Has Twitter Killed Blogging?

This morning Gary Lamb posted to his Twitter page a comment that I have been thinking about for a few weeks now…his comment was “Pretty sure Twitter has killed blogging.  Blogs seems dead lately.”

I gotta admit…other than a few blogs…most of the ones I usually read are getting stale.  Many are simply becoming announcement sites for their churches…others are doing more preaching…and still a few of the “behind-the-scenes” church blogs have trickled down to a just a post or two each month because their staff members are now Twittering.

I have to admit that during my hiatus from blogging I came close to not coming back.  Twitter…even with it’s occasional technical difficulties…is easier, less time consuming and more immediate than blogging.  There are days when it seems like drudgery to type a complete blog post when I can just Twitter something in 140 words or less.  Maybe I am just getting lazy…or maybe I’m coming to realize that blogging has become a thing to really zap my time and productivity.  I don’t know, but I’m wondering if Gary is not correct…has Twitter spelled the end to blogging as we know it?

The “Revival” In Lakeland

For several days I have been wrestling with the idea of blogging my concerns in reference to the “revival” taking place in Lakeland.  I foolishly mentioned it a couple of days ago before I had completely thought things through.  I learned my lesson last year when I wrote this post…that some things are meant for the world to see…and some things are only meant for Compass Point to see.  Under normal circumstances I would never comment on what is going on at another church…much less providing commentary as to the validity of it.  However, the fact that these “healing” services are taking place in our own backyard…and that quite a few of our folks at Compass Point are being “pressured” by friends and family to attend…we (the Elders and I) feel a need to address this issue…with our people.  I have watched many hours of the “revival” online through the streaming webcast…and have now attended a service in person.  I finally feel that I’m in a place to Scripturally discern what is…and isn’t…real about what is taking place…and to share that with the flock I shepherd.

I would encourage those outside of Lakeland to watch what they see on the webcast…and then search the Bible for Scriptural backing for what is taking place.  I would also encourage you not to make the trip down here for “healing” before you’ve consulted your own pastor about it.  I am not your pastor…it is not my place to tell you what to believe…or attempt to shepherd you through a blog.

Sorry to those that were waiting for my report.  Please don’t email me privately…I won’t be answering.

The “Revival” In Lakeland

Before I begin posting about Exponential…I feel a need to address something I have been questioned about a BUNCH over the last few days.  It is concerning the “revival” that is taking place at a local church in Lakeland.  The questions started last week while I was at Exponential, have continued through dozens of emails a day and now have begun showing up in the comment section of my blog.

I’ll go on record as saying this…I have not been to the church or the “revival” meetings.  I do not feel comfortable in commenting right now on whether it is real or fake.  At some point before the week is out I will attend one of the meetings…take a few days to reflect…discern what I see and experience with Scripture…and then let my congregation know my take on it Sunday.

I am comfortable enough to say that I have some questions as to the validity of it.  There are several reasons for this…the main one of which is that the Assemblies of God in Florida (of which the church in question is a part of) is not endorsing it…Southeastern University is not endorsing it (I respect their leadership very much)…and very few people in Lakeland or Polk County are even aware that it is going on…or are affected by it.  The majority of the attendance has been from people flying in from other parts of the world desperately trying to relive what happened at Brownsville and Toronto.  Those in Lakeland…or from Lakeland…are also skeptical of the church sponsoring the event.  This is not a new church…just a new name.  It is the remnants and leadership of a former hyper-Charismatic mega-church that came crashing down amid scandal.  This will not have been the first time the church or its leaders has used “signs of wonder and healing” to hype itself on the national and international Pentecostal stage.  Most folks in Lakeland are looking at the “revival”…and the hype from the church sponsoring it…as “same song second verse”.

Even though I am Southern Baptist I still believe that the “gifts of Spirit” are alive and well today…in certain situations.  It is certainly not a Biblical issue that is causing me to question the validity of the “revival”…it is the issue of integrity within the church’s leadership that is causing me to question it.  As I stated above…I will attend…and discern…and talk to my church about it.

If You Eat The Government Cheese…

Yesterday I spent some time on the phone with a church planter in the “Bible Belt”.  Seems he has been pushing a specific Presidential candidate on his church’s blog (as opposed to his personal blog) and from the pulpit.  Now the Treasury Department is looking into it and have discussed possible action against the church if it doesn’t stop.  He’s pretty ticked at the U.S. government right now and was spouting off some crap over the phone about “freedom of speech”.  I told him…there is no such thing as freedom of speech when you are eating the government cheese.  He hung up pretty pissed at me.

