micisliving

BY THE BEARD - GREATEST BEARDS IN HISTORY

2012-01-31T02:53:00.000-05:00

Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon's beard could put you in a theological headlock faster than you can say "Calvin".

General Ambrose Burnside

You know your facial hair is manly when they name a certain type of it after you. General Ambrose Burnside was a politician, inventor, railroad exec, Union general, and the Father of Sideburns.

Tom Selleck

Whether acting in Magnum PI or Three Men and a Baby, Tom Selleck brought a healthy dose of manly testosterone with that awesome stache of his. Sadly, in 1997 he shaved off his manly nose mane. He kept it off for several years after that. Thankfully, he came to his senses and has since brought it back.

Teddy Roosevelt

TR was so freaking manly that his mustache could judo chop assailants, and shout “Bully!” at would-be attackers.

Sam Elliot

Anytime the movie industry needs a mustached cowboy, Sam Elliot is their go-to guy. With movies like Tombstone and Gettysburg under his belt, Sam Elliot has proven that his mustache has the talent to make it in Hollywood. Of course Sam Elliot is a talented actor, too.

Chuck Norris

Fact: Chuck Norris was born with a beard. When doctors tried to shave it, he roundhouse kicked them in the face with his precociously strong baby legs, knocking them all unconscious.

Kimbo Slice

Wow. All I have to say is that this is quiet possibly the scariest beard I’ve ever seen. UFC fighter Kimbo Slice puts the fear of God into his opponents with powerful punches and his thick black beard. While his UFC career is over, his beard is still, and will always be, undefeated.

Kenny Rogers

What happened to you Kenny Rogers? In this picture, you look so darn manly. Now you just look like a plastic-faced freak. Out of respect to your beard, I’ll always remember you the way you looked in 1985.

ZZ Top

There are no harder working beards in the music industry than the beards on ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons’ and Dusty Hills’ faces. Ironically, the band’s beardless drummer is named Frank Beard.

Santa Claus

Santa Claus’ beard is iconic. Not only is it a part of his personal brand (so much so that children give it a yank to test a Santa’s authenticity), his beard also has a practical purpose. When you live in the North Pole and fly a sleigh at high altitudes, you need a thick, full beard to keep your face warm and free from wind chapping. Oh yeah, and it’s also magical.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain is one of America’s greatest humorists, satirists, and writers. He’s also one of America’s finest mustacheers. Face it. Mark Twain’s mustache will always be wittier than you.

Walter Frazier

From 1967-1977, Walter Frazier led the New York Knicks to two NBA Championships. (What the? There was a time when the Knicks were actually good?) Frazier’s success on the court can be attributed to two things. First, his defensive talent. Second, his awesome mutton chops. Look at this image above. In a match up between a man with broad, sweeping mutton chops, and a man with wisps of hair that are a pathetic excuse for a sideburn, who do you think will win? I’m putting my money on number ten. Perhaps the Knicks should consider requiring their players to grow awesome mutton chops like Walter Frazier. Maybe then they’ll stop sucking.

Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp is famous for his infamous gunfight at the OK Coral. He’s also famous for having a tough as nails mustache. With it, he struck fear into the hearts of cowboys from Dodge City to the the Dakota Territory.

Rollie Fingers

In addition to having one of the best names in sports history, Rollie Fingers also has the best mustache. With his turn of the century curly mustache, Rollie Fingers pitched his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame. After his career in baseball, he made a second career out of tying damsels in distress to railroad tracks.

Grizzly Adams

Can you imagine a man named Grizzly Adams, a man who befriends a bear, having a clean shaven, soft-as-a-baby’s-behind face? Neither can I. This man’s beard is so thick that the bear actually thought he was one of them. That’s probably why it didn’t maul his face off.

Read Your Bible More and More - John Piper

2012-01-30T09:56:00.002-05:00

Don’t rest on past reading. Read your Bible more and more every year. Read it whether you feel like reading it or not. And pray without ceasing that the joy return and pleasures increase.

Three reasons this is not legalism:
1.You are confessing your lack of desire as sin, and pleading as a helpless child for the desire you long to have. Legalists don’t cry like that. They strut.

2.You are reading out of desperation for the effects of this heavenly medicine. Bible-reading is not a cure for a bad conscience; it’s chemo for your cancer. Legalists feel better because the box is checked. Saints feel better when their blindness lifts, and they see Jesus in the word. Let’s get real. We are desperately sick with worldliness, and only the Holy Spirit, by the word of God, can cure this terminal disease.

3.It is not legalism because only justified people can see the preciousness and power of the Word of God. Legalists trudge with their Bibles on the path toward justification. Saints sit down in the shade of the cross and plead for the blood-bought pleasures.

So lets give heed to Mr. Ryle and never grow weary of the slow, steady, growth that comes from the daily, disciplined, increasing, love affair with reading the Bible.

Do not think you are getting no good from the Bible, merely because you do not see that good day by day. The greatest effects are by no means those which make the most noise, and are most easily observed. The greatest effects are often silent, quiet, and hard to detect at the time they are being produced.

Think of the influence of the moon upon the earth, and of the air upon the human lungs. Remember how silently the dew falls, and how imperceptibly the grass grows. There may be far more doing than you think in your soul by your Bible-reading. (J. C. Ryle, Practical Religion, 136)

Merry Christmas: My Thoughts On Christmas & Why Christians Anger Me This Time Of Year.

2011-12-21T13:27:00.002-05:00

Let me make this statement first: I am a devout follower of Jesus. I am a Christian. I strive to be like Christ. I am not perfect, but I walk out my salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). Now let me make this statement: I Love this time of year. I love Christmas. I have for as long as I can remember. Actually, I love October thru January. Some of my fondest and saddest memories are from this time of year. I have no problem with the celebration of Christmas. Christmas trees, candy canes, carols, snowmen, red and green decorations, angels, shepherds, the Macy's parade, and even good ole St. Nick. To me, everyone of the things I just stated are instant reminders of Christ. Even the hated "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" signs. They are bold reminders to me that Christ is King. I am so sick of hearing from "christians" about how pagans once used this time as a part of their rituals and seasons. When you ask them for proof of this, the discussion normally goes south and they get angry and storm off. I do not doubt that there were some pagans in some part of the world that have done some sort of pagan celebration durring this season. I'm sure they used green trees and such. I'm not doubting that at all. I just believe that Christ is bigger than all those things. I mean really, if Jesus is who He says He is then that poor pagan dancing naked around a green fir tree screaming out to some make believe pagan god means nothing. The god he is celebrating does not exist. Which leads me to these questions: If the pagan has a darkened soul, what else would he do until he sees the light? Are We not called to do that very thing....Bring the Light to darkened souls!?! Sounds like a 1 Kings 18 kind of moment if you ask me.

I do not understand why Christians go on a witch hunt this time of year. They become the biggest Scrooges of them all. I particularly love it when Churches complain about Christmas the whole month of December then use Christmas Sunday to try and fill their buildings, take up an offering and force feed a really bad "gospel" message that was put together in 15 minutes or better yet from a sermon book. I think we would make the biggest impact on our culture today if we would actually celebrate Christmas. What if every Christian would simply live like Christ durring this time of year. Gave the greatest gift to our communities, our families, our friends and our enemies. What if we gave Christ? How do we do this? Love! When I give gifts to my friends and loved ones I do not do it for any other reason than Love. When I help out families in need and strangers I meet it's not for any other reason than LOVE. I have the ability to Love because Christ is in my heart. So that small gift is a reminder of the ultimate Gift that was given: CHRIST! Does everybody do this. No! But we are not everybody. WE ARE CHRISTIANS! We do not operate as the world operates. I do not need a manger scene in my town square to remind me of the reason for the season....nor do I need a lawsuit. I am the manger scene. My life is to be a walking testimony of the LIFE OF CHRIST. Not some plastic statues that light up at night.

This is just a small glimpse at the bigger picture that is happening to the church. We do not know who Jesus is. Oh, we know his stats like a kid would a baseball player because he collected baseball cards, but we have know idea who He is and why He came the 1st time. We have no idea what His mission is. We think the great commission is either an event or winning a political election. The american church is lost, its a double minded man unstable in all its ways. We think declaring "Merry Christmas" loudly in the face of a mall employee that just told you Happy Holidays is evangelism. UGGGGH.

So here is my suggestion. Use the energy that your wasting on arguments about this or that about christmas and give Jesus. Love people. Shine the light of hope. You just smiling at the cashier at WalMart and saying thank you is a bigger witness than an obnoxious "Merry Christmas". Don't pass the Salvation Army guy by. Thank him for giving his time. Wave at your neighbors, smile, be friendly for once. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Spend time with your family. Take time to pray and read the first few chapters of Luke. BE REAL! You get what you put into something. It's about time, That we, The Church put Love back into this time of year!!!

Rediscovering the Ascended Life of Jesus

2011-12-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

Rediscovering the Ascended Life of Jesus
PAXSON JEANCAKE

If 25 percent of the New Testament has the ascension of Christ as its central event and theological emphasis, why is this the most overlooked doctrine in modern evangelicalism?

I don't think I ever heard a sermon, lecture, Bible study, or song on the doctrine and implications of the ascension of Christ. I have become well versed in Jesus' birth, his earthly life, death, resurrection, and return. Yet for most of my life, his ascended life was mostly a vague concept.

Talking about what Jesus has done and will do would be easier for most than describing where he is and what he is doing right now. If you were to ask ordinary Christians, "Why did Jesus come to earth?" they would likely respond by saying: "Jesus came to earth to die on a cross to pay for my sins so that I can go to heaven one day." That is part of the story; it's just not the whole story.

