Church of God

By Ray H. Hughes Jr.

I never shall forget my first prayer partner’s retreat. At the end of the day, the pastor was sharing with us from his heart. He related that on one particular Sunday, because of schedules, none of the men had reported to his office on time to pray with him. He said the longer he waited, the more nervous he had gotten about facing the congregation without his usual prayer cover. Mind you, this was not a novice pastor, but one who was a well-seasoned preacher-extraordinaire and a student of the Word. He then shared how relieved he was when, one by one, the men came through the door and gathered to pray with him. His statement was powerful, it helped me understand the significance of the prayer partners to him, but what he said next overwhelmed me. He said, “When I came here as pastor I wasn’t sure how I felt about the people of this church, but after having shared with you men in this ministry, I feel that if necessary, I would die for each of you.” He then fell to his knees and wept as the men gathered around him, laid hands on him, and prayed. That is loving like Jesus loved, and it had come about through prayer.

At that moment, I felt closer to my pastor, and more a part of his ministry than I had ever felt in my life. All the partners have developed close relationships with the pastor. I have seen critical spirits melt into words of encouragement and support. Put simply, it is extremely difficult to be critical of someone you pray for daily as you share their burdens, and understand their heart for ministry. Pastors today really need to feel the support of the people in order to properly proclaim the Word of God. Perhaps the apostle Paul put it best when he tells us in Ephesians 6:19-20, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (NIV)

In 1995, a group of us decided to make an organized effort to systematically pray for our pastor. With the pastor’s permission, we recruited 40 men who would commit to pray for our pastor on a regular schedule. We divided into teams and committed to pray as a team one week each month, culminating on Sunday when we gathered with the pastor in his office. First, we had a time of sharing from the pastor as he related what God had laid on his heart for the service that day, including pertinent scriptures. Then we laid hands on him and asked for God’s anointing before he went to the pulpit. A group of five or six men remained behind in the office and surrounding classrooms, and continued praying for the pastor during the entire service. We are still praying for our current pastor, with many of the original prayer group still intact.

Although Sunday is a big day for the prayer partners, our prayers for the pastor do not end there. We have pledged to pray for every aspect of his life throughout the week. We pray for his private, personal life, his professional life, his family life, his preaching life, and his prayer life. We want to cover him whenever and wherever he goes. Why? Because we want him to be able to fight the good fight of faith as spelled out in 1 Timothy 6:12. I read recently that, “The number one fear among pastors today is that their congregation and peers will not perceive them as an effective leader.” We want our pastor to know as our spiritual leader we are holding him up in prayer. We want to be a constant source of encouragement.

Praying for your pastor sounds like a given on the surface. You might think, “who doesn’t pray for their pastor?” Until just a few years ago, praying for my pastor, I’m sad to say, was just a hit and miss proposition. Sure, during my prayer time I would ask God to bless the pastor, and then move on to more important things to pray about. After all, pastors spend so much time with God, my little prayer can’t be all that meaningful, can it? Yes it can! It can be so meaningful it can change the entire life of a church, and influence everything that occurs in and around church, especially church growth and outreach. But more importantly, it will change your life, as it has mine, and your relationship with your pastor will never be the same.

If you wish to establish an exciting Pastor’s Prayer Partners Ministry in your church, simply click here.

The New Age Movement comes under many different names, like the Aquarian Conspiracy, New Consciousness, New Orientalism, Cosmic Humanism, Cosmic Consciousness, Mystical Humanism, Human Potential Movement, and Holistic Health Movement.

Warning signals should flare up whenever New Age “buzzwords” are used, words like: awakening, enlightenment, centering, consciousness, cosmic energy, force of life, global village, holistic, human potential, self-actualization, networking, planetary vision, spaceship earth, synergistic, transcendental, transformational, and transpersonal. Obviously, not everyone who uses these words is a New Ager. But the New Age significance of these words in our present culture should alert us to the possibility of an underlying New Age system.

New Age symbols like the rainbow, pyramid, triangle, eye in a triangle, pegasus, concentric circles, rays of light, swastika, yin-yang, goathead on a pentagram, the numerals 666, and the unicorn should cause us to closer evaluate the person, organization, or activity they might represent. (Again, the use of these symbols does not necessarily signify a New Ager, just as the wearing of a cross does not necessarily indicate its wearer is a Christian.)

If God is spoken of in terms of an impersonal entity or identified with the world or energy in any way, then you have probably stumbled upon New Age ground.

Beware of movies, songs, lectures, literature, or even business seminars which claim that humans possess “unlimited potential.” Carried to its logical conclusion, this is just another way of saying that we are god.

When seminars or books attempt to talk to us about our potential at all, be attentive for modernized forms of sorcery. Sorcery may be defined as the ability to manipulate objects, people, or events by one’s will or perception. “Visualizing” or “imaging” an event to occur is essentially an occultic practice.

Remember that the New Age Movement is essentially a mystical form of humanism. New Agers carry the humanistic belief in the essential goodness of man to the point of godhood. So be careful of any teaching that emphasizes the goodness of man or ignores the reality of sin in the world.

We should be particularly wary when someone refers to Jesus Christ as “the Christ spirit” or “Christ consciousness.”

New Age thought is also permeated with the use of feelings to determine the truth. Shirley MacLaine admitted that she had no proof for reincarnation, but she felt it was true. Mysticism is appealing when one ignores his or her rational faculties. But the Scriptures command us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” and to discern the difference between the spirit of truth and error (1 John 4:1, 6). The New Age god would have us put our logic aside-but the God of the Bible encourages us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37, 38).

The New Age Movement believes in the unity of all religions and the eventual cooperation of all governments. Thus they are a strong force behind both the world peace and ecumenical movements.

