to throw the baby out with the bath water! The gift of speaking in unknown tongues is tied to some really great things too! Things like a more effective prayer life and deeper worship. (Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 14:1-5) Jude 20-21 says we build ourselves up to our most holy faith by praying in the Holy Ghost! I want my life (and our church) tied to these things, so we will encourage people to continue to seek the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and experience the supernatural. But we will do so in very practical ways!

What - No Welsh Springer Spaniels?

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My little Missionary

Robin just got back from an 11-day missions trip to Africa. She had an incredible time reaching out to the Masai people in the African Interior of Kenya. She and six other Master's Commission students were deep in the bush working with our life-long friends Mike and Marigold Cheshier. They led somewhere around 400 people to Christ! She came home with tons of pictures and a journal full of memories but she left a big piece of her heart behind with the children of that remote land.

We weren't able to hear from her the entire time she was gone and it was pretty tough on her mother and me. We knew God would protect her and bring her home safe and sound, but it sure would have been nice to hear from her every couple of days or so!

Robin's dear friend Lahti Arsement is in Australia on a missions trip as well. A few weeks ago our families got together for dinner before the girls left for their missions trips. Lahti's dad, my good friend Spanky said, "You know - We prayed all their lives that these girls would be world changers. We can't change our minds now and ask God to keep them at home!"

Medical Ministry

We were so thrilled to introduce a great friend to Crossroads this weekend. Stephanie is involved in one of our newest ministries we have picked up in monthly support. Stephanie graduated our Master's Commission program in Atlanta in 1999. From there she went on to get her nursing degree and now feels God is calling her to use her skills as a nurse as a platform for ministry in Central Asia. She will work with a Christian medical  team, providing health care in a war-torn region of the world that is so volatile and dangerous I can't even name the country she'll be in for risk of endangering her and her team. The country is 99.9 percent Muslim. I am so proud of her and the courage she has to follow the will of God into this assignment. I am asking that all of you will keep her in your prayers!

One of the greatest experiences for me in life has been watching those who I have helped train for ministry answer the call of God on their lives. There's just nothing quite like it! Spending this past weekend with Stephanie has made me eager with anticipation to see what God will lead our current Master's Commission students we are discipling to do in the days to come!

Joli Blog

Our Women's Ministry just launched a brand new blog that I'm super excited about. The ladies of Crossroads Church and Acadiana can keep up with what's going on in our Women's Ministry, sign up for upcoming events and be encouraged by the insights of our wonderful contributers to the blog (I just read a rough draft of an article Donna is writing for an upcoming entry and I was blown away by how it challenged me - and I'm a dude!) Our ladies can even participate in an online Bible Study just for women! It's a great way for you girls to stay connected on your own schedule! I love technology and it's so good to see it being used in a way that facilitates discipleship and spiritual growth! You can click here to get to the site and become a follower of the blog. Be sure and let all your friends know about the blog so they can enjoy it as well.

All of this is the brainchild of our director of Women's Ministry, Daphne Gaspard. I've known Daphne since she was just a young girl in our student ministry here at Crossroads many years ago. (For her sake we won't talk about how many years ago!) She does such a great job with our Women's Ministry and this blog is a perfect example of her creativity and passion for ministry to ladies. She has been an avid blogger for several years and her blog was one of the things that inspired me to launch my own a couple of years ago. In addition to serving as our Women's Ministry Director, Daphne is one of our worship leaders at Crossroads, serves in our Media Department and is one of our main script writers for the productions we put on. Thanks Daphne for all you do!

I encourage all of you ladies to become a follower of the Joli Blog and allow this technology to serve God's interests in your life!

Tongue-Tied

We've been sharing a message series at Crossroads this month about the power of our words called Tongue-Tied. The concept is simple: Our lives are tied to the words we speak. Whether it's a matter of success or disfunction, you can't separate where you are in life from the things you've said! Our media team came up with a brilliant way to lead in to the message each week. Our video sermon roll in features kids in our church trying to say tongue-twisters. They were a riot! I hope you enjoy...

Christian Radio Pioneer

Today my old friend Barry Thompson from KAJN radio did an interview with me about our new worship center for their news show Cajun Talk. He was very kind to give us an opportunity to share with the community of faith in Southwest Louisiana what God is doing here at Crossroads. Barry has been a good friend for many years and I admire him so much. He is a true pioneer, establishing Christian radio in this area many years ago when no one would have believed there was a market for it. He has partnered with many of the churches of the area to get their message out and has hosted concerts that have introduced hundreds to Christ through the years. Because of the strong Catholic influence of this area, KAJN has served as a tool to disciple many believers in the formative years of their faith while they continued to attend the church. 

When I was a youth pastor, back in the eighties and nineties here in Acadiana, we hosted a show on KAJN called The Elevation Radio Hour on Friday nights that was a mix of Contemporary Christian Top 40, Snippets of my sermons from our youth services and promotion for what we were doing as a ministry. We had a lot of fun with it.