Prophetic Window of the Psalms

My journey of discovery into the doctrine and implications of the ascension began around 2005. I was driving to the church one morning as I began to sing a chorus in my mind inspired by Psalm 24. While I was crafting the song I began reading commentaries on this text. One in particular had something fascinating to say. The author wrote that regarding Christ's ascension, the disciples saw his "going." However, Psalm 24 is a prophetic window into his heavenly "arriving." [2] That one thought set me on a creative and theological journey.

Peter himself provides precedent for this interpretation in the Book of Acts. When preaching on Pentecost, Peter quoted from Psalm 16:

I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your holy oneto rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever. (Psalm 16:8-11, NLT)

He then offered apostolic commentary:

Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne.David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. (Acts 2:29-31, emphasis mine)

The same could be said of Psalm 24. It isn't merely an earthly enthronement liturgy; ultimately, David is looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's ascension. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in the holy place? Jesus is the only one with clean hands and a pure heart. Who is the King of glory? Not David. Jesus is the King of glory for whom the ancient, heavenly gates are opened! He is the Lord, strong and mighty!

Theological Center of Luke-Acts

When we examine the whole of Luke's work, we see he organized Gospel and Acts around the ascension. One scholar writes, "Rightly understood, the ascension narratives of Luke . . . provide a crucial key to the unlocking of Luke's theology and purpose." [3]

Some have argued for a chiastic structure in Luke-Acts with the ascension at the center. [4] Luke's Gospel begins in a Roman context, then the story moves through Samaria, Judea, to Jerusalem, and ultimately, to Jesus' ascension on the Mount of Olives. The Book of Acts picks up with the ascension and then takes the reader on a journey with the early church in Jerusalem, then scattering throughout Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to Rome.

Luke gave the reader markers along the way, signaling the priority and importance he placed on the ascension. To begin his "travel narrative" section Luke wrote: "As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). In the Book of Acts, just before the crowd stoned Stephen, Luke let us know that Stephen saw the ascended Jesus: "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand" (Acts 7:56). Clearly, for Luke, the ascension was central, organizationally and theologically.

Lyrical Creed of the Early Church

Finally, we learn from the first Christological creeds that the ascension was a central doctrine for Paul and the early church. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged this young pastor and evangelist with wisdom and insight about ministry. Midway through his correspondence Paul wrote, "Without question, this is the mystery of our faith." And then he quoted what many scholars believe to be an early hymn fragment:

Christ was revealed in a human body
and vindicated by the Spirit.
He was seen by angels
and announced to the nations.
He was believed in throughout the world
and taken to heaven in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)

There is poetic beauty, symmetry, and theological richness to this early hymn fragment. The series of couplets describe Christ's incarnation; the presence of unseen realities; his revelation to this world; and, interestingly, his ascension to heaven. Though the cross, resurrection, and return of Christ are vital to the faith, they are not described in this early lyrical and creedal statement. The life of Christ is summed up in his birth and his ascension.

Forgotten Feast of Today

With this clear biblical witness, how did we lose the doctrine of the ascension in the modern evangelical church? How did something so fundamental to our faith become obscured and neglected? I think this loss has come, in part, because we no longer recognize the full story of the Christian year. Most evangelical churches only celebrate Christmas and Easter, leaving out Ascension Day and the Day of Pentecost. Our Christmas pageants, Easter cantatas, Passion dramas, and atonement sermons have developed our consciousness of the virgin-born, crucified, and resurrected Jesus. But we have forgotten the ascended Christ.

Paxson Jeancake is the director of worship and arts at Valley Springs Presbyterian Church in Roseville, California. He is the author of The Art of Worship: Opening Our Eyes to the Beauty of the Gospel and a contributor to Speaking the Truth in Love: The Theology of John M. Frame. He is also an adjunct professor in the department of music at William Jessup University. Paxson and his wife, Allison, have a passion for leading and writing songs for the worshiping church. Their latest project, Wide Awake, is a collection of original worship songs from the West Coast. They live in Northern California with their two daughters. For more information and resources visit their website, www.paxsonandallison.com, and find them on Facebook.

I'm having one of "Those" type of days

2011-12-14T16:38:00.004-05:00

“A person’s errors are portals of discovery.”

About 10 years ago I was in Atlanta Georgia sitting in a church planters conference listening to Dr. Owen Weston describe the joys and pains of ministry. He made a revolutionary statement that has stuck with me ever since. He said "Some of you are right now working with senior pastors and leaders who are either mean as snakes or dumb as an ox. Everyday is a disaster or a crisis in their eyes. Everyday has some sort of chaotic moment that derails any progress. I want you to remember those days. Write them down. Then make a pledge to yourself. I will never do that when I am leading a community. Some of you will learn from those instances. Some will repeat them." I have never forgotten that. I've written a lot of things down in the past 10 years. I'll admit, I have repeated some of those same mistakes I swore I never would. They were hard lessons to learn.

Today was kind of a flash back of that moment with Dr. Owen. I found myself flustered and torn as I read some statements made by a leader today. Who this person was is of no concern. I just read the statements, grabbed my journal and pen and wrote them down. In bold letters next to the statements I wrote: I WILL NEVER DO THIS! Now hopefully your not reading this and thinking "What a self-righteous twit, Who does he think he is?" I'm really not trying to point out leadership faults in anyone. Some one probably has a long list of mine. I guess what I'm trying to convey is that even in situations where you have a leader who is "bad" you can learn from them. You either learn from them or repeat their mistakes.

Mistakes reinforce character. They smarten us up and toughen us up. We are the wiser for living through a mistake. This is a much healthier attitude to take when you are leading a community. You will find that as you employ this practical attitude, you will feel better about yourself and about others.

What do you do if you are working in a bad situation with a poor leader? I found Michael Hyatt's blog "Intentional Leadership" helpful:

Manage your expectations. When you read a lot of books and blogs about leadership, it is easy to become idealistic. If you are not careful, you can create a set of expectations that no one could possibly meet. You have to remember your boss is human—and fallen at that. He struggles with his own fears, wounds, and weaknesses. He has his own accountabilities and pressure. He will experience good days and bad.

Evaluate the impact. What kind of effect is your boss having on you and your teammates? Is he over-bearing and abusive? Incompetent or careless? Or is he checked out or inaccessible? I have worked in all of these situations and each of them requires a different response. Some are easier to put up with and manage around than others.

Consider your options. If the situation is bad enough, it may warrant your resignation. I have only been in one job where I did this, and frankly—knowing what I know now—I wish I had stayed. But your circumstances may be different. Most situations provide an opportunity to learn, if you are alert and teachable. Some of the best lessons I ever learned were from bad bosses.

Be assertive. Bad bosses have a way of creating a culture of fear, where people are afraid to speak up. But this may be the perfect opportunity for you to become more courageous. This doesn’t mean you have to be disrespectful. Nor does it require that you become inappropriately aggressive. Being assertive means giving voice to your needs and establishing clear boundaries.

Support him publicly. Someone once said, “public support leads to private influence.” I think that is exactly right. When I have been in these situations, I have refused to publicly debate my boss or to gossip about him behind his back. I looked for positive attributes (everyone has them) and publicly affirmed them. I was loyal when he wasn’t present. This gave me credibility when I needed it later.

Taken from "What If You Worked For A Bad Leader?"

Tommy Green: Spirituality and the Lesser gods: The Heavenlies

2011-11-08T10:50:00.001-05:00

A great guy from a band I like, Sleeping Giant, Speaking at Biola University on encountering Jesus.

Why men are in trouble - William J. Bennet

2011-11-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

For the first time in history, women are better educated, more ambitious and arguably more successful than men.

Now, society has rightly celebrated the ascension of one sex. We said, "You go girl," and they went. We celebrate the ascension of women but what will we do about what appears to be the very real decline of the other sex?

The data does not bode well for men. In 1970, men earned 60% of all college degrees. In 1980, the figure fell to 50%, by 2006 it was 43%. Women now surpass men in college degrees by almost three to two. Women's earnings grew 44% in real dollars from 1970 to 2007, compared with 6% growth for men.

In 1950, 5% of men at the prime working age were unemployed. As of last year, 20% were not working, the highest ever recorded. Men still maintain a majority of the highest paid and most powerful occupations, but women are catching them and will soon be passing them if this trend continues.

The warning signs for men stretch far beyond their wallets. Men are more distant from a family or their children then they have ever been. The out-of-wedlock birthrate is more than 40% in America. In 1960, only 11% of children in the U.S. lived apart from their fathers. In 2010, that share had risen to 27%. Men are also less religious than ever before. According to Gallup polling, 39% of men reported attending church regularly in 2010, compared to 47% of women.

If you don't believe the numbers, just ask young women about men today. You will find them talking about prolonged adolescence and men who refuse to grow up. I've heard too many young women asking, "Where are the decent single men?" There is a maturity deficit among men out there, and men are falling behind.

This decline in founding virtues -- work, marriage, and religion -- has caught the eye of social commentators from all corners. In her seminal article, "The End of Men," Hanna Rosin unearthed the unprecedented role reversal that is taking place today. "Man has been the dominant sex since, well, the dawn of mankind. But for the first time in human history, that is changing—and with shocking speed," writes Rosin. The changes in modern labor -- from backs to brains -- have catapulted women to the top of the work force, leaving men in their dust.

Hanna Rosin: Are women leaving men behind?

Man's response has been pathetic. Today, 18-to- 34-year-old men spend more time playing video games a day than 12-to- 17-year-old boys. While women are graduating college and finding good jobs, too many men are not going to work, not getting married and not raising families. Women are beginning to take the place of men in many ways. This has led some to ask: do we even need men?

So what's wrong? Increasingly, the messages to boys about what it means to be a man are confusing. The machismo of the street gang calls out with a swagger. Video games, television and music offer dubious lessons to boys who have been abandoned by their fathers. Some coaches and drill sergeants bark, "What kind of man are you?" but don't explain.

