After the Church and Business collapsed I was wounded. I wanted to hide out for a while. I maintained a relationship with Todd and the House of Prayer in Bolingbrook. He was going thru turmoil of his own at that time. This resulted in people leaving, re-orientation. Frankly he wasn’t in a position to be more than a friend.
What was worse was I wasn’t working. No money coming in. God always provided. But it was hard. For spiritual food we would go to Rockford to Faith Center from time to time. It was always good, always encouraging. But I am a local church guy. I’m committed to the local church, traveling one way for an hour to church is not local.
I know my gifts and not exercising them is just not acceptable. We considered our options. I did not want to begin attending a church that didn’t share my conservative spiritual beliefs. Read this article to understand more. I didn’t want to attend a church where I couldn’t be used of God. I’m a use me or lose me kind of guy. I don’t have eternity on this side of the age. If I’m not in the saddle I get off the horse.
We had visited Lord of Life Church from time to time. Mostly on Good Fridays. I liked what happened then. We had friends who attended there who we thought would benefit from our encouragement. So, we began hiding out at Lord of Life. At first I didn’t know how long. It was after all a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I thought at least it will be familiar. But it was not exactly like the Mo Synod church I remembered from Childhood. No liturgy. No hymnals. Guitars, keyboards and drums were the worship leader’s tools. Chad Negley was the brand new worship leader the first Sunday we began attending. Wally had left the week before. The music was fresh and familiar. They were the same choruses we had sung at New Life. Some of the same music Rockford used at that time. Some of the same music from the House of Prayer. Familiar.
Not Pentecostal but not all that overtly Lutheran. The important thing to me was it was a conservative church. I am not interested in relativism. I’m pretty much a every word is true in the Bible kind of guy. I’m pretty fundamental. I could live with the doctrine (with only a couple hesitations). I could embrace this Church.
I liked the Pastor. Barry Kolb. He was my age. He had been kicked around in life as I had been. He was from the Midwest. I found him genuine and appropriately standoffish.
I know what that’s all about. Lots of people with promise come in one door and out another. As a pastor you have to test them, watch them, deal with them and then after a period of time begin to use them. At the beginning I wasn’t sure why we were at Lord of Life. I was actually quizzed by Pentecostal friends of mine as to why I was there. I had one local pastor call me and offer to share his pulpit if I would join up with him. Not a huge church (a hundred or so). I wasn't ready to go back to that again.
I wanted to hide out. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. I was done ministering for a while. I went to Barry and told him I was there to hide out. He told me later he didn’t believe me. He thought there was some reason I was there. I shared some things I was working on like my book on marriage. I gave him a galley of it before it was published.
We talked, I did a bit of teaching. I shared some insights. He did the same. I was intentionally free in worship. Raised my hands. Danced a bit. Hollered Hallelujah. I note I’m a bit less expressive lately. Maybe that darn Lutheran thing is wearing off on me. I hope not. I Need a breakthru.
Barry has a well recognized gift of an apostle. He’s not a pastor even if he carries the title. He’s an apostle. Thru and thru. He is learning to wear the mantle well. It needs a nip and tuck here and there to fit but as he becomes comfortable in the role he grows in God.
After we had been attending and after I had spent time communicating with him in certain areas I came to him and said, “It’s been 3 years. It’s time. Put me in coach, I'm done warming the pew".
He did. I was released to run amuck in ministry in the Church and run amuck I do. I stay under submission, I make sure there are not any blindsided issues that come up, I stay committed to the vision of the Church. I see it converging with the vision of God regarding the Church he wants in the Fox Valley.
I see something pregnant in the Spirit. I smell breakthrough at Lord of Life. Only man can stop it. IF man does, God will take his bat and ball, put Ichabod over the door and move on. If that happens, I’m going with God. I have a sense so will Barry. So will a lot of people.
So, my Pentecostal Friends, why in the heck do I stick around? It’s not about Barry. He’s a great guy but there are great guys everywhere. I have a sense in my spirit that I am exactly where God wants me. I don’t know and can’t articulate exactly why. I do know that God’s plan for Lord of Life is for there to be much more than where we are now. All we need to do is walk it out. Deeper water Lord.
The question I keep asking is, How far will you let us go, how abandoned will you let us be? Further, More Lord More.
Peggy and I go to Rockford or Bolingbrook to get our Pentecostal fix. I’m believing that day will end soon. I’m believing that the Vision God gave me 11 years ago is beginning to manifest at Lord of Life. I want the full experience. Breakthrough, Lord, Breakthrough.
A prophecy was given Barry by another prophet (not me). He told Barry that he would be a disturber of denominations. I don’t think it is any accident that the largest growing Mo Synod Church in the whole of the USA in Nebraska (King of Kings) is using the same worship model that Lord of Life does. The old is past, behold all things are become new. I loved liturgy, it just lost it’s meaning. Time to reach a new level. Disturb em Lord. Disturb come from the word stir. Paul told Timothy to STIR UP THE GIFT. It’s time in the Lutheran Church to stir it up.
