A Little Harsh

Ok, i may have been a bit harsh with my last blog. As i thought about it more i'd like to post an update.

Culture. i think that's what it comes down to - Culture. Churches operate in the culture that they have carved out for themselves. if the culture is one of the people of the congregation control every minute detail and decision, that's the way the church will operate. If the atmosphere is one of support and vision - there you go.

Changing culture is one of the most difficult things in the world to do. it's a slow but sadly needed process in some churches.

Not all churches need the same culture and it would be a sad and boring world if all churches were the same. I'm just wanting the church to be all it can be! we all have different styles and likes and takes but the church is the vehicle God chose to impact the world. it's not a social club or a conscience soother, it's the main tool that can change the world.

Let's be who we're called to be. God has saved us and empowered us and filled us with His vision and gifts and talents to fulfill that vision. Let's roll!

The Good and Bad of Easter

I LOVE holidays! i like the family getting together. i like the significance of why we celebrate. i like the fact that people who don't normally go to church tend to go on holidays.

Easter is an amazing holiday - the resurection of Jesus Christ! we've all seen babies being born, or at least know a couple who were, but a resurection - alive again after being dead. I don't know anyone personally that has done that (other than Jesus). This day alone should be one day churches seek out and go after those who aren't saved. (My hope would be all days are days that churches seek to get people saved, but...)

the church we go to had over 100 salvations this past Sunday - I LOVE it! one guy said the pastor couldn't keep up with the hands being raised. the church we were visiting had 10-20 people give their hearts to Jesus over the weekend. again, VERY cool!

but one thing i saw broke my heart. i was watching an Easter service online and the pastor had a prayer for salvation and i couldn't tell how many raised their hands. At the end of the service, he said they had tried to connect with new salvations in a couple of different ways that weekend and "the didn't really work out." that right there gave me a little alert. then he asked for those who said the prayer to come down to the front to meet him AS EVERYONE ELSE WAS LEAVING. That broke my heart.

Churches try to make "getting right with God" some sort of therapy thing or something that you-could-do-if-you-really-wanted-but-it's-ok-if-you-don't-because-we-don't-want-to-offend-you-or-make-you-uncomfortable-so-we-really-won't-commit-to-anything.

To have people who just made the MOST IMPORTANT decision of their life fight a mass of people going the opposite way is kinda crazy. It does nothing to help the culture of the church to say that salvation is something we thrown in at the very end and all the motion of the room is going towards the back while the new christians are supposed to move to the front.

Every service i've been in the last 3 and a half years at Hillsong and Wave have had an altar call no matter what the message was on or what happened in the service and all but maybe 2 have had at least 1 person, normally multiple people, respond and get saved.

it doesn't seem that hard. i guess i'm just not getting American, seeker-friendly mentality. This is the antidote to the greatest disease on earth - sin. How can we pick and choose when we offer it or make it so non-commital that people aren't sure what happened.

I'm really stirred and convicted of my personal example of this and am making a committment to live what i preach. Please come with me - the world is counting on us.

FINALLY!!

Hooray for the Colts! After years of just missing and heartbreak, they put it all together. It wasn't pretty, but it's a Super Bowl victory.

Time to go deep. I want to tie together two things that i love - football and God.

The Colts season is really a great picture of a Christian life. They started strong, winning their first nine games. But the problem was they played just better than the compitition in some of those games. They beat weaker teams by only a few points. Then the losses came and after starting strong they finished 12-4. Good, but no where near what they could've done.

They got back to basics, made the main thing the main thing again and rocked through the playoffs. Then the capper was winning the big game.

It's so easy in Christiandom, especially here in the States, to just "play to the competition." We are just good enough or go to church enough to stay one step ahead of problems or the devil himself. We do enough to keep us saved, but there's no tapping into the true power of the cross.

We (i) need to get back to the main thing - seeking Jesus and living as close to Him as possible and craving, depending, feeding on the power of God alive in us. We don't all face being down 18 points in a championship game against our arch-rivals, but we face health, financial, relational, work, family, emotional obstacles sometimes daily. We really have to keep our cool - know that "greater is He that is in me" and that "nothing is impossible for God" and just keep at our game plan.

I know i'm probably over-spiritualizing the Colts season, but i think the lesson is solid. If you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you, you can't just get by. We are "more than conquerers through Christ Jesus" who lives in us. We win!

Think about that as you watch the fantastic parade as the Colts get back to Indy.

A Chalfant5 Update

Get your head in the game

I'm thinking that Brook and i have a different perspective on American Christianity since we lived out of it for a couple of years. We were pretty amazed when we first got back a year ago at the self-focus and small thinking. I thought i was being too critical and sensitive, so i chilled for a while. But i can't chill any longer. No punches pulled on this one.

At a large prayer meeting recently, the guy praying asked for those struggling financially to stand for prayer. It was a large portion of the crowd. Then he asked for those with health issues to stand. The lady in front of us muttered "Well that'll be pretty much everyone" as she stood for prayer.

I don't deny that there are occasional money and health issues - the Bible has many. But it seems we have a lifestyle of not quite having enough. There's a sickness, poverty mentality that is so enveloping American Christianity. I'm talking about those who just dwell there and wear their need as some kind of badge - "My needs and problems are worse than yours..."

There is a simple solution, one that is almost too easy. Get outside of yourself. I know in my life he times i've dealt with the most junk are those times i get self-absorbed and then it just sucks me in. Naval gazing, self-absorbtion, self pity, it's all a pit. Once you start down that road of self, it's a quick downhill slide. Pray, bring your need to God and then serve something or someone outside of yourself.

Sorry if i sound mean and uncaring. There is need and sickness and issues surrounding us. It just strikes me that health, provision, blessing and soundness come when we put ourselves second or third and serve someone else.

I'm not talking about earning something by works, but by proving our love and that Jesus is Lord in all situations by putting Him first and loving others like we love ourselves.

Pray, love, give, serve.

Whoa!

My new job at CBNnews.com is all about news. It's cool that i'm surrounded by news and current events all day long, but weird that i'm right in the middle of it all day long. It's amazing to see the bias of some agencies and the restraint of others. It's part of my job to monitor top stories from around the web and the news channels.

One of the most amazing displays of restraint is that of the nation of Israel. I'm amazed at how they are so cool under fire and how they are going about taking care of Hezbollah and others who seek their demise. If they wanted to, they could totally wipe out Hezbollah and Hamas but with incredible numbers of civilian casualties. They are doing it the right way by surgically taking out the terrorist infrastructure.

I'm also amazed at what a difference a Christian perspective puts on the news. Things are still bad and circumstances are still rising all around, but when you can look at things with a hope and a sense that nothing is a surprise to God, it makes all the difference. Our God is still in control and has everything under control. Wild fires, tropical storms, terrorism, war, stem cell debate ... all are still under the jurisdiction of the One who created it all and holds us in His hand.

First Post

Well, we've finally entered the current century. Somebody the other day pulled out an old Family Feud game and said it was from last century. I guess we won't get into records and 8 tracks.

Brook and i have some stuff brewing around in our heads, so stay tuned. We're finally getting into a groove back in the States and this area and life in general, so we'll be doing some brain dumps soon.

Blessings,
c