Movies are filled with stories of men who refuse to grow up and refuse to take responsibility in relationships. Men, some obsessed with sex, treat women as toys to be discarded when things get complicated. Through all these different and conflicting signals, our boys must decipher what it means to be a man, and for many of them it is harder to figure out.

For boys to become men, they need to be guided through advice, habit, instruction, example and correction. It is true in all ages. Someone once characterized the two essential questions Plato posed as: Who teaches the children, and what do we teach them? Each generation of men and women have an obligation to teach the younger males (and females of course) coming behind them. William Wordsworth said, "What we have loved, others will love, and we will teach them how." When they fail in that obligation, trouble surely follows.

We need to respond to this culture that sends confusing signals to young men, a culture that is agnostic about what it wants men to be, with a clear and achievable notion of manhood.

The Founding Fathers believed, and the evidence still shows, that industriousness, marriage and religion are a very important basis for male empowerment and achievement. We may need to say to a number of our twenty-something men, "Get off the video games five hours a day, get yourself together, get a challenging job and get married." It's time for men to man up.

Kevin DeYoung - Dude, Man Up!

2011-11-03T10:19:00.000-04:00

As I speak at different venues across the country, one of the recurring questions I get comes from women, young women in particular. Their question usually goes something like this: “What is up with men?”

These aren’t angry women. Their question is more plaintive than petulant. I’m not quite sure why they ask me. Maybe because they’ve read Just Do Something and figure I’ll be a sympathetic ear. Or maybe they think I can help. They often follow up their initial question by exhorting me, “Please speak to the men in our generation and tell them to be men.”

They’re talking about marriage. I have met scores of godly young women nearby and far away who wonder “Where have all the marriageable men gone?” More and more commentators–Christian or otherwise–are noticing a trend in young men; namely, that they don’t seem to be growing up. Recently, William Bennett’s CNN article “Why Men Are in Trouble” has garnered widespread attention. The point of the post is summarized in the final line: “It’s time for men to man up.” Sounds almost biblical (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Virtually every single single person I know wants to be married. And yet, it is taking couples longer and longer to get around to marriage. Education patterns have something to do with it. A bad economy doesn’t help either. But there is something even more befuddling going on. Go to almost any church and you’ll meet mature, intelligent, attractive Christian women who want to get married and virtually no men to pursue them. These women are often in graduate programs and may have started a career already. But they aren’t feminists. They are eager to embrace the roles of wife and mother. Most of the women I’ve met don’t object to the being a helpmate. There just doesn’t seem to be a lot of mates to go around.

What’s going on here? Why are there so many unmarried, college graduated, serious-about-Christ, committed-to-the-church, put-together young women who haven’t found a groom, and don’t see any possibilities on the horizon?

Maybe women have impossible standards. That is a distinct possibility in some circumstances. I’m sure there are guys reading this thinking to themselves, “I’ve pursued these young women, Kevin! And they pushed me over the edge of the horizon.” Some women may be expecting too much from Mr. Right. But in my experience this is not the main problem. Impossible standards? Not usually. Some standards? Absolutely.

On the other end of the spectrum, some women may be so over-eager to be married they make guys nervous about showing any signs of interest. There is a fine line between anticipation and desperation. Men don’t want to spot the girl they like inside David’s Bridal after their first date. The guy will panic–and be a little creeped out.

This path of prolonged singleness is a two way street. But I think the problem largely resides with men. Or at least as a guy I can identify the problems of men more quickly. I see two issues.

First, the Christian men that are “good guys” could use a little–what’s the word I’m looking for–ambition. Every pastor has railed on video games at some point. But the problem is not really video games, it’s what gaming can (but doesn’t always) represent. It’s the picture of a 20something or 30something guy who doesn’t seem to want anything out of life. He may or may not have a job. He may or may not live with his parents. Those things are sometimes out of our control. There’s a difference between a down-on-his-luck fella charging hard to make something out of himself and a guy who seems content to watch movies, make enough to eat frozen pizzas in a one room apartment, play Madden, watch football 12 hours on Saturday, show up at church for an hour on Sunday and then go home to watch more football.

I don’t think young women are expecting Mr. Right to be a corporate executive with two houses, three cars, and a personality like Dale Carnegie. They just want a guy with some substance. A guy with plans. A guy with some intellectual depth. A guy who can winsomely take initiative and lead a conversation. A guy with consistency. A guy who no longer works at his play and plays with his faith. A guy with a little desire to succeed in life. A guy they can imagine providing for a family, praying with the kids at bedtime, mowing the lawn on Saturday, and being eager to take everyone to church on Sunday. Where are the dudes that will grow into men?

The second issue is that we may simply not have enough men in the church. Maybe the biggest problem isn’t with nice Christian guys who lack ambition, maturity, and commitment. Maybe we have lots of these men in the church, but they’re all married and there aren’t enough of their brethren to go around. I don’t know which is the bigger problem, the lack of good men or the lack of men in general. It’s probably a combination of both. The church needs to train up the guys it has. And by “training” I don’t mean “clean ‘em up, plug ‘em in the singles ministry and start matching them up with a spouse.” I don’t believe most unmarried Christians are looking for a church community full of Yentas. But a church full of godly, involved, respectable, respected, grown up men? That’s a project worth undertaking.

So, what can be done about the growing tribe of unmarried women? Four things come to mind.

Everyone, pray. Pray for a joyful accepting of God’s providential care, believing that godliness with contentment is great gain. If you are single, pray more for the sort of spouse you should be than for the sort of spouse you want. Pray also for the married couples and families in your church. If you are married, pray for the single people in your church, for those never married and those divorced or widowed. All people everywhere, pray for ways to start serving the Lord now, no matter what stage of life you are in or wish you were in.

Women, don’t settle and don’t ever compromise on requiring solid Christian commitment in a husband, but make sure your list of non-negotiables doesn’t effectively exclude everyone outside of Mr. Darcy.

Churches, don’t make church one giant man cave or machismo, but think about whether your church has been unnecessarily emasculated. Do you challenge and exhort? Do you sing songs to Jesus that men can sing with a straight face? Does “fellowship” at your church always focus on activities men don’t typically excel at, like sitting around and talking about how you feel? Does your church specifically target the discipling of men–particularly young men in high school and college? Grab them young and get them growing up in their teens instead of their twenties.

Men, you don’t have to be rich and you don’t have to climb corporate ladders. You don’t have to fix cars and grow a beard. But it’s time to take a little initiative–in the church, with your career, and with women. Stop circling around and start going somewhere. It’s probably a good idea to be more like your grandpa and less like Captain Jack Sparrow. Even less like Peter Pan. Show some godly ambition. Take some risks. Stop looking for play dates and–unless God is calling you to greater service through singleness–start looking for a wife.

Discipling Nations

2011-10-31T12:23:00.003-04:00

Discipling Nations

Habakkuk 1:5 “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days-- You would not believe if you were told."

Matthew 28:18-20 18 "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Romans 16:25-27 25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past,26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

Discipling Nations = When a significant number of men and women of an ethnos (a social class, caste or ethnic group) declares itself christian, renounces other gods, confesses Christ as Lord and it's members are baptized then that ethnos or part of it has been discipled.

The Bible commands Christians and churches to disciple the "panta te ethne" (all the peoples - Matthew 28) or in other words all the pieces of the mosaic, which make up every nation or state. When in any nation that command is carried out, the whole nation will be discipled. The last part of Romans 16 paints the picture that its the message of the gospel, the preaching of Jesus and the scriptures that leads the nations to obedience of faith. So the question must be raised about modern evangelism methods. Are we to think that "hanging out" or even just lending a helping hand is enough to disciple an individual let alone a nation? The Bible must be at the forefront of all our discipling methods for only it has the power to transform the minds of men. The word brings true liberation. We may need to start with a helping hand or the befriending of an individual but scripture must be introduced to see a true transformation.

Discipling on any level, no matter how small, is more significant when seen as a part of God's larger plan to disciple the whole earth. Scripture envisions this as the outcome of history.

Old Testament examples: Psalms 72:8,9,17Psalms 102:21,22 1 Kings 8:41-43 Isaiah 60:3 Isaiah 42:6

Isaiah 45:22 Isaiah 49:6

New Testament examples: Mark 16:16 John 8:12 Luke 2:32

Romans 16:25 Matthew 10:32 2 Peter 3:9 John 14:6 Romans 9:24 Revelation 5:9,10 1 John 5:11,12

Acts 26:17,181 Thessalonians 2:16 Revelation 15:4

These passages speak of the Earth being discipled. This is good news. I know this not the typical end times doomsday message that is normally spoken of but scripture is clear: Jesus Wins! The Church Wins! The earth will ultimately be discipled. The New Testament clearly states that God has a plan of salvation for all mankind-for all people of all lands. This is GOOD NEWS! This is the true calling of the church: to take the good news into all the earth, into all 7 mts. of culture, into all nations and liberate them from darkness.

This is what Paul spoke of in front of King Agrippa:

"to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me (Christ)" (Acts 26:18). The message of the gospel is a liberating force. It frees men from darkness and brings them to the light.

So now we need to re-evaluate what we call evangelism. Is what we call evangelism discipling nations? Is it having the impact that Christ intended when he declared Acts 1:8. Is our methods of discipleship leading men from darkness into light? These are important question we need to ask ourselves if we are going to be effective in this next decade.

So now let's talk about evangelism. Evangelism today has several definitions and even several plans of action. The big push today seems to be a type of social justice evangelism that is heavy on the handing out and light on the Gospel. Now I'm all for meeting peoples needs and bringing justice to a down trodden people, but any form of societal improvement not founded on God's Word and not fueled by God's grace in Jesus Christ is at best a flash in the pan. It is directed to man's well being on the material level alone. Often it denies that spiritual values exist. It is defective and soon institutes other forms of injustice, more displeasing to God and even more damaging to men. This type of social justice will not have the sustaining power needed to change the system that is imparting the social injustice.