I operate mostly in the ministry gifting of Teacher and Prophet at Lord of Life. Teaching and encouragement. There is so much more that can and should be done. I’m impatient. God has so much more for Lord of Life. I find mostly my teaching is Prophetic. And My prophetic gift is instructive. It’s a hard gift for people to cope with. I’m not a pastor. I can be brusque. I’m impatient. I’m abrupt. I can become angry. I’m pretty out there with my dealings with people. But the nature of the Prophet is to yell at Saul when he burned the offering out of order. To cut the heads off the conquered Kings. To confront the Davids when they fall. Prophesying isn’t always comfortable but it’s necessary. Primarily the prophetic gift operates in the area of encouragement, edification, and challenging the status quo to go higher in God. It also requires that if I see something that doesn’t line up with the word of God as revealed to me that I am required by my gift to address it. It’s usually not a deal breaker. But if I don’t speak up I am quenching the gift God put within me and I run the risk of having the anointing taken from me. Fortunately my personality doesn’t worry too much about risk. God placed the gift of Creative Discontent in my spirit. I’m never ever ever satisfied with where I am in God or where I want to be. The same for the Church with which I am working.
I will stay and work my tail off to help bring about the vision of the Church God showed me. I will do so until and if the Lord says stop. My flesh wants to stay. It has the capacity to be comfortable. My obedience must be immediate. Like Barry if famous for saying, “Before you ask Lord, the answer is yes”.
I don’t know how this will all come out. I do know this. When a wonderful experience in God takes place people want that same experience again. When a really great service or event takes place people wish we could do that again. “I wish every service could be like this”.
NO!
I don’t ever want a do over. I want a do better, more. Every time we get together as a congregation the service should be better than the last time. Is that too lofty a goal? I don’t think so. Every meeting, every service, every event should be better then the last one. They should never go backwards. Or we are saying God’s not creative enough by his Holy Spirit to allow us to do better. After the last Men of God Meeting I got a call from a participant who said, “That was the best ever. Every time it’s better than the last time”. IT SHOULD BE!! We must expect nothing less.
Whenever those flashes of wonder take place Rodney Howard-Browne’s words come back, “You can live like this Gene”.
Lord of Life can live like this.
I’m going to exercise my ministry giftings to whatever extent I can to make it happen.
POUR IT OUT IN OUR HEARTS LORD,
POUR IT OUT IN OUR HEARTS.
What was worse was I wasn’t working. No money coming in. God always provided. But it was hard. For spiritual food we would go to Rockford to Faith Center from time to time. It was always good, always encouraging. But I am a local church guy. I’m committed to the local church, traveling one way for an hour to church is not local.
I know my gifts and not exercising them is just not acceptable. We considered our options. I did not want to begin attending a church that didn’t share my conservative spiritual beliefs. Read this article to understand more. I didn’t want to attend a church where I couldn’t be used of God. I’m a use me or lose me kind of guy. I don’t have eternity on this side of the age. If I’m not in the saddle I get off the horse.
We had visited Lord of Life Church from time to time. Mostly on Good Fridays. I liked what happened then. We had friends who attended there who we thought would benefit from our encouragement. So, we began hiding out at Lord of Life. At first I didn’t know how long. It was after all a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I thought at least it will be familiar. But it was not exactly like the Mo Synod church I remembered from Childhood. No liturgy. No hymnals. Guitars, keyboards and drums were the worship leader’s tools. Chad Negley was the brand new worship leader the first Sunday we began attending. Wally had left the week before. The music was fresh and familiar. They were the same choruses we had sung at New Life. Some of the same music Rockford used at that time. Some of the same music from the House of Prayer. Familiar.
Not Pentecostal but not all that overtly Lutheran. The important thing to me was it was a conservative church. I am not interested in relativism. I’m pretty much a every word is true in the Bible kind of guy. I’m pretty fundamental. I could live with the doctrine (with only a couple hesitations). I could embrace this Church.
I liked the Pastor. Barry Kolb. He was my age. He had been kicked around in life as I had been. He was from the Midwest. I found him genuine and appropriately standoffish.
I know what that’s all about. Lots of people with promise come in one door and out another. As a pastor you have to test them, watch them, deal with them and then after a period of time begin to use them. At the beginning I wasn’t sure why we were at Lord of Life. I was actually quizzed by Pentecostal friends of mine as to why I was there. I had one local pastor call me and offer to share his pulpit if I would join up with him. Not a huge church (a hundred or so). I wasn't ready to go back to that again.
I wanted to hide out. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. I was done ministering for a while. I went to Barry and told him I was there to hide out. He told me later he didn’t believe me. He thought there was some reason I was there. I shared some things I was working on like my book on marriage. I gave him a galley of it before it was published.
