Lately much of my time has been spent planning for the new church year.  Everyone knows we are facing tremendous challenges and these have certainly been in the forefront of my thoughts as I attempt to move our state organization to the future.  At times I feel afraid and unsure.  After seasons of prayer I feel confident and positive.  Perhaps a leader should not admit this, but I find myself on an emotional roller coaster – sometimes sure everything is going to be all right; other times wondering how we will get through these rough waters.

Recently while in prayer, I felt drawn to give attention to the beginning of the Church of God.  It seemed as though the Holy Spirit was saying to me, “the things I blessed in the past are the things I will bless today.”  As I gave careful thought to this important time in our history, three things stood out to me as strong characteristics of our early days.  I really believe these are the areas we must, again, give emphasis to if we are to be the people He created us to be.

Hunger for God.  In 1884 Richard Spurling, a Baptist minister, became disenchanted with the direction his church was going.  He spent the next two years studying the Scriptures.  In 1886 the Christian Union was organized with 8 members.  This group did not come together as disgruntled church members; they were simply hungry for God.

It is this hunger God wants to stir in us again!  Church is not about our likes and dislikes.  Church is not about politics and position.  Church is not about agendas and the plans of men.  It must be about God!

Oh, that Psalm 42:1 would again become the prayer of our heart, “As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.”  This kind of desire will meet with God’s favor.  He truly fills those who are hungry.

Holiness.  The Christian Union later changed its name to the “Holiness Church at Camp Creek.”  These people wanted to be identified as a holiness church.  This distinctive was extremely important to them.

We live in a time of widespread immorality.  Absolutes have become diluted in many circles.  Religion is experienced without Jesus.  If ever the message of holiness needs to be preached, it is today.

Holiness is not a bad word.  It is not hard or mean.  It is not legalism.  It is simply finding what God loves and doing it; it is finding what God hates and leaving it alone.  Holiness is God’s involvement in our everyday lives.  Holiness is a good thing!

Holy Spirit Outpouring.  In 1896 a revival was conducted at Shearer School House in North Carolina.  During this revival the Holy Spirit fell and 100 people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance.  What had begun 10 years earlier as an effort to draw closer to God now had escalated to a Pentecostal movement.

This is who we are!  We were birthed by the Holy Spirit to be a Pentecostal voice in this world.  We are not the only voice, but we are here to be a voice.  We must not deny our Pentecostal roots and purpose.  We make a serious, and fatal, mistake when we try to be something we are not.  We are Pentecostal!

I am hungry for a genuine, authentic Holy Spirit outpouring in our church.  I’m not interested in some flashy production.  We don’t need some spiritual celebrity calling attention to himself and his ministry.  We need people who are hungry for God; who live in private what they preach in public; and are willing to surrender to the leading of the Spirit.  This is what God blessed in the past – I believe He will bless it again today.

In today’s climate, it is important for churches to recognize an “anything goes” attitude is not acceptable.  In days gone by it may have been possible to make up for shortcomings by being friendly, preaching sound doctrine, or doing something else that catered to a particular group – but not now.  In most cases you have one chance to get it right – you always have to be on your game, and with excellence.

It has always bothered me how we hold other institutions to a higher standard than we want to hold our ministries to.  We demand the public schools do a good job.  We want only the best from our doctors.  Our financial institutions are expected to be above reproach.  Yet, when it comes to church, we justify our mediocrity by saying we are sincere or trying hard.  The time has come for our standards to rise.

God has always required (and deserved) our best.  All we need do is look at the requirements He implemented for sacrifices in the Old Testament – He wanted only the best.  Throughout the New Testament, the Church was instructed to be in order and operate properly.  I strongly believe He still expects the same from us.

Our talent level may not be comparable to someone else’s.  Our resources may be limited.  We may have some natural challenges that are difficult to overcome.  But, we can always give our best and strive to do better.  Excellence should always be our goal.  There is absolutely no excuse for anything less.