The only way of achieving the needed radical changes in social structures and bringing a lasting righteousness to society is through God's gift of divine grace. As the Gospel spreads, men and women are converted, soundly Christian congregations multiply and the Holy Spirit causes both individual and corporate changes. Through His redeemed, He causes justice to roll down in families, neighborhoods, cities and states.

The gospels clearly show a pattern that Jesus used to disciple panta ta ethne (all the people). He preached the Kingdom (Matthew 4:17), He called disciples out (Matthew 4:18-22), He operated in the supernatural – He healed the sick and ministered deliverance (Matthew 4:23-25). His methods were simple: Preach the gospel of the kingdom, train disciples, and meet the peoples needs: supernaturally and physically. What would happen if the church today would follow this pattern? The disciples in the book of Acts followed this same pattern. They preached the Gospel of the Kingdom (Acts 2:14-31), trained disciples (Acts 2:42), and meet the needs of the people supernaturally and physically (Acts 2:43-47). What took place was the growth of the church at an exponential rate.

C. Peter Wagner and Ed Dayton have come up with 4 strategies to disciple nations:

The Right Goals. Among other things, Strategy 1 refers to the right end product of evangelism, i.e., the making of disciples and not just the proclamation of the Word nor the getting of "decisions"; to the stating of goals in such a way that they would be quantitatively measurable; and to the setting of goals that are large enough to be challenging and to require dependence on the Lord for fulfillment but not so large as to be discouraging and self defeating.

The Right Place at the Right Time. This refers to the biblical principle of the law of the harvest and the church growth concept of responsiveness.The Right Methods This refers to the methods we use to relate the Gospel to a specific ethnos or a nation

The Right People. The right people in place to train disciples (5 fold ministry gifts) and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead to the right people to disciple.

These strategies are being used across the world to see entire nations discipled. One of the most notable is the Philippines. The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia. Predominantly, the largest percentage of the country’s population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church representing more than 80 % of the entire population. Aside from the Roman Catholic Church, there are other significant Christian denominations in the country.

A discipled nation has it's worldview changed. Third world countries that have a demonic worldview that holds them captive in poverty can only be liberated through the power of the gospel. A biblical worldview liberates the mind and opens opportunities not only for spiritual growth but economic growth as well. Poverty is a demonic mindset that can only be transformed by the renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). We have to see these nations discipled to see them walk out of their poverty stricken state. Of course in the meantime we need organizations and church groups carrying out acts of justice and mercy by providing food and water and other resources. These methods work together to see the nations discipled for the glory of Christ.

I recently taught a session on worldview where I introduced this illustration:

As we present the Gospel of the Kingdom to the nations the biblical worldview is introduced and we begin to see repentant souls and regenerated lives that leads to reformed cultures and rebuilt societies. That nation will be introduced to true justice: Justice that can only come from a Righteous God. Biblical values, morals and beliefs now lead the nation to its true destiny.

We are in the process of taking the “wilderness” of the nations and “gardenizing” them into the true Kingdom of God. That is our job until the return of Christ. And this will take some time. In the words of Ray Sutton: “Build a mud hut, it takes a day. Build a cathedral, it takes a century. Build a civilization, it takes generations.” We are in this for the long haul and we must be willing to have a vision that sees generations ahead and not just a few years ahead. Can we, the church, be dedicated enough to have a plan for the next 100, 500, dare I say it, a 1,000 years? We need leaders in place that have the spiritual fortitude and backbone to plan and strategize not just for the near future, but for the future of generations to come.

Mic Cox “Every generation has a voice, Every decade has a message”

5 Major Trends for Churches in America

2011-10-22T14:11:00.001-04:00

Discerning future trends can be difficult if not risky. If we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities because we had our resources directed elsewhere.
I am thus careful when I do trend projections. I am especially careful when I am projecting trends that will have a direct impact on the churches in America.
The basis for the trends
The trends that follow were not created in a vacuum. Most of the information is based on studies we have done at LifeWay Research. But much of this research provides us information and facts about today's realities. It does not offer certitude for future trends.
The process is analogous to weather forecasting. We can see all the ingredients that will likely cause a specific outcome. But those factors can change, so we can never say that we are 100 percent certain.
Five major trends
Because most of the research that is the basis for these trends was related to American demographics, we must not extend the projections beyond our nation's borders. Nevertheless, it is possible that some of the research could have implications beyond American churches.
1. Our nation will see the emergence of the largest generational mission field in more than a century.According to our current research, the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, will have a very low Christian representation. Our estimates now are that only 15 percent are Christian. With a huge population of nearly 80 million, that means that nearly 70 million young people are not Christians.
2. The dominant attitude of this huge generation toward Christianity will be largely indifferent. Only 13 percent of the Millennials rank any type of spiritual matter as important to their lives. They are not angry at churches and Christians. They simply ignore us because they do not deem us as meaningful or relevant.
3. Senior adult ministries in churches will experience steep declines. As the large Baby Boomer generation moves into their older years, they will resist any suggestion that they are senior adults, no matter how senior they may be. Unfortunately, many churches are slow to adapt to new realities. If they do senior adult ministry the way they've always done it, it will be headed for failure.
4. The large Boomer generation will become more receptive to the gospel. Our data is anecdotal for now, but we are seeing indications that the Boomers may actually become more interested in spiritual matters in general and Christianity specifically. If so, this trend will be counter to other trends where adults tend to become less receptive to the gospel as they age. The Baby Boomers have tried it all and found no joy. They may likely turn to the hope of the gospel.
5. Family will be a key value for both of the large generations. For the Millennials, family is their most important value. Nearly eight out of ten of the Millennials ranked family as the important issue in their lives. They told us that they had healthy relationships with their parents who, for the most part, are Baby Boomers. Some churches say they are family friendly, but few actually demonstrate that value. Churches that reach both of these generations will make significant changes to become the type of churches that foster healthy family relationships.
The opportunity to respond
We believe these trends may indeed become reality. They admittedly do focus only on two generations, but these two groups are the largest two generations in America's history. They cannot be ignored.
Trend projecting is a meaningless exercise if it fails to engender action. Ultimately, each local church must determine where God is leading the congregation. In the case of the five trends noted here, the opportunities seem significant. May the response of Christians and churches be nothing less than radical obedience.

Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources (LifeWay.com). He was founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His many books include Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, The Unexpected Journey, and Breakout Churches.More from Thom Rainer or visit Thom at www.LifeWay.com

Ed Stetzer

2011-10-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

Ed Stetzer: How To Live Sent Lives from Verge Network on Vimeo.

Verge 2010 Breakout Session - Ed Stetzer - Viral Missional Communities from Verge Network on Vimeo.

Ed Stetzer: Missional Disciple-making Movements [VERGE 2010 Main Session] from Verge Network on Vimeo.

10 Simple Ways To Be Missional In Your City

2011-10-12T10:12:00.002-04:00

And although the word “missional” has become quite a buzzword recently, it really just means that we live every day as missionaries. Jesus said that “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). That word “sent” is where we get the word “missional.” It simply means that we live as Jesus lived – as sent people who live everyday life with gospel intentionality.

In fact, most of the simple ideas you’ll find below are very much in the context of your everyday life, but when looked at with a lens of gospel intentionality – when viewed through the eyes of a missionary – become not just ordinary tasks, but eternally significant rhythms of your life that are teeming with gospel opportunity:

Extended Neighborhood – The Regular Spots In Your City:

1. Participate in the local festivals, parades and celebrations of your city.

2. Find a park where you will consistently spend time with your community.

3. Pick a few restaurants to frequent getting to know the staff and regulars.

4. Go to the same coffee shop when you can.

5. Start a regular ultimate Frisbee game in your city.

6. Take the kids to story time at your local library.

7. Let your kids play in the city sports leagues.

8. Attend your city council meetings and get to know what’s going on in your city.

9. Attend your local school board meetings to know what is going on in the schools.

10. Frequent a local gym or recreation center.

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Missional Tip:

Pick one of these ideas and act on it this week. Let us know in the Comments Section how it went!

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Josh Reeves is the Lead Planting Pastor with Redeemer Church in Round Rock, Texas. One way you can thank Josh for his helpful articles is to support Redeemer by going here.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshreeves

A radically alternative lifestyle

2011-10-10T15:40:00.001-04:00

By Terry Virgo

While in Manila last year I stumbled on a secular bookshop which to my surprise boasted a large Christian book section in which Piper, Grudem, Keller and Carson among many others could be found. Strolling around the store I came across another section entitled ‘Self help’. I must confess that I chuckled (maybe I should have wept) when I found books by 2 of America’s best known TV preachers. The secular bookshop manager proved extraordinarily insightful; what was on offer was not actually “Gospel help” but “self help” masquerading as Christianity. In the USA these books would have held pride of place in the average Christian bookshop alongside the greeting cards, Christian novels and plastic angels.

Sometimes the Gospel not only loses its edge it is actually so distorted that it becomes unrecognisable. In many places in the West the church has become so enmeshed in the culture that it is difficult to discern its radical message. So many so-called Christian books encourage the believer to prosper, succeed, “be a winner” in the culture and all this by exercising faith.

Moses lead a radically alternative lifestyle

How refreshingly different to read in Hebrews11 “by faith, Moses refused…” Other gods such as the Nile and the Sun had been incorporated in the Empire, part of the structure, but you can’t incorporate Yahweh. He won’t bow the knee to Pharaoh, Caesar or any one else. He won’t mingle.

Moses, sitting at his parents’ feet and listening to their dream had heard enough. He saw through Pharaoh's short term kingdom in spite of its pomp, power and prestige. Exodus! Exit! Out and into the forming of a radically alternative existence accompanied by a glory cloud.