1. If we discover any one of these warning signs in a movie, song, book, seminar, or organization, then our “spiritual detectors” should be on the alert for a possible New Age influence.
2. Of course, like the warning signs of cancer, no single symptom is a sure sign of disease. But if the symptoms persist over a period of time, those who have been exposed should consult the Great Physician.

Leonard C. Albert

There is a new enthusiasm among believers today. Everywhere you look someone has on “witness wear.” There are T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, pins, pendants and emblems. The problem is that some folks imitate the outward while never having the inward motivation for active service for Christ.

Our generation wants to cocoon and enjoy the freedom to do whatever they please. With this in mind, I feel that the biggest challenge to the church will come from within. Christ does not just want our admiration . . . He wants our life. Our activity is not for the short term. He is after lifelong commitment which has been called “a long obedience in the same direction.” Everywhere we look we see crowds without commitment Thousands of people gather for Bible study. Tens of thousands meet and worship each week. But, alas, many have only identified with a cause and a crowd. Don’t let this happen in your church!

“We need more people who are more interested in what they can contribute than in what they can collect.” Vance Havner

by Dr. Terry Etter, President of Men’s Life Small-Group Bible Study

Observers of modern men have made some sobering comments lately. Gordon Dalby, in his book Healing the Masculine Soul, says men have become lost, “cast adrift from the community of men.” Stu Weber, in Tender Warrior, writes that “today’s real men are a vanishing breed and that it is killing our culture.” Bob Hicks, in The Masculine Journey, says men are experiencing a profound alienation from God, themselves, and each other.

What is the solution? Part of it is simple: Men must involve themselves in a relational community with other men around God’s Word.

As part of a men’s Bible study ministry for almost 10 years, I’ve learned a great deal about what does and does not work when it comes to attracting and holding men in small groups. Here are some key principles:

1. Men Must Be Personally Invited

Men typically do not respond to small groups without a personal contact, preferably from a friend. Don’t expect men to respond to announcements in church bulletins or flyers. They simply won’t. That is why leaders need to invest their time in developing a system of personal invitation. Plan on inviting three times the number of men you expect.

One leadership team met together several times for the purpose of writing every man’s name down and then assigning those names for follow-up. It takes that level of attention to get men to participate.

2. Have Shared Leadership

Men’s ministries most often fail because they are initiated and led by one man rather than a team of leaders. The motivation and drive of a single person with a heart for reaching men may be enough to pull off a single event, but it is not enough to sustain ministry. Shared leadership not only blends a variety of spiritual gifts in the ministry, but also allows for leaders to “cover” for each other. Men’s small groups should have a minimum of two leaders for a group size of 8 to 10.

3. Groups Need an Outreach Mind-set

When men experience the benefits of a small group, it’s tempting to become inward and exclusive. There is a tension between being comfortable with the men in your existing group and inviting new men. Small groups must maintain an outward focus by inviting new and preferably unchurched men. Failing to do so will cause the group to become static as it loses the challenge and energy new members can bring. Smaller, more intimate accountability groups should become the place for deeper levels of fellowship for small group “veterans.”

4. Meet for a Specific Period of Time in a Comfortable Place

Men are reluctant to make long-term, open-ended commitments. I often say at our leadership workshops that men are “springloaded” to the “bailout” position. We live in an era where most people are overly busy and not committed to anything. If you are trying to reach unchurched men in particular, you must offer them a short-term experience with an option to renegotiate their commitment and opt out if they wish.

Seven one-hour meetings is a good length. The Men’s Life Bible study resources reflect the seven-session format. We have also found that virtually all the men do return to the study because the small-group experience is meeting a critical relational need in their lives.

For many unchurched men, a church building is an unfamiliar, sometimes intimidating place. We urge groups to meet in members’ homes or in places more familiar and less threatening. If your group includes men from several denominations or if it crosses racial or cultural boundaries, then a home, workplace, or other familiar location is a good place to gather.

5. Do Not Assign Homework

Men are unlikely to complete homework assignments, such as reading Scripture passages and writing answers in a study manual. Rather than show up and be embarrassed that they didn’t do the work, they just won’t show up at all. The approach runs counter to the way most of us were taught, but you will encounter fewer problems in your group if you do not assign homework.

Obviously, homework can be assigned and expected in a small group made up of mature Christians whose motivation level is more advanced.

6. Allow Men to Discover Truths From the Bible for Themselves

Don’t lecture. The key responsibility of the leader is to facilitate discussion by asking open-ended questions that invite answers. This principle is essential for having a successful small-group Bible-study experience.

The Bible is unchartered territory for most men. If they don’t feel in control or know the answer, they will soon decide not to come back. It’s better to use a format which invites the group member to participate by giving his own understanding of the meaning of the passage. There is no pressure to come up with the “right” answer. Rather, each person is allowed to uncover the truths of God’s Word in a self-discovery approach. A good small-group leader, then, will facilitate this discovery process rather than set himself up as the expert.

7. Don’t Ask Men to Do Something for Which They Are Unprepared

Be especially careful not to call randomly on men to read Scripture unless you ask for volunteers or are given prior permission. An increasing number of men today are unable to read or are embarrassed to do so in public. Don’t ask group members to pray without seeking prior permission. If you do have a group member pray, it’s a good idea to let the group know that you have gained his permission beforehand. As leader, you generally should take the lead in prayer.

The small group setting is pivotal to developing a relational community for men. This truth is at the heart of the Promise Keepers movement. The leaders of Promise Keepers know that the only way a man will become a Promise Keeper is to enter into a vital relationship with God through His Word and with other brothers who will help him keep those promises.