After I wrote my post a few days ago on my favorite CCM albums of all time (many of which date back to the eighties) and then scheduled this interview with Barry, I started thinking about what a blast it would be to host a series of concerts in this area with artists from that era. People like Russ Taff, Bryan Duncan, Margaret Becker and Mylon Lefevre. I pitched the idea to Barry today and he loved it! We are going to start working on pulling it together. I'd love to hear from you and get your suggestions on who you'd be interested in seeing as a part of the concert series! 

One of Life's Little Pleasures

I haven't had that long a history with coffee. Don't get me wrong, I grew up around it. My dad drank it all the time. He drank it black. Even in the middle of the summer, out on the job when I was working with his framing crew, when the rest of us took a break for a cold Dr. Pepper, dad would pour up a hot cup of black coffee. He said it drove the heat out of him! 

For years I was just never interested. I would have a cup with dessert every once-in-a-while, but I was hardly an enthusiast! Then, about nine years ago, I hired David Baudoin. Every morning he would stop by my office and say, "Let's have a cup of coffee." Before long I was hooked. I started drinking it at home and before you knew it, my entire family was drinking it almost daily. We love the stuff! Donna recently gave it up, but Chase and I have at least a cup every morning to start our day! 

Last month Shawn Marcell introduced me to the French Press. It is a way of brewing coffee that dates back hundreds of years and it is simply the best way to enjoy coffee! There's something about the way the method leaves the oils and richness of the beans in tact that I love! It's bolder and fuller and I know I sound like a maniac but I love it! Donna bought me one for my birthday and I'm so glad to get to enjoy one of life's little pleasures. 

My Five Favorite CCM Albums of All Time

I had a conversation with a friend recently where I was asked to name my five favorite Christian albums of all time. I was surprised how quickly I was able to come up with the list, and I thought I'd share it with you. Remember that these albums were created at a time when music, especially Christian music, was not nearly as accessible as it is today. We tended to listen to entire albums much more than we do now. These projects date back to the mid-eighties so you may have never heard them. They are all available on I-tunes and I strongly encourage you to give them a listen! 

5.  Whiteheart - Freedom 

The concept for the CCM rock band Whiteheart was a very practical one: Take the leading session players making music on the top CCM artist's albums of the day and form a band. The group made several transformations over the years but reached it's pinnacle with 1989's Freedom. Fronted by roady-turned-lead-vocalist Rikk Florian, the band was made up of musicians who remain a who's-who list of players till this day. What they produced on this recording was nothing short of brilliant and, though there was no 'radio hit' for them on this outing, the album as a whole is one of the finest Christian projects ever recorded!

4.  Amy Grant - Lead Me On

There would be no CCM without Amy Grant. I realize others will select one of Amy's many various albums as their favorite - but for me, Lead Me On was her best! It combined her poignant writing and straight-forward vocal styling to create an honest look at life and faith as only Amy Grant's artistry can. Musically, the record was much more reliant on real instruments than the more commercially successful follow-up project Heart In Motion which was more synth-driven. The radio hits were the title cut and the song Saved By Love. They certainly were not her biggest hits, but the album as a compilation was, in my opinion, her finest accomplishment. 

3.  DC Talk - Jesus Freak

No album has every revealed a greater musical maturity than DC Talk's 1995 breakout project Jesus Freak. It is probably one of the most significant recordings in Christian music history. It still sounds as fresh today as the day it was released. Radio hits like Colored People, Between You and Me, In The Light and the title track are still staples on Christian radio! This album changed everything and every time I hear it I wish the boys would get back together and cut another record! Kevin Maxwell and Michael Tait remain two of the most talent vocalists in CCM and TobyMac is simply brilliant.

2.  Switchfoot  - The Beautiful Letdown

The Beautiful Letdown introduced Christian Music's premier San Diego rock band Switchfoot to mainstream radio and changed the rules for Christian music yet again. There are so many brilliant moments on this record and the huge radio singles Dare You To Move and Meant To Live remain staples on Christian radio and top 40 alike. The masterful musicianship and the brilliant lyrics share equal billing to create a listening experience that begs to be repeated. I've probably played this CD more than any I've ever owned and have sung the words of these songs at the top of my lungs over many a mile!

1.  Russ Taff  - Russ Taff

My favorite CCM artist of all time is Russ Taff. His 1987 self-titled release is everything a signature album should be - It is Russ Taff at his best. His best voice, his best writing - He truly put it all on the line with this recording. These tracks include some of the most passionate vocals ever recorded and the result is infectious! The project opens with the 'In-your-face' rocker Shake and warns you of what's to come. The radio hit I Still Believe is one of the most vulnerable and honest songs ever written and performed, remaining the standard in my mind by which all Christian music is judged. 