I guess he could have stayed in the palace, inherited Pharaoh's authority, changed the conditions of slavery, and improved the lot of his brothers by gradual adjustments in their favour. Instead, Exodus, departure! “They were all baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (1 Cor. 10v2). He led his congregation through the wilderness to another place.

Jesus lead a radically alternative lifestyle

Undoubtedly Paul draws on the Exodus story to undergird his teaching on baptism. We were all baptised into Christ’s death (Romans 6v3), his refusal to embrace Satan’s alternative offer to inherit the nations by bowing down to him. By faith and obedience Jesus refused: in baptism we share His exodus. He too established a congregation of His own who are called to be unimpressed by this passing age, an alternative society, meek, mourning and hungering for righteousness.

In some ways it was more straightforward for Moses because he physically left Egypt. The “exodus” that Jesus accomplished at Jerusalem (Luke 9v31 “exodus” being the actual word used in that conversation on the mount of Transfiguration) would leave His disciples inside the Roman empire, having to work out all the subtle nuances of rendering to God His things and rendering to Caesar his. Here lies the challenge! The world needs to see a church which is distinctively different, which in some senses has left the planet. Simon Peter calls us aliens and exiles yet also tells us to “honour the emperor”.

Radically, alternative churches

When the radical Wesley brothers together with Whitefield first erupted into an unprepared and largely pagan Britain, they were obviously foreign to the culture. Existing churches refused them, so they preached in the open air—outside! Crowds flocked to hear them, followed them, and became formed into societies overseen by them. Gradually their followers impacted the culture. Salt and light, they gradually transformed society until it became respectable to be a Methodist. Church and culture began to combine; the Gospel became opaque, and Christian distinctives faded.

I think it was Luther who said “Every generation needs a Reformation.” Some have argued that if we don’t embrace the culture to some degree we are in danger of becoming a sectarian oddity. The fact remains that, like Paul, we “serve another King”. Our King is actually the authentic one! His throne is in Heaven but the Earth is His and His kingdom advances every day, soon at His return to break out in all its unmixed glory.

Arguably the strongest church in the world today can be found in China; out of step with their nation’s culture they serve God, know His presence, experience His power and often go to prison—yet still they grow like no other nation could boast. Now even the formal Three Self church in China has more in attendance on Sunday than all of Europe’s churches combined.

Yes, let us comprehend and confront the culture but beware the dangers of compromise and over-engagement. We live in a troubled world embarrassed and humbled by economic and political ineptitude. Maybe we are entering a devastating time of economic collapse and depression.

Elijah prayed down chaos into his culture. Asking God to stop the rain could be compared to praying for the banks and economy to fail, but Elijah’s testimony was that “he stood before God.” He was distinctively different, but vitally in touch with the One who had the real power. Beware the seduction of those who appear powerful. The Lord reigns. We are his representatives, and a called-out people.

Notes from the PrayWV Summit

2011-10-08T23:25:00.001-04:00

I've gotten some requests for my notes from Oct. 8th's PrayWV Summit, so here you go!

In 1904 Granville Stanley Hall published the book Adolescence

Adolescence : The developmental period of a child's life that prepares them for adulthood.

It's the time period where a young person develops:

A. Identity: character, values, purpose, emotions, potential = Who Am I?

B. Autonomy: independence, self sufficiency =

I Matter, I Can Change Things, I Am Unique

C. Affinity: community, social networking, make connections =

I Belong To Something Bigger Than Me

In the early 1900's that time period lasted 18 months

- Started at 14 ½ and ended at 16

Flash Forward to the 1970's:

Adolescence lasted 6 years (13 – 18)

With the increase of years came the increase of youth which heavily influenced culture

For the first time in history an actual “Youth Culture” has been established and it begins to dominate the National Cultural Climate

Flash Forward to the New Millennium:

Adolescence lasts an average of 18 years

From 11 to mid to late 20s

Youth culture is the National Culture

Stunted Growth: What Caused The Peter Pan Syndrome?

World View Change:

In 2003 The Barna Research Group reported that:

- Only 4% of all American Adults have a Biblical Worldview

- Only 51% of America's Protestant Pastors have a Biblical Worldview

WHAT IS A WORLDVIEW

WORLDVIEW: 1. THE OVERALL PERSPECTIVE FROM WHICH ONE SEES AND INTERPRETS THE WORLD 2. A COLLECTION OF BELIEFS ABOUT LIFE AND THE UNIVERSE HELD BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR A GROUP

A WORLDVIEW IS THE BASIS FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS:

WHO AM I?

WHERE DID I COME FROM

WHERE AM I GOING

WHAT IS TRUE? WHAT IS FALSE?

HOW SHOULD I CONDUCT MY LIFE?

DOES GOD EXIST? IF SO WHAT IS MY RESPONSE TO HIM?

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW:

EVERYTHING IN LIFE BEGAN WITH GOD

(THE CREATION GENESIS 1:1)

ABSOLUTE TRUTH IS FOUND IN HIS WORD

(JOHN 17:17)

TRUE MORALITY STEMS FROM HIS CHARACTER

(THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT GALATIANS 5:22-23)

ULTIMATE REALITY IS FOUND IN HIM

(ROMANS 8:9-18, 1 PETER 2:9,10)

PRESENTING A CORRECT WORLDVIEW IS THE HEART OF THE BIBLE

FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION

JOB, PROVERBS, AND ECCLESIASTES ARE FULL OF GODLY WISDOM TO BE USED TO DEVELOP AND CONSTRUCT WORLDVIEW

WHOLE CULTURES WERE CHANGED DURING THE REFORMATION AS COMMON PEOPLE WERE GIVEN ACCESS TO GOD'S WORLDVIEW VIA THE BIBLE. THE REFORMERS REALIZED AND TAUGHT THAT CHRISTIANITY'S WORLDVIEW WAS CONSISTENT WITH REALITY AND THUS USEFUL ON THE MOST BASIC LEVELS OF LIFE

How Did This Worldview Change Happen?

The Church Disengaged:

- Late 1800's / Early 1900's The “Doctrine of Defeat” replaces The Dominion Mandate

- Church's begin shunning the 7 Mt.s of Culture

- The Church now suffers from a Split Personality - The Sacred And The Secular

Because of this Secular Humanism (Socialism, Communism, Marxism) started asking questions and the church stayed silent

A Disengaged Church Creates A Fatherless Nation

- Epidemic began after the Civil War

- 1930's saw street kids become gangsters in major cities

- 1960's sexual revolution

- Late 70's – 80's Gen X: The rise of the Apathetic Pantheists

- Late 90's – 00's: The rise of the Post Mod Relativistic Consumerist

How Can We Shift To A Biblical Worldview?

- Return to the Word: The days of relational messages (3 points & a prayer) must be over

- Discipleship (not a home group or a program)

- Integrated Worship, Integrated Word, Integrated Life – Synergy

- 7mts Missional: Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Thanks Steve!

2011-10-06T11:26:00.001-04:00

By now everyone has heard that Steve Jobs has passed away. I don't think I have to post his contributions to our culture seeing that most americans are using his products or at least they are wanting one of them. If you haven't read his biography you should. Very inspiring. I do not know if this man was a believer but his contributions has helped the church step into the 21st century. I use my Macbook, IMac and Iphone everyday to further the kingdom. Since turning to the "Mac-side" I have cursed less seeing that I do not have to deal with PC's. So in my world Steve Jobs is a blessing. Thanks Steve!

Remarkable Thoughts on Death from Steve Jobs

- Ed Stetzer

Steve Jobs died a few hours ago.

His impact is hard to overstate-- his genius and inventions are ubiquitous. Earlier today, I blogged on tech tools I use-- and Steve Jobsimpacts my life every day. Steve Jobs literally changed the world.

Yet, he was more than an inventor. He was also a public figure-- and few people have lived in the public eye like Steve. For that matter, few people have, well, slowly declined in public view. Watching his health over the last few years reminds us of our own mortality-- and Steve thought that death was a good thing for all of us to consider.

Steve Jobs faced death and, unlike some public figures, he spoke of it. Here is what Steve said in 2005 at the Stanford commencement address:

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Worthwhile words.

It is a biblical thing to see life a fleeting (Psalm 89:47).

I do not know Steve's spiritual condition, but I do know that each of us must live in the light of eternity. Steve died today. I could be tomorrow. May I live my life in light of that reality-- that life is fleeting AND that eternal life is a gift to all that have been made new in Christ.

"You don't even know what tomorrow will bring--what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes" (James 4:14, HCSB).

Indeed.

Epic: Guy on a Buffalo

2011-09-28T16:54:00.002-04:00

How to do a Word Study

2011-09-24T13:05:00.002-04:00

I have had several conversations lately about studying scripture, especially when it comes to sermon preparation. Trust me folks, a good word study will keep you from speaking heresy. LOL! Check your facts...then double check!

HOW TO DO A WORD STUDY

Our Goal: To determine the meaning of a word within its biblical context.
Two Important Guidelines:

Word studies must always be based on the original language, not merely on the English text.
Ultimately, the context must determine the precise meaning of the word under consideration.

