"Make disciples...teach."  (Matthew 28:19-20)
 "Preach the gospel…signs will follow." (Mark 16:15-17)
"Tarry…receive power."  (Luke 24:49)
"Feed My sheep."  (John 21:15-17)

The Spirit-filled churches have gone through a shaking in the past month as Todd Bentley and the Lakeland outpouring have gone through theirs.  Many are asking, "Why doesn't the church have more discernment?" 

In my forty years as a Christian, I have lived through many such upheavals.  Some were nationally known; some were in local ministries.  Any time a minister falls, we all have a lot of heart searching to do. Have we been too trusting?  Did we see it coming?  Was it really God who worked through th person who fell?

Some react by dropping out of church altogether.  Others reject whole parts of the body of Christ:  all prophets or all evangelists, all Spirit-filled churches, all churches that are led by a single pastor instead of a team of elders - the list goes on and on.

But rejecting others in the church is a mistake.  Why?  Because we cannot fulfill our own assignments unless we receive from and work with others whose callings differ from ours.

The main phrases of four versions of the Great Commission, quoted above, highlight diverse aspects of the mission Jesus gave the church. Though our personal assignments will emphasize one aspect or another, it takes all four to present the whole ministry of Jesus.  We need one another.

This is where discernment comes in.  We can't commit ourselves to everyone who claims to be a minister of Christ or to everything that purports to be a move of God.  But using discernment, we can draw richly even from flawed vessels; this in turn will strengthen us for our God-given task.

This happened to many of us at Lakeland.  We received a new anointing for healing, or were moved to seek it at home.  God stirred our hunger for Him.  We received a fresh impartation for worship.  The outpouring empowered us for the tasks He has given us.

God hasn't called us to judge people on either side of the controversy:  Todd, the people who went to Lakeland, or the critics who speak against it.  Instead, He expects us to use discernment as we draw what we can from what He has done and is doing there - and then to pour ourselves into what He has given us to do wherever He has placed us.
 

What is discernment?

I Thessalonians 5:17 commands, "Test all things.  Hold fast what is good."

This verse gives a concise definition of discernment.  God commands us to test everything and to look not for what's wrong, but for what we can embrace.  We often paraphrase it, "Eat the meat; spit out the bones."

If all you can see is that something is wrong, you have partial discernment at best.   Our own critical or suspicious nature is not discernment.  Even when you sense something is wrong, true discernment will look for what is right.

Years ago, a man told me he attended a healing crusade and saw powerful gifts in action.  But then, when they received the offering, he was offended - at the minister, for abusing and manipulating the people, and at God for pouring out such a rich healing anointing on a huckster.  He went home and prayed about it.  "Lord, how can You anoint a man who abuses the people as he did?"

God's answer:  "He has faith for healing, but he doesn't have faith for finances."

Sooner or later we all go to meetings like that and wrestle with the same sort of issues.  Do we throw out everything because we found a flaw?  Or can we receive the healing anointing the man had, and let someone else teach us about giving?

True discernment isn't pass/fail.  It steers around the bad and embraces the good.

Over the years, God has often used an objectionable package to deliver a necessary ingredient for my ministry.  I once was offended at a woman's ministry style, and then  she prophesied a word I needed.   I had to struggle to decide whether to receive the word or not.  I have relived this scenario many times.

Discernment looks past the failings of man and identifies what God wants to do.  We don't focus on throwing away the bones; we focus on eating the meat.  If we can receive only from those who are like us, it will stunt our growth.  We are not discerning the body of Christ.

Some who watched the Lakeland outpouring on God.TV were offended when Todd said "Bam!" in a water baptism.  Others were excited because he had people who wanted to be baptized.  Are there any bones here?  Is there any meat? What will you receive?

Sooner or later, we face the same issues with church.  A leader falls into sin, or the church is torn apart in a split, or a misunderstanding leads to false accusation against us.  What will we do?  Many of us throw out the meat of church life because we have choked on a bone.

This isn't discernment.  It's offense.  We've been made to stumble, and we haven't gotten up again.  A few of us may be able to look at the facts squarely and simply repent.  Others need a very personal work of grace that will restore our souls so we can reconnect.  


We need the diversity of the Great Commission.

Todd Bentley's ministry has highlighted Mark's version of the Great Commission:  to preach the gospel with signs following.  His look and his style attracted many who don't go to church.   Others came from the churches to receive more anointing to move in the power gifts.

Todd's critics have usually been among those who embody Matthew's version of the Great Commission:  to go deeply into teaching the word and making disciples.  These are often the ones who look not at the miracles, but at the doctrinal flaws.

