BLCS Computers Repaired and Restored

We received our computers back from HP, have restored and updated them.  We are glad to say that everything is now working better than it did before the patch shut them all down.  We still have a backlog that will back about a week to completely catch up on.  We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience with this unexpected turn of events.

 

Biblical Life College & Seminary

Looking for Shortcuts in Your Education for Ministry?

By Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

Have you ever decided that you were going to lose some weight, and so you went down to the local superstore to look for the new and improved pills that claim that you can lose weight quickly, easily, no work required, and eat all you want?  Well, many have tried these shortcuts only to find that the side effects included: blurred vision, nausea, heart palpitations, heart-attack, and stroke.  The truth is that nothing will replace getting rid of junk food, eating wholesome foods, and old fashioned exercise (i.e. hard work).

The same can be said about your education for ministry.  There are many schools out there that are like the diet pills:  shortcuts that try to replace hard work.  We have all seen them all over the Internet:

•    Free Tuition
•    Open Book Exams
•    No Writing Requirements
•    Get Your Degree FAST

You may quickly receive your degree certificate, but side effects include:  blurred spiritual vision, shallowness of spiritual depth, a heart that will faint during testing and trials, confusion about real spiritual direction, and a shipwrecked ministry.

This is not a debate over non-governmental accreditation versus governmental accreditation.  The difference between the two in many aspects is philosophical and ideological.  Both have their benefits and drawbacks.  (More on the differences in an upcoming article.)   This article is really about two things:  (1)  insisting on valid academic standards, and (2) spiritual depth.

Valid Academic Standards

Let’s take a look at some basic standards that you should be aware of:

Undergraduate Degrees: 

•    Associate degrees require 60 semester credit hours of study, and Bachelor degrees require 120.  (No exceptions:  there is no such a thing as a 60 to 90 hour Bachelor degree.)

•    A 3 semester credit hour class completed in residence would require attending class once a week for 16 weeks with at least two hours a week of homework.  Extensive reading and a good bit of writing are all a part of the educational process.  You are not going to complete a 3 SCH course at home, part-time, in a couple of weeks.

•    Closed book exams and writing are essential to the learning process.  Remove them and you greatly degrade your education.  In fact, it can reduce it to glorified Sunday School material.

Graduation Degrees:

•    Master of Divinity:  All legitimate M.Div. Programs should require between 80 to 100 SCHS to complete, regardless of the major.

•    If you have a secular undergraduate or graduate degree (to include a doctorate), the Master of Divinity should be the required program of study.  You should never be allowed directly into a doctoral program without the appropriate religious graduate degree.

•    A thesis should be required to complete a master’s degree, and a dissertation should be required for a doctoral degree.  No shortcut should be accepted.  The only ones that will be shortchanged are you and all those that you minister to in the future.

All Programs:

Life Experience Credits:  We need to be more realistic with Life Experience Credits (LECs).  The Accrediting Commission International has set very good standards:  maximum LECs at the undergraduate level is 30 and a maximum of 8 at the graduate level.   No college or seminary accredited by ACI should allow more.

Depth of Materials:  All programs should challenge you, stretch you spiritually and intellectually, and have significant depth to them.  Over the years, we have had many serious students that tried other schools, only to return out of spiritual hunger and a search for the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  We have also had many new students from other schools surprised when they learned more in one course with Biblical Life College & Seminary compared to an entire degree program at their previous school.  What you receive during your training will be used in ministry the rest of your life.  Dig deep and expect transformation during your studies.

The Paradox of the Fig Tree

Mark 11:12-14 (NKJV)
12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again." And His disciples heard it.

Many ministers skip over these verses to deal with aspects of faith, but few understand why Jesus cursed the fig tree.  There is more involved here than just a lesson on walking in faith.  We see the phrase "a fig tree having leaves" and do not realize what is being referred to in the scripture.  Our hermeneutic process must dig a little deeper than just glossing over the surface.  The fig tree had leaves as if it had already born fruit, even though it "was not the season for figs."  The tree had not yet endured the heat and toil of summer that is required to produce fruit, yet it was trying to present itself as having fruit.  This deception was cursed by the Savior.

Here is our lesson picture.  The leaves can represent your degree certificate and the fruit is what should have been developed in you as you underwent the season of learning required to develop the proper fruit.  Heaven does not care about the leaves (i.e. your degree certificates hanging on the wall), rather it looks for the fruit that was developed in your life through the discipline of structured spiritual and academic study.

Those seeking shortcuts are more interested in showing leaves, and those that have real spiritual hunger and a desire to be used of God in the Last Days have a desire for fruit.  I pray you hunger for fruit!

© Copyright 2010 by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.
All Rights Reserved

The Purpose and Power of Freedom

So many believers talk about the freedom we have in Christ, but few realize the true purpose of their freedom.  This week, Dr. Lake reveals from the Word of God what the true purpose of our freedom in Messiah is.  Only when we learn to flow in that freedom is a new level of power released from Heaven into our lives.