Some Helpful Study Tools:

An Exhaustive concordance
Vine's Expository Dictionary (Vine)
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Colin Brown)
Word Studies in the New Testament (Vincent)
New Testament for English Readers (Alford)
A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (Rienecker, Rogers)
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Harris, Archer, Waltke)
Nelson's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament (Unger, White)
Various topical indexes
Various commentaries

The Procedure:

1. Select a word to be studied
Example: The English word "perish" in John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (NASB).
2. Compare various English versions to see how the translators dealt with the word
Careful scholars will translate the original text with the English words that most clearly convey its meaning. Therefore, comparing the different English words used to translate a Greek or Hebrew word can broaden our understanding of the word's meaning.
In the case of "perish" in John 3:16, most translators stay with that word rather than seek a synonym. The Jerusalem Bible, however, reads, "Everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life."
Assuming the integrity of the translators, we can initially conclude that to perish is to be lost in some sense. That doesn't tell us much, but it's a start.
3. Define the English word using an English dictionary
Webster's New World Dictionary (1988) defines perish as: 1. "to be destroyed, ruined, or wiped out" 2. "to die; esp., to die a violent or untimely death."
It defines lost (from the Jerusalem Bible) as: "destroyed or ruined physically or morally"; "damned"; or "reprobate."
Note: We're not actually defining the Greek word at this point, but merely gaining insight into it's English equivalent(s).
4. Using an Exhaustive Concordance, locate any other passages in which the English word (perish) is used by the same Bible writer (John).
The New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance (p. 940) shows that perish appears again (in the NASB text) in:

John 10:28--Jesus said, "I give eternal life to [my sheep], and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand."
John 11:50--Caiaphas, the high priest, said, "It is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."

Those additional texts may shed more light on our word's meaning. In some cases we'll have many additional verses; sometimes we'll have none. But at this stage of our research, it's best to study perish only in John's writings, even though perish is used by other writers. Other writers may use it in a way that has no direct bearing on John 3:16, but normally a writer will use the same word in the same way in the same book.
Also, if we're researching a common word, the task of tracing it throughout the entire Bible could be overwhelming and yield little fruit for our efforts. In our next step, when we're researching the actual Greek word, then it may be productive to trace it more extensively.
5. Define the word in it's original language
Use a lexicon or other reference source to find the root meaning of our word. A lexicon is a dictionary of the original language (Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek). Most exhaustive concordances contain lexicons.
For example: The NASB Exhaustive Concordance (page 940) tells us that "perish" in John 3:16 translates the Greek word apollumi. The Greek Dictionary section of the same concordance (page 1634) adds that apollumi is a combination of the Greek preposition apo, and the Greek verb ollumi, that means "to destroy." The preposition intensifies the verb action, therefore together they convey the idea of utter destruction.
In the NASB New Testament, appollumi is translated "to bring to an end" 1 time, "destroy" 17 times, "destroyed" 9 times, "dying" 1 time, "lose" 9 times, "loses" 7 times, "lost" 14 times, "passed away" 1 time, "perish" 16 times, "perishable" 1 time, "perished" 5 times, "perishes" 1 times, "perishing" 6 times, "put to death" 1 time, and "ruined" 3 times.
Other tools, such as Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, will give us additional information to help understand the definition of our word.
When we've completed this step, we'll have a lexical (generic) definition. A Bible writer may use a word in its strict lexical sense, but the context in which the word is used must be the final determiner of its precise meaning. It's a mistake to impose a lexical definition on to a word each time it appears in Scripture.
6. Trace the origin of the word
We can use other study tools like Colin Brown to trace the historical development (etymology) of our word, paying particular attention to any information that directly relates to our passage.
7. Consult commentaries for any additional light they may shed on the passage
Commentaries can be wonderful aids to study, and can help confirm our findings. But the joy of discovery is enhanced when we derive a word's definition ourselves rather than relying solely on commentaries. Sometimes we may discover that a commentary writer has been unduly influenced by his or her theology, or simply hasn't research the word thoroughly.

We want the Holy Spirit and the Word of God

2011-09-23T12:29:00.000-04:00

Pastor Mark recently interviewed Terry Virgo about his new bookThe Spirit-Filled Church. In the book, Pastor Terry explores what it means for a church to stay true to the Word of God, but also be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cru Who? Lessons to Learn from the Name Change at Campus Crusade // Ed Stetzer

2011-09-21T17:58:00.002-04:00

By Ed Stetzer

Suddenly, name changes are in the news-- everywhere. Name changes are a big deal and I have been thinking about how to weigh in on the Campus Crusade controversy. So, I wrote this post a week ago to reflect on the Campus Crusade name change. Since many people are now discussing a potential name change for Southern Baptists, I have also posted about that at the Between the Times blog, where I blog about denomination-specific issues, on that issue. Yet, this blog is about Cru and Campus Crusade.

In July, the organization formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, founded over half a century ago by Bill Bright, announced the changing of its name to "Cru." And, in less time than it takes a seraph to say "holy, holy, holy" the condemnation began. Some accused the leaders of kowtowing to political correctness while others saw it as part of a continuing trend to remove Christ from the public discourse.

How exactly a thoroughly evangelistic, solidly biblical organization removes Christ from public discourse is well beyond my powers of reason, but this was exactly the interpretation that came from none other than Fox News. With the headline "Prominent Christian ministry drops 'Christ'" and in an interview with Cru's U.S. Vice-president (Steve Sellar); Fox made the charge that the decision was specifically about dropping Christ from the name.

It really is frustrating that so many wholeheartedly buy into the media when it supports their preconceptions and that so many seem unable or unwilling to think for themselves on the issues. It may be accurate that Fox is more conservative than CNN or MSNBC, but they, too, fall into the trap of producing entertainment and calling it news. In other times they try to make a story when none exists.

The reality is that Cru has an entire page of its website dedicated to the decision process there revealing, among other things, that more than 1,600 names had been considered and that the old name "Campus Crusade for Christ" no longer represented their mission since they were larger than a campus ministry. It was also enlightening-- and heartening-- to see them considering the negative effects the name had in Muslim countries. From the Cru website:

Our name presented obstacles to our mission. The word "campus" does not adequately represent all our ministries in the United States and confuses our constituency as well as potential partners. The word "crusade"-while common and acceptable in 1951 when we were founded-now carries negative associations. It acts as a barrier to the very people that we want to connect with. It's also a hindrance to many Christians who would like to partner with us but find the word Crusade offensive.

Our surveys show that, in the U.S., twenty percent of the people willing to consider the gospel are less interested in talking with us after they hear the name. We are changing the name for the sake of more effective ministry.

When your name is a hindrance to your mission you have three options: Change the mission, change the name, or suffer the consequences. I'm glad they chose to change the organization's name, as the other two choices were certainly less than optimal for the Kingdom.

Another bandwagon hanger-on was the now ex-Fox News personality, Glenn Beck. Apparently with little research being done, or with that little research being ignored, Beck launched into a foundationless tirade against the name change that would make...well...Glenn Beck proud. He said, at the beginning of his mocking rant, "They decided Christ might be offensive." The problem here is this: Beck's challenge is demonstrably false. Both the website and the interview with Steve Sellars make it plain that the name change was not to deny anything, but rather to increase the impact of their ministry. Why do so many evangelicals believe someone like Glenn Beck rather than the trusted leadership of Campus Crusade?

Even more out of touch were some of the comments on Beck's website. After wading through that garbage for a few minutes one might get the idea that Cru had been taken over by a group of atheists who were steering it away from Bright's original vision for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. In fact, as Sellars and Vonette Bright (Bill's widow) both point out; Bill Bright himself had been promoting the idea of a name change for decades. It is true that Christians can be suspicious because of institutions and organizations that experience theological drift: the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA, now "The Y"), Harvard and Yale universities come to mind. However, regardless of how finely tuned a person considers their own news radar to be, Christians do not need to be like blue whales indiscriminately swallowing all the plankton around them. Gullibility is not a fruit of the Spirit. Just because it is on Fox News doesn't mean it's true and just because Glenn Beck says it does not make it worth repeating. We must use a biblical filter of truth and error, of foolishness and wisdom. This is far too often lacking. Perhaps those who claim the name of Christ should trust their brothers and sisters who also claim the name of Christ. I think we're on the same team, after all.

So ill-aimed were the criticisms leveled at Cru that John Piper felt obliged to weigh in:

Glenn Beck ridiculed the change as he wadded up the report and threw it away. His entire focus was to attack the wimpy people who avoid using the name Christ for fear of giving offense. The problem with Beck is that he cared nothing about dealing with the real problems created by the name "Campus Crusade for Christ."

The problem was not "Christ." The problem was the limiting word "campus" (when CCC ministers to millions that have nothing to do with any "campus") and "crusade" (which for millions of people has one main connotation: Medieval crusades against Muslims). Beck's approach is not responsible journalism but careless hype for the religious right.

This is not to say that Cru didn't make a mistake by failing to anticipate such a negative response-- I think they did. Ultimately, though, the names of organizations matter less than their fidelity. I was amused at people who expressed disapproval, emphatically stating the need for "Christ" to remain in the name, likening the change to being ashamed of Christ. I guess the Wesley Center, Reformed University Fellowship, InterVarsity, The Navigators and Baptist Campus Ministries have been denying Jesus for a long, long time.

Thankfully, a broad representation of Christian leaders rose up in defense of Cru's leadership. For what it is worth, I think Cru is a great name, because it describes a great organization filled with people who seek to make the name of Christ more widely known.

Feel free to weigh in and discuss in the comments below (be sure to review the comment policy). If you would like to talk about the potential name change for the Southern Baptist Convention, please join the conversation at my Between the Times post.

Why The Missional Movement Will Fail – Part 2 // Mike Breen

2011-09-21T12:35:00.004-04:00

by Mike Breen

My last post, Why The Missional Movement Will Fail caused quite a stir in the past week and the overwhelming response seemed to require a followup post. So consider this PART TWO.

There were a few questions that emerged in online conversation because of this article:

1. How am I defining disciple/discipleship?

2. Am I separating mission from discipleship? Aren’t they part and parcel the same thing?

3. Why am I making this complicated? Can’t we just do what Jesus says and stop talking about this stuff?

4. What should we do about it?

We’ve moved the goal posts

Defining a disciple is fairly easy, in my view. The greek word mathetes is the word that scripture uses for “disciple” and it means learner. In other words, disciples are people who LEARN to be like Jesus and learn to do what Jesus could do. One great writer on discipleship put it this way: Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.