The secret of Todd's strength is the time he has spent soaking. This is a fulfillment of Jesus' command in Luke:  tarry in Jerusalem, and receive power.  Todd makes it clear that the gifts that flow in his life are the result of the time he has spent in God's presence.

And now that Todd's weaknesses have been exposed, he has resigned from public ministry and is submitting himself to a season of personal restoration.  This is a time when Todd needs what we all have needed at one time or another:  pastoral care.  John's version of the Great Commission includes the kind of ministry that often happens one-on-one.

We can't just specialize.  We need all the ingredients.  We need to connect with others in the body of Christ, especially those who find it hard to work together.

We who love Matthew's version of the Great Commission will often find evangelists and their power gifts hard to take.  For one thing, they draw bigger crowds than we draw - it's hard not to look for flaws that minimize their ministries so we can bolster our own.  It takes grace to look for the scriptures they are fulfilling and to support their ministries.

Those of us who love Mark's version of the Great Commission may not want to bother with sound doctrine.  We may not want to take time to linger in God's presence.  We may be impatient with the touchy-feely aspects of pastoral ministry.  But if we do nothing but win souls and move in the gifts, we will produce a shallow people who chase excitement but don't know how to follow Jesus in daily life.

Some of us are Mary, not Martha, and are happiest when we tarry in Jerusalem.  It's good to wait on God - this is why the assignment in the online school of the Spirit includes soaking ten to fifteen times each month.  (See www.gospelsmith.com)  But there would not be a church today if the twelve had tarried and then done nothing else.

Some of us are so focused on the flock God has called us to pastor that we lose touch with the rest of the body of Christ.  It can seem that life would be smooth sailing if they would simply stay home and stay content, but they don't.  They see things like the Lakeland Outpouring on God.TV, and spread a wave of agitation through the church.  But it's not a problem; it's an opportunity.  Part of the pastor's job is to walk through it with the people, teaching them by word and example to prove all things and assimilate what is good.

Our goal is not to criticize or condemn the ministries of others; at the other extreme, we can't pattern ourselves after others.  We each must follow Jesus, and we all must be ourselves.  He will use others to impart needed ingredients into our lives, even when we notice something objectionable about those He uses.

My own calling is to provide an online school of the Spirit; along with that, I travel to various places to preach or move in the gifts or move in prophetic song.  But my online school can never substitute for your relationship with a home church, and my ministry as I travel cannot possibly convey all four aspects of the Great Commission - it's more than anyone can do in a single meeting or even in a few days.

As I connect with other ministries, I commit more deeply to some than to others.  I find so much of Christ in some that I seek out a long-term relationship; I find more bones than meat in others and am content to have a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with them and to leave it at that.  

But however closely I work with other ministries, I always try to focus on the good things God is doing, not on the flaws.  Revelation 12:9-10 says Satan is the accuser of the brethren.  I don't want to do his work for him.

We need discernment, not a critical and fault-finding spirit, as we connect with others.  God will use them to strengthen and nourish us for the unique assignments He has given us.  We can't do it alone.  

Soaking Cruise.  We are planning a worship cruise in March, 2009, with JoAnn McFat-ter, Julie Meyer, Steve Swanson, and myself - more about this at www.gospelsmith.com/Cruise.htm.

Online School Of The Spirit Resources.  In September, the online school of the Spirit will explore how teamwork can strengthen your ministry.

September Assignment - Click Here.  Blogs for each subject are updated every Tuesday.

The Miracle Lifestyle Blog.  Let Teamwork Launch Your Faith.  Teamwork within the church can release your gifts and awaken your faith.

Prophetic Song Blog.  Teamwork In Prophetic Song.  Right relationships can en-hance the flow of prophetic song.

The Culture Shapers Blog.  Teamwork And Creativity.  Teamwork in the arts can spark your creativity.

Ministry News Blog.  I'm posting prayer needs at the beginning of the month, along with testimonies week by week.

Itinerary. 

September 3-10 -- Dunamis ARC, Las Vegas NV. Connecting with the school of the Spirit hosted by Dennis & Lynnie Walker.

September 12 -- soaking meeting at Agape Church, San Luis Obispo CA.  Spontaneous prophetic music by Stan Smith, Betty Machado, and Casey Barry.  Personal ministry to follow.

September 20 -- Full Gospel Businessmen in Tulare CA.  6:00 pm at Apple Annie's.

September 23 to October 23 -- Charlotte NC and surrounding region.  Still setting up meetings for this trip.

October 4-5 -- The Lord's Table in Goldsboro, NC. Saturday men's breakfast, main service on Sunday morning, and young adults Sunday afternoon.