Download Free MP3 Message on “The Purpose and Power of Freedom

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Dr. Michael K. Lake is the Chancellor and Founder of Biblical Life College and Seminary and the Pastor/Apostle of Biblical Life Assembly.  He also serves as an educational consultant for many ministries and a Biblical Life Mentor to hundreds of ministers worldwide.  Biblical Life also offers complete teaching series in DVD format through Biblical Life Publishing.

When is the Right Time?

When is the right time? This is the question we ask ourselves with every decision that we make. When is the right time to get married? When is the right time to start taking care of my health? When is the right time to develop deeper relationships? When is the right time to complete the education I need for ministry? When is the right time to start a new ministry?

In discussing this question, there are two types of people:

· Those that wait for the right time.

· Those that make the time right.

Those that wait for the right time never find it! They are the type of individuals that are constantly in a holding pattern in life. They are waiting for things to get better and become more favorable. Have you ever noticed that things never become more favorable in their lives? They wait for things to get better until they reach the autumn of their lives and then say "When I was younger, I could have done it!" This type of individual has bought a lie from the pit of hell. This same lie keeps millions from entering the Kingdom today: "I will wait until things are right to accept Jesus!" The Word tells us that "now" is the day of salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2)

Here is How to Make the Time Right

Right here I could go into all kinds of personal development, organizational and productivity techniques that could help. To be truthful, that is not the first answer. Those are things that you do AFTER you make the time right, not before. I am sure you either think that I am off my rocker or just wondering where in the world I am coming from. Here is the answer:

When prompted by the Holy Spirit!

Just like when someone accepts the LORD, they are prompted by the Holy Spirit. With the prompting comes the anointing to move forward. Once we begin to move in obedience, the Holy Spirit looses an anointing to get it done. Only after we obey the prompting of the LORD do all of the other productivity techniques and technologies come into play. That prompting by the Holy Spirit is your window of opportunity! Let me give you a few examples:

1. For those of you that have been reading the "Mentor's Tips" that I have been publishing, some are better than others. Come on, be truthful. The truth presented in the articles is correct, but the writing skill and level of anointing in them are different. Have you ever asked yourself why? For some articles, when the Holy Spirit deposited the idea into my spirit, I dropped everything I was doing and wrote immediately. At times the circumstances did not look like the right time to write, but the Holy Spirit knew when the right time was. As I yielded to Him in obedience, He loosed ability and anointing in me that took those articles to a level that cannot be achieved without Him.

The articles that were good, but so-so on the anointing, were articles where He prompted me and I wrote down the concept but did not write out the article. Obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit makes things better!

2. Here is another funny situation that shows the importance of heeding a timely prompting.

Those of you that have called into Biblical Life have had the pleasure of speaking with Pastor Michael Rodhouse. All of you know he has a wonderful pastor's heart. One day as he was finishing up mowing his yard, I stopped to speak with him. I noticed that the seat pad was coming off around the edge on his lawnmower. I felt impressed to point that out to him and told him, "You better fix that. It will just take a minute." Well, he waited for a better time. He was tired and sweaty. The better time never came. Within a day or two his dog found the edge that had come up, worked it off the mower and turned it into a chew toy until it was in pieces. The next time that he mowed, the hard steel seat was a powerful reminder of the importance of heeding a prompting to respond in a timely manner. As a side note, his mower was an older model and he never found a seat that would fit. He found a makeshift seat that would rest on top of the normal seat, but it was never comfortable. It stayed that way for several years until he purchased a new mower.

3. This article.

I had many things on my agenda to accomplish today. I am learning that when the Holy Spirit prompts and speaks, I need to drop everything to follow His leading. It will be a fresh word, and it will minister to those that need it.

What is the Holy Spirit Prompting You to Do?

You need to ask yourself, "What is the Holy Spirit prompting me to do?" For some of you, it is about enrolling with BLCS. For others, it may be to start a new ministry or deepen a relationship. The good news here is that if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to do, He is ready to release the anointing and resources to accomplish it. The only way they will be released is through your act of obedience. You need to realize that you have an open Heaven for this project that only the Holy Spirit can see. It is similar to when the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan. The river did not split until they had stepped into the water!

Once they crossed over, there were still challenges and giants to fight. Each victory came because of obedience to the prompting of God. Once you start to step out in obedience, keep listening and keep doing as the LORD gives ability. Don't allow the enemy to convince you there is a better time. Who knows more, the devil or God?

After you cross over your Jordan, each day the Holy Spirit will open a window of opportunity to move the project further to success. Your task is to stay faithful through obedience to the promptings!

So, what is the Holy Spirit been prompting you to do? There has never been a better time for obedience. There is an open Heaven waiting for you to move forward!

© Copyright by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E. All Rights Reserved

Dr. Michael K. Lake is the Chancellor of Biblical Life College and Seminary and the Senior Pastor/Apostle of Biblical Life Assembly.

April – May Tuition Special

Isn't It Time to Invest In Yourself?

It seems that everyone is talking about investing in the economy  . . . everything but is really important.  For you to move forward in the ministry that God has called you to, you must invest in yourself!  Biblical Life College and Seminary is the best value in educational programs that transform for those called to the ministry.  No other bible college or seminary provides the balance of solid academics and transformational courses that empower like Biblical Life!