A disciple is someone who, with increased intentionality and passing time, has a life and ministry that looks more and more like the life and ministry of Jesus. They increasingly have his heart and character and are able to do the types of things we see Jesus doing. We don’t have to look far in the New Testament to see this happening. Just look at the life of the disciples/ apostles and the communities they led…over time, they looked more and more like Jesus!

How did the church go from 120 people in an upper room to more than 50% of the Roman Empire in about 250 years? Simple. They had a way of reproducing the life of Jesus in disciples (in real, flesh-and-blood people) who were able to do the things we read Jesus doing in the Gospels.

Is that still the way we see Christians or have we moved the goal post? I have to wonder if we’ve changed our criteria to match the kind of fruit our communities are now producing. Many are now fine with Christians who show up to our churches, are generally nice people, do some quiet times, tithe and volunteer. Maybe they even have a little missional bent to them. These are all good things, but I don’t think this is the kind of “fruit” Jesus was referring to when he talked about fruitfulness in John 15. Would those kinds of people change the world like the early church did?

Probably not.

In truth, I think we are pretty bad at making disciples in the Western church. Why? Because I look at the life of Jesus, the life of the disciples, the life of the early church and what they were able to produce with their fruit…and then I look at ours. When we read scripture and the texture of their lives and ministry, do we think that ours holds up to it? Even if we have a growing church, do the lives of the people we lead look like the lives of people we see in scripture? That’s the goal post we should be going after.

I’ve heard Dallas Willard say that every church should be able to answer two questions: First, what is our plan for making disciples? Second, does our plan work? I believe most communities have a plan for discipleship. I’m not convinced many plans are working the way Jesus is hoping they will — and that’s why we’re in trouble.

I think the fruit of our lives will reveal the root of our lives. So if we are creating disciples who are far from the people we see in scripture as the rule and not the exception, we must ask ourselves why this is the case and how we can change that reality.

“I’ll have a cheeseburger with no cheese, please.”

Undoubtedly, one of the key components to being a disciple is to care deeply about mission. In Christendom, it seemed that people thought of discipleship as only an “inner” reality that sought the transformation of the individual and mission was left on the sideline. As we have come to re-embrace the mission Dei — the reality that the God of mission sent his Son as the great rescuer and we are to imitate him — I wonder if some within the “missional movement” are far more concerned with being missionaries/reformers than also seeking the transformation and wholeness that Christ is offering them personally.

What concerns me is that we have gone ditch to ditch. The reality is that both things are at work in being a disciple. The reality of living more fully in the Kingdom of God is that we are being back put together through God’s grace, conforming more to the image of Jesus, having his heart and mind, and the overflow leads to Kingdom activity. That is why Jesus says, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.” Apart from the active work of Jesus in our life we cannot produce Kingdom fruit. To engage in Kingdom mission without being equally attentive to our own personal transformation (through relationship with the King) is like asking for a cheeseburger with no cheese. It stops being the very thing we’re asking for! By the same token, to be a “disciple” while not actively engaging in mission is asking for a cheeseburger with no burger. Both are necessary. To be a disciple is to be a missionary. Jesus made disciples and he sent them out as missionaries while discipling them.

If we look at it objectively, we see churches with discipling cultures (that focus mainly on the transformation of individual self) and churches with missional cultures (which focus on the transformation of the world/people around us) and we often see tensions between these two camps.

One has a clue, but no cause. The other has a cause, but no clue. High mission/low discipleship church cultures have issues with Biblical literacy, theological reflection and deficiencies in character and Creed that, in the end, sabotage the very mission they’re about. Critics are rightly concerned that these kinds of churches are a hair’s breath away from heresy, with people largely not experiencing the depth and transformation of heart and mind Jesus invites us into. High discipleship/low mission church cultures have strength in the previous issues, but lack the adventurous spirit/ heart of compassion and Kingdom compulsion that so stirred the Father into action that he sent his only Son to a world he so loved. Their transformation isn’t leading to the place God is taking them. Critics are rightly concerned that these kinds of churches will turn into Christian ghettos, creating people who lob “truth bombs” over their high, secure walls, creating an “us vs. them” mentality. In both, something is disastrously off.

As humans, we are creatures of overreaction, choosing polarities rather than living in tension. The truth is, a TRUE discipling culture (as Jesus envisioned it) must have both. It’s not either/or, it’s both/and. We mustn’t choose between depth and breadth, but embrace the tension of having and shaping both in our communities.

Character and Competency

At the end of the day, we can probably boil being a disciple down to two things: Character and Competency. We want the character that Jesus has and we want to be able to do the things that Jesus could do (competency). Discipleship is learning, over the course of our lives, to become people who have both.

So how we are forming/discipling the people in our communities? This is only helpful if we’re truly honest.

♦ Character: Are their lives characterized by grace? Peace? Love? Transformation? Patience? Humility? A deep relationship with the Father? A love of the scriptures? Can they submit? Do they see the world through the eyes of the Kingdom and not the prevailing culture? (Obviously there’s a lot more, but you get the idea.)

♦ Competency: Can they disciple people well who can then disciple others? Can they do mission well? Can they hear the voice of their Father and respond with action, with His authority and power? When they pray, do things happen as they did for Jesus? Can they read and teach scripture well? (Again, Jesus was able to do many things, this is but a short summary.)

These are Kingdom questions. These are Discipleship questions. Which is why I go back to the point that if you make disciples, you will always get the church, but if you make the church, you won’t always get disciples. If the people in your community are discipling people who can answer “yes” to those questions, you’re doing what Jesus asked you to do. You’ve sought first the Kingdom and the rest will be added. Look at it through this matrix:

Finally, discipleship is about faithfulness and reflection. We need to be faithful and obedient to the things Jesus has asked of us (when it comes to character and competency) and let him control outcomes. At the same time, we need to be reflective about whether we’re good at the things Jesus could do. Jesus is calling us to be faithful, but he’s also asking us to get better, in “his strength which so powerfully works through us,” at the Kingdom things he could do. If we’re not good at something, let’s just not say, “It’s OK, I’m faithful.” I’d argue that faithfulness also requires us being honest and reflective about whether we’re good at the things Jesus could do, seeking to become better. Faithfulness and reflection. It requires us living in tension. He wants both, and if we embrace both, we take the posture of a learner.

So what do you think? Am I way off? Am I missing something? Is this a fair assessment?

Verge Network also has several helpful discipleship resources available to help you grow in discipleship and disciple-making:

Neil Cole: Making and Multiplying Disciples | VIDEO

Alan Hirsch: Disciple-making | VIDEO

Francis Chan: Making Disciples vs Memorizing | VIDEO

George Patterson: 1st-Century Discipleship | VIDEO

This Is Discipling | VIDEO

Neil Cole: Can Groups Be Missional and Make Disciples? | ARTICLE

Mike Breen has been an innovator in leading missional churches throughout Europe and the United States for more than 25 years. In his time at St Thomas Sheffield in the UK, he pioneered Missional Communities, mid-sized groups of 20-50 people on mission together. The result, less than 6 years later, was the largest church in England, and ultimately, one of the largest and now fastest growing churches in Europe. In 2006 Mike was approached by Leadership Network to lead an initiative into church planting. Through this partnership, more than 725 churches were planted in Europe in just three years. Today, Mike lives in South Carolina, leading 3DM, a movement/organization that is helping hundreds of established churches and church planters move into this discipling and missional way of being the church.

Twitter: @mike_breen

Why the Missional Movement will Fail // Mike Breen

2011-09-14T16:23:00.000-04:00

by Mike Breen

It’s time we start being brutally honest about the missional movement that has emerged in the last 10-15 years: Chances are better than not it’s going to fail.

That may seem cynical, but I’m being realistic. There is a reason so many movements in the Western church have failed in the past century: They are a car without an engine. A missional church or a missional community or a missional small group is the new car that everyone is talking about right now, but no matter how beautiful or shiny the vehicle, without an engine, it won’t go anywhere.

The Engine of the Church

So what is the engine of the church? Discipleship. I’ve said it many times: If you make disciples, you will always get the church. But if you try to build the church, you will rarely get disciples.

If you’re good at making disciples, you’ll get more leaders than you’ll know what to do with. If you make disciples like Jesus made them, you’ll see people come to faith who didn’t know Him. If you disciple people well, you will always get the missional thing.

Always.

We took 30 days and examined the Twitter conversations happening. We discovered there are between 100-150 times as many people talking about mission as there are discipleship (to be clear, that’s a 100:1). We are a group of people addicted to and obsessed with the work of the Kingdom, with little to no idea how to be with the King.

As Skye Jethani wrote in his Out of Ur post a little while back “Has Mission become an Idol?”:

“Many church leaders unknowingly replace the transcendent vitality of a life with God for the ego satisfaction they derive from a life for God.”

Look, I’m not criticizing the people who are passionate about mission…I am one of those people. I was one of the people pioneering Missional Communities in the 1980′s and have been doing it ever since. This is my camp, my tribe, my people. But it has to be said: God did not design us to do Kingdom mission outside of the scope of intentional, biblical discipleship and if we don’t see that, we’re fooling ourselves.

Mission Is The Umbrella of Discipleship

Mission is under the umbrella of discipleship as it is one of the many things that Jesus taught his disciples to do well. But it wasn’t done in a vacuum outside of knowing God and being shaped by that relationship, where a constant refinement of their character was happening alongside of their continued skill development (which included mission).

The truth about discipleship is that it’s never hip and it’s never in style…it’s the call to come and die; a “long obedience in the same direction.” While the “missional” conversation is imbued with the energy and vitality that comes with kingdom work, it seems to be missing some of the hallmark reality that those of us who have lived it over time have come to expect: Mission is messy. It’s humbling. There’s often no glory in it. It’s for the long haul. And it’s completely unsustainable without discipleship.