One of the things that really gets under my skin is when pastors or religious “leaders” use their platform and influence to push particular candidates or political parties.  It’s against the law…shut up…quit…stop being a criminal!!!  Here’s the deal…churches have tax exempt status…we don’t pay taxes.  Our congregation gets a tax break for the money they tithe.  Some of us dishonest pastors have even stopped paying Social Security citing some ridiculous crap about it being against the Bible to pay into a government retirement program.  In essence, we are eating the government cheese!!!

If you want freedom of speech…the freedom to push a particular candidate…the freedom to actively support the Communist Wombats Of America party…the freedom to incite people to picket for the “Save The Gay Spotted Whales Society”…then stop eating the government cheese.  Give up your 501c status…become a for-profit business…pay your feakin’ taxes….and say anything that comes to your little pea-sized brain.  Until then…shut up about politics…and preach the Word of God!!!

Rant over…have a nice day! 

Some Random Thoughts

• It’s a BIG week with Easter being next Sunday.
• Yes, the fall out has begun from Sunday’s message and “bombshells“.
• I’ve got to get an article in today for the attendee’s booklet for Exponential.
• Too many meetings…not enough time.
• Kyle officially took over yesterday…nothing has blown up yet. 
• I hate phones…especially cell phones.
• Lost our children’s leader this week…BIG shoes to fill.
• Looking to hire me an assistant…my wife doesn’t want the job for fear of sexual harrassment.
•  Administratively my ADD is kicking in BIG TIME right now…but spiritually I’m laser focused.
• Perry needs to start a coaching network.
• Got some new lighting on the way.  “Clark, the little lights aren’t twinkling.”
•  Can’t get enough of Lee McDerment’s song “Uncontainable”!!!
• Blogging can sometimes be a pain to do…especially the week of Easter.

Pete’s Gone Home

I just got the call…Pete went Home this morning. At his request, people were reading the Bible to him while he was in the hospice facility. Yesterday Pete was hearing about Jesus Christ…today he met Him face to face.

Thank you for all of your prayers, emails and comments posted here about Pete. When he and I talked about it last Thursday he didn’t understand what a blog was…but was moved by the fact that so many people from all over the world took an interest in him. For a man that was once told he would die on the streets…homeless and destitute…he sure had a lot of people that loved him.

It’s 5:00 am

It’s 5:00 am and I’m up.  I thought I was getting over my stomach virus yesterday…ate some “normal food” last night…have been experiencing the “normal food” exiting my body by different avenues since 3:30 am this morning.

I’m told that Lakeland Regional Hospital is filled to capacity by people with this virus.  Called for a doctor’s appointment yesterday only to be told that there aren’t any openings for two weeks…they aren’t even taking stand-by waiting.  My only option now is the emergency room or a walk-in clinic.  We’ll see how the day goes before I take those routes.

In the mean time I’m working on my sermon for Sunday…in between bathroom rounds.  I’m trying to remain positive…believing that I will actually be well enough to preach on Sunday.  Therefore, I’ll keep prepping the final chapter of Jonah.  The only problem is that Jonah keeps telling God to just let him die.  That’s exactly what I’ve been telling God since 3:30 am. 

Pray For Pete

Just found out that Pete has been moved to the hospice facility here in Lakeland.  The doctors are not giving him very much time…so please pray for him and his family.  Last week we took a large print Bible to him and he’s been falling asleep with it on his chest every night…he’s been reading it all day…every day.  Our visits have mainly consisted of conversations about doctrine, what certain verses mean and what Heaven is going to be like.  There was a question he asked me about Scripture that had me stumped…Pete said, “That’s okay…I’ll just ask God in a few weeks when I get there!!!”  He’s in a lot of pain…but he still has a joy and sense of humor about him that just lights up the room.  Because of my virus I can’t visit Pete tonight…but hope to get by to “talk Bible” with him tomorrow.

A Great One Walks Away

I Got Tagged

My friend Adam Mayfield tagged me today…and thinks I won’t follow through with it.  It’s my birthday…so I might as well have some fun.  The tag goes like this…

• Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more (no cheating!)
• Find page 123
• Count down five sentences
• Post the next three sentences
• Tag five people

The book is “Patoral Ministry: How To Shepherd Biblically” by Dr. John MacArthur (it’s sitting on my desk right now).  Dr. MacArthur is talking about the requirements for pastors/elders as found in 1 Timothy 3 and the tagged sentences are:

God’s logic for these high standards moves from the lesser to the greater.  If a man cannot lead the little flock of his own family effectively, he certainly cannot fruitfully undertake leadership of the larger flock, the church. “But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God (1 Tim. 3:5)”

I’m still thinking about the five folks I’ll be tagging…but rest assured I will be tagging five others.