Those God Gives You

In John 17, Jesus prayed what we call His High-Priestly prayer. It's a moving prayer that includes petitions for unity and protection for those who follow Him. One of the most remarkable claims He made in the prayer was this - "The ones you have given me, I will not lose." That statement is so filled with insight. All through His ministry, there had been those who were connected with Him for a season, but ultimately walked away. However, God had given Him some who would stay connected and turn the world upside down! 

I believe the same is true today with those we disciple. Many will be connected for a season, but what we have to figure out is who God has given us! Those are the ones we want to pour our lives into!

I'm so thankful to be reconnected with one of those God has given me! His name is Jason Rhoades. The connection was made back in 1996 when we moved to Atlanta, GA. Jason went through our leadership training there and our Master's Commission program. We have remained connected all these years. He moved to Lafayette several years ago to help us launch our Master's Commission program here and now he and his wonderful wife Amanda and their two beautiful daughters Jalin and Abby are moving back to be connected with us once again in ministry. Jason has taken a job with an oil company here and he and Amanda will get deeply involved with our church to learn the Crossroads model of ministry from the inside out so they can be our first church planters in the days to come. 

I am so excited about what God has in store for the next season of my life as He allows me to place the ones He has given me over great churches we will plant across the country and around the world! 

Words and Feathers

I shared a message this weekend called "Taming The Tongue." I ended my message with the story of a woman in a small town who shared things she 'knew' about another woman in the village. The things she shared were horribly damaging to her neighbor's reputation, but she told them anyway. She told many people even though the things she was telling could not be proven. Eventually, she found out the things she had been saying about her neighbor weren't true. She felt horrible.

She went to the Pastor and told him what she had done. She asked him what she could do to make it right. The old Pastor handed her a feather pillow and told her to go to the village square and tear open the pillow and empty all the feathers out of it and bring it back to him. She did what he instructed and asked him what to do next. He then instructed her to go back to the town square and pick up all the feathers she'd emptied out of the pillow. "There's no way I can do that." She pleaded. "The wind has carried them everywhere! How could I ever collect them all again?" The Pastor looked into her eyes and said, "You're right, and you can never take back the things you said about your neighbor."

Our words are powerful and we must be good stewards of what we say!

The Man With The Golden Voice

By now I'm sure you've heard the story of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice who's interview with a reporter in Ohio became an overnight sensation after going viral on Youtube. He's now been interviewed by the Today Show and others, reconnected with family and has received job offers by everyone from The Kraft Corporation to the Cleveland Cavaliers! 

It's an amazing story and one Americans have embraced warmly. I think it's because we love a redemption story! Here's a man with an obvious talent that's been lost to drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and hopelessness and then BOOM - All of a sudden he gets another chance! 

But isn't that the story we all share? We all have gifts and promise, and yet life has a way of burying it beneath our sin and suffering and then BAM - God gives us another chance! That chance - that one shot at TRUE redemption is Jesus Christ! The man with the golden voice that rings out, "Come, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest!" 

I hope Ted makes it. I hope he stays sober and meets with great success, connected to his family and celebrated by all who loves a good redemption story. Most of all I hope He makes Jesus Lord of his life and experiences what true redemption is all about. I hope he uses that golden voice to praise the One truly worthy of all praise. 

On a side note: Is it just me or does Ted look like he could be President Obama's uncle? Just sayin...

So what are you doing on May 11, 2011?

It's happening again. Another ministry has come along claiming to know the date the rapture will take place. (Followed by the the date of the judgement of the world to boot!) This time they have an impressive marketing campaign and internet following. The last one (of any significance) was the whole 88 reasons Jesus was coming back in '88 thing. 1988 came and went with no rapture. This latest group have selected May 21, 2011 as the date of the rapture with October 21 as the great day of judgement. (I have no idea what they did with the seven years of tribulation that follow the Biblical teaching of the rapture. They somehow reduced things to five months.) 

I don't want to sound like a complete skeptic. I BELIEVE in the rapture of the church. I believe it could happen on May 21st! (Or any day between now and then for that matter!) I just don't believe we can know. In fact Jesus said that quiet emphatically! (Matthew 25:13) We do know that He promised His return would happen within a generation span following the reestablishment of Israel as a nation. That happened in 1948. So, if we're interpreting Matthew 24:32-34 correctly, His return should take place before 2028. I base that assumption on the verse in Psalm 90:10 that states the lifespan of man is 70-80 years. If that's what God considers a generation, then 2028 would mark a full lifespan since Israel was reestablished in '48. (I'm not starting a marketing campaign here, just doing a bit of speculating.) 

We should all be watching and waiting. Jesus is coming back soon and this world isn't ready! So many around us are unprepared and it's our responsibility to tell them. I don't need a date to do that, just a mandate - And that He's given me!