We talked, I did a bit of teaching. I shared some insights. He did the same. I was intentionally free in worship. Raised my hands. Danced a bit. Hollered Hallelujah. I note I’m a bit less expressive lately. Maybe that darn Lutheran thing is wearing off on me. I hope not. I Need a breakthru.
Barry has a well recognized gift of an apostle. He’s not a pastor even if he carries the title. He’s an apostle. Thru and thru. He is learning to wear the mantle well. It needs a nip and tuck here and there to fit but as he becomes comfortable in the role he grows in God.
After we had been attending and after I had spent time communicating with him in certain areas I came to him and said, “It’s been 3 years. It’s time. Put me in coach, I'm done warming the pew".
He did. I was released to run amuck in ministry in the Church and run amuck I do. I stay under submission, I make sure there are not any blindsided issues that come up, I stay committed to the vision of the Church. I see it converging with the vision of God regarding the Church he wants in the Fox Valley.
I see something pregnant in the Spirit. I smell breakthrough at Lord of Life. Only man can stop it. IF man does, God will take his bat and ball, put Ichabod over the door and move on. If that happens, I’m going with God. I have a sense so will Barry. So will a lot of people.
So, my Pentecostal Friends, why in the heck do I stick around? It’s not about Barry. He’s a great guy but there are great guys everywhere. I have a sense in my spirit that I am exactly where God wants me. I don’t know and can’t articulate exactly why. I do know that God’s plan for Lord of Life is for there to be much more than where we are now. All we need to do is walk it out. Deeper water Lord.
The question I keep asking is, How far will you let us go, how abandoned will you let us be? Further, More Lord More.
Peggy and I go to Rockford or Bolingbrook to get our Pentecostal fix. I’m believing that day will end soon. I’m believing that the Vision God gave me 11 years ago is beginning to manifest at Lord of Life. I want the full experience. Breakthrough, Lord, Breakthrough.
A prophecy was given Barry by another prophet (not me). He told Barry that he would be a disturber of denominations. I don’t think it is any accident that the largest growing Mo Synod Church in the whole of the USA in Nebraska (King of Kings) is using the same worship model that Lord of Life does. The old is past, behold all things are become new. I loved liturgy, it just lost it’s meaning. Time to reach a new level. Disturb em Lord. Disturb come from the word stir. Paul told Timothy to STIR UP THE GIFT. It’s time in the Lutheran Church to stir it up.
I operate mostly in the ministry gifting of Teacher and Prophet at Lord of Life. Teaching and encouragement. There is so much more that can and should be done. I’m impatient. God has so much more for Lord of Life. I find mostly my teaching is Prophetic. And My prophetic gift is instructive. It’s a hard gift for people to cope with. I’m not a pastor. I can be brusque. I’m impatient. I’m abrupt. I can become angry. I’m pretty out there with my dealings with people. But the nature of the Prophet is to yell at Saul when he burned the offering out of order. To cut the heads off the conquered Kings. To confront the Davids when they fall. Prophesying isn’t always comfortable but it’s necessary. Primarily the prophetic gift operates in the area of encouragement, edification, and challenging the status quo to go higher in God. It also requires that if I see something that doesn’t line up with the word of God as revealed to me that I am required by my gift to address it. It’s usually not a deal breaker. But if I don’t speak up I am quenching the gift God put within me and I run the risk of having the anointing taken from me. Fortunately my personality doesn’t worry too much about risk. God placed the gift of Creative Discontent in my spirit. I’m never ever ever satisfied with where I am in God or where I want to be. The same for the Church with which I am working.
I will stay and work my tail off to help bring about the vision of the Church God showed me. I will do so until and if the Lord says stop. My flesh wants to stay. It has the capacity to be comfortable. My obedience must be immediate. Like Barry if famous for saying, “Before you ask Lord, the answer is yes”.
I don’t know how this will all come out. I do know this. When a wonderful experience in God takes place people want that same experience again. When a really great service or event takes place people wish we could do that again. “I wish every service could be like this”.
NO!
I don’t ever want a do over. I want a do better, more. Every time we get together as a congregation the service should be better than the last time. Is that too lofty a goal? I don’t think so. Every meeting, every service, every event should be better then the last one. They should never go backwards. Or we are saying God’s not creative enough by his Holy Spirit to allow us to do better. After the last Men of God Meeting I got a call from a participant who said, “That was the best ever. Every time it’s better than the last time”. IT SHOULD BE!! We must expect nothing less.
Whenever those flashes of wonder take place Rodney Howard-Browne’s words come back, “You can live like this Gene”.
Lord of Life can live like this.
I’m going to exercise my ministry giftings to whatever extent I can to make it happen.
POUR IT OUT IN OUR HEARTS LORD,
POUR IT OUT IN OUR HEARTS.
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