Isn't it time for you to roll up your sleeves, invest in yourself, and move forward in God?  We have been assisting ministers just like you for nearly 30 years.  Why not set up a free consultation to see how BLCS can move you forward in your calling?

Current Tuition Special

• Enroll using Plan C (Full Tuition Payment with Enrollment) and receive a full 35% discount on tuition on all programs, except for the Master of Divinity.  All M.Div. students will receive 40% off!

There has never been a better time to enroll!

Offer ends May 31, 2010.

Biblical Life Victory Briefing BLOG

We have been receiving reports that with all the videos that we are posting on YouTube that finding all the segments of each individual teaching can be frustrating.  To correct this problem, we have set up a special BLOG that will organize them for you.

We just uploaded April’s edition titled “Taking Down the Giants.”  We pray it will help you gain “Full Spectrum Preparation” for taking down your giants!

Biblical Life Victory Briefing Video BLOG

The Power of Writing in Ministerial Degree Programs

It seems like everyone in about every area of life is promoting the power of writing today, except in online degree programs for ministerial education. In fact, the trend seems to be just the opposite. Many online bible colleges and seminaries seem to be in a competition of who can require the least amount of writing. This trend not only concerns me, it actually frightens me.

I would like to point to the long history of exceptional ministers in the Body of Christ that were powerful writers. Many of those ministers still speak to us today. Their writing inspires us, challenges us, and even helps us through the most difficult of times. I could also point to the fact that we have the Bible because men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit to write. Where would we be if they shunned writing the way many aspirants of ministry seemed to be doing today?

Writing helps us connect to what we really believe, who we really are, and to the information we need to convey. In Christian counseling and ministerial mentorship, journaling (another form of writing) helps us to discover our strengths, come face-to-face with strongholds, and begin connecting the dots theologically to move to next level thinking in the Kingdom of God.

William J. Farrell, while president of Colorado State University, provided interesting insights into writing in his article "The Power of Writing.[1]" Let's look at several of his statements:

"What is the most important skill a college president can have? . . . writing skills . . ."

"Whether in business, politics, or the academic world, most corporate decisions involve complex choices. To understand the complexity of a problem, as well as the available solutions, executives and board members must turn to written communications. The written report can present data and a level of analysis that would be difficult to convey in oral form."

What Dr. Farrell was expressing is that the power of writing allows us to present and analyze important information that otherwise could not be processed properly. This fact is applicable to both those trying to understand the problem and those working to develop a solution. If writing is so important for analysis and problem solving in the business world, how much more powerful is it in the field of ministry?

Over the years, I have discovered two primary camps in ministry: the deep thinkers with great revelation and the shallow thinkers with pat answers (although there are many somewhere in between). I don't know about you, but when it comes to walking with God and facing the challenges of life, I prefer depth! We think that there is something unique about those that can dig deeply into God's Word, connect dots that most never realized existed, and discover powerful truths that enlighten and empower God's people. That uniqueness is not that God has anointed them to think deeply. I actually believe God calls all of us to that task. What makes them unique is that they are avid readers AND WRITERS. These ministers have developed the discipline of taking notes, journaling, jotting down ideas, and then using the writing process to come to a deeper understanding of truth. I have known many of them over the years. For every one article they publish, there are hundreds of journal entries, pages of notes, brainstorming diagrams, etc. They have learned the fine art of thinking on paper.

You may be asking yourself: "Where did they learn to create such depth in their understanding of spiritual things?" That is an easy answer - in bible college and seminary, but not just any bible college or seminary! It was in schools of higher learning that required extensive reading and writing. They had to write for every class, and they had to write when they felt like it and when they didn't. They had to write when it came directly against a stronghold that resisted the writing. However, they pressed forward, and (in the light of written analysis) the stronghold fell apart. They wrote until they discovered themselves and, in the process, found the depths of who Jesus really is!

My concern is that we are losing the art of writing, thus losing the art of deep spiritual analysis! Life seldom hands you a multiple choice exam. As an educator, I know you need a proper blending of all types of testing instruments to assess the progress of a student. Multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions all have their part in getting the student to focus on significant information in each study. Albeit, every true educator knows that the only way to evaluate where the student is emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and academically is through the process of writing. Until a minister can express the truth of God's Word in writing, they do not possess sufficient depth in it to withstand the tests of life and ministry!

Without ample writing requirements in online ministerial degree programs, we not only shortchange the educational process, we shortchange the development of the minister. In turn, underdeveloped ministers shortchange ministry. These ministers will spend their days in ministry looking for a quick answer to fill in the blank for every problem. Quick sound bites of preformatted theological positions seldom provide comfort or lasting solutions to the Body of Christ! In the end, we could lose the transformational power of true ministry!

Both ministry and life require deep analysis of God's Word and every challenge that faces us. Writing will always remain an essential tool of the well-prepared minister.

Copyright 2010 by Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

Michael K. Lake, Th.D., D.R.E.

Biblical Life College and Seminary

Chancellor, Educational Consultant, & Biblical Life Mentor

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[1] Farrell, William J. The Power of Writing. http://wac.colostate.edu/journal/vol3/farrell2.pdf