This is the crux of it: The reason the missional movement may fail is because most people/communities in the Western church are pretty bad at making disciples. Without a plan for making disciples (and a plan that works), any missional thing you launch will be completely unsustainable.

Mission Is A War Zone

Think about it this way: Sending people out to do mission is to send them out to a war zone. Discipleship is not only the boot camp to train them for the front lines, but the hospital when they get wounded and the off-duty time they need to rest and recuperate. When we don’t disciple people the way Jesus and the New Testament talked about, we are sending them out without armor, weapons or training. This is mass carnage waiting to happen. How can we be surprised that people burn out, quit and never want to return to the missional life (or the church)? How can we not expect people will feel used and abused?

There’s a story from World War II where The Red (Russian) Army sent wave after wave of untrained, practically weaponless soldiers into the thick of the German front. They were slaughtered in droves. Why did they do this? Because they knew that eventually the German soldiers would run out of ammunition, creating an opportunity for the Red Army to send in their best soldiers to finish them off. The first wave of untrained soldiers were the best way of exhausting ammunition, leaving their enemy vulnerable.

While this isn’t a perfect analogy, I sense this is a bit like the missional movement right now. We are sending bright-eyed civilians into the battle where the fighting is fiercest without the equipping they need, not just to survive, but to fight well and advance the Kingdom of their dad, the King.

Mission Devoid of Discipleship = Failure

The missional movement will fail because, by-and-large, we are having a discussion about mission devoid of discipleship. Unless we start having more discussion about discipleship and how we make missionaries out of disciples, this movement will stall and fade. Any discussion about mission must begin with discipleship. If your church community is not yet competent at making disciples who can make disciples, please don’t send your members out on mission until you have a growing sense of confidence in your ability to train, equip and disciple them.

Here are some questions I have leaders I’m working with ask regularly:

Am I a disciple?

Do I know how to disciple people who can then disciple people who then disciple people, etc? (i.e. does my discipleship plan work?)

Does our discipleship plan naturally lead all disciples to become missionaries? (not just the elite, Delta-seal missional ninjas)

Francis Chan // How To Have Real Community // VIDEO

2011-09-14T16:12:00.002-04:00

Francis Chan: Following Jesus [VERGE 2010 Main Session] from Verge Network on Vimeo.

What does it look like to have real community? And how is it formed? Is it just something that happens when we meet together regularly with other Christians? Or is there something more to it than just meeting and gathering?

In video from a talk at the Verge Conference, Francis Chan begins to answer the question that so many of us are asking – how can we have real community? The answer that Francis gives, though, might surprise you.

Think back to a time when you experienced deep and meaningful community. What were things that brought you together? Maybe it was a task, an ordeal or a cause that brought you together. Maybe it was an emergency, an unplanned event or a great vision.

In this video, Francis shows us that the Bible is clear about community. He says that a simple reading of the Bible would not lead to focusing first on gathering. Instead, the Bible makes it clear that what is most important is the mission to make disciples.

We are to go out on a mission to reach people. We are to teach them to obey everything that Jesus has commanded. And as we are on that mission to reach and disciple people, we would naturally find other people that are on that same mission.

We would stick out because we would be some of the weirdest people on earth. We would stick out because we would be living lives that are radically different than most other Christians.

We would need each other. We would actually need brothers and sisters to come alongside us. We would need brothers and sisters in Christ to help us. We would need a community of people in order to accomplish the mission. We would need to work together and encourage each other to stay on mission. And we would even suffer together as a community.

Ceasar Kalinowski // Story of God // Video

2011-09-14T16:02:00.001-04:00

Verge 2010 Breakout Session - Ceasar Kalinowski - Story of God from Verge Network on Vimeo.

Organic Systems // Video // Alan Hirsch

2011-09-14T15:59:00.001-04:00

Alan Hirsch: Organic Systems [VERGE 2010 Breakout] from Verge Network on Vimeo.

Observations and Thoughts as I listen....

2011-09-06T12:26:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting at Stoked in Marietta, Ohio working on some things for a Wednesday night youth program and a group of people walk in. The ladies sit down and the men order the pumpkin latte for everyone at their table. As they begin their conversations the room begins to realize that a group of Christians have now invaded the room. Now if you have ever been to Stoked you will likely say "Mic, isn't Stoked owned and operated by Christians and don't they play christian music all the time?" Why yes they are and yes they do - So does Burger King across the street, but that's not the point. I'm not complaining. I mean I have been guilty of being with a large group of christians and we definitely took over the room with our loud conversations. I guess I'm wondering if I have come off as obnoxious.

I in no way want to come off as being judgmental about this group. I guess it really is just a big picture moment for me. Is this how we look to the world? Loud. Obnoxious. Bold Judgmental Christian Tshirts.

Conversations laced with "It must have been the Lord", or "I heard the Holy Spirit say", "It's the signs of the times", "Well when the anti-christ...". Do we even make sense? No we don't. We have know idea what is going on around us and for the most part I don't think we care. If a natural disaster happens in the world it's a sign of the end and the people who were killed deserved it because of the sin that was rampant in their region or nation. We have no common sense. We have made the Bible a science fiction novel. If only there was a way to twist some aliens into it....go it....the Nephilim! (Thanks Chuck Misler!) I guess it could be worse. I guess we could caught up in thinking that the Tea Party can save us. Oh wait, I forgot. That is happening. Have you seen this picture yet?

It's Jesus holding the Constitution. Why does this bother me? Because the Constitution is not a sacred document on the same par as the Bible. Do I think the writers of the constitution were inspired by the Bible as they wrote certain passages in the Constitution? Yes. But this is placing the Constitution at the same level as scripture. It highly concerns me. I keep hearing "God has his hand on this nation". God has his hand on all nations. America is not the only one. Do I think we are blessed...yes. Why? Because our family ancestors discipled this nation. But the church has backed out of all aspects of our culture and now we are seeing the result of that backing out. Our fields are bare because we have not sowed into culture.

Then we have this guy:

So Jesus didn't turn water into wine? Really? Really? Oh it's the "New Versions of the Bible" that have misinterpreted this. Hmmmm Really? I can't take it. This guy is a joke. Now I really do sound judgmental.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I haven't lost Faith. I've lost faith in the so called "church". I'm not throwing everything out. I just want the real thing and not this crap we are trying to pass off as Christianity. I'm really trying to live according to the Word. I love what the early reformers started to teach: The 5 Solas.

Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone
Solus Christus - Christ Alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone

Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature ... God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace. We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature. - Cambridge Declaration

Soli Deo Gloria - If I could live my life for the Glory of God Alone. If that could be my rally call. My purpose. That's what I want more than anything.

I don't know if any of this made sense. It will probably come off the same way I felt as I listened to this group of loud people across from me. If so I am sorry.

Mic

We were created for community, not for isolation!

2011-09-06T11:14:00.000-04:00

We weren’t built for isolation, we were created for community. And community isn’t ultimately about us, it’s about God. The church should be the most compelling expression of community in our culture. It should stand in contrast to the counterfeit community that costs us nothing. But unfortunately in most of our churches, we’re more well known for awkward circles than we are for transformational community . .

Community from Crossway on Vimeo.

Jeff Vanderstelt: Rythms

2011-09-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

Verge Missional Community Conference 2010 Main Session Video

Jeff Vanderstelt: Gospel Rhythms

A Wholistic Approach to Ministry

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your souls. Live such good lives among he pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
1 Peter 2:11-12

In order to lead our people to see all of life as ministry and mission we must equip them to live out the gospel in everyday activities – rhythms. We have found some transferable patterns or rhythms of life that should be lived out in light of the Gospel and our gospel identity.

Everyday Rhythms:

Story-Formed

We understand, experience and intersect with God’s Story and Other’s God has been unfolding his Story since before time began. We believe we are participants in the Story and need to understand it and see how our lives intersect with it. Therefore, we regularly reacquaint ourselves with the Story by interacting with God’s Word. We look for ways and times to tell the Story often. We also take time to listen to others stories and help them find their lives within God’s Story. (Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:1; Psalm 1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Listen

We set aside regular times to listen to God both backward and forward Jesus listened to God in prayer to know his Father’s will. We are also called to listen to God. We listen ‘backward’ by regularly interacting with God’s Word–the Story and the Son. We also believe he speaks today through his Spirit in us and through creation. We spend time actively listening ‘forward’ to hear what God is saying to us today. (Mark 1:35-37; John 16:7-15; Hebrews 1:1-3; Romans 1:20)

Celebrate

We gather together to celebrate God’s extravagant blessings God’s calls people to regularly celebrate his goodness and grace. We gather weekly in missional communities and regularly as a larger family, to share stories and celebrate all that God is doing in and amongst us. We invite everyone to these celebrations as a way of displaying God’s glory. (Leviticus 23; Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25)

Bless

We intentionally bless others through words, gifts or actions God desires that all nations–all people–would be blessed through Jesus. And now, as his Body, we believe we live out this mission as we bless others. We intentionally seek God’s direction for who he would have us tangibly bless each week. (Genesis 12:1-3; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 2:12)

Eat

We regularly eat meals with others to invite them into the community of God. Meals are a daily reminder of our common need for God and his faithfulness to provide both physically and spiritually. Jesus called us to remember him and his sacrifice for us through a meal. When we eat together, we commune around this truth. We regularly eat meals with those not in our immediate family or circle of close friends, discipling them toward a life of dependence on God. (Leviticus 23; Matthew 6:11; 26:17-30; Acts 2:46-47; Romans 12:13)

ReCreate

We take time to rest, play, create and restore beauty in ways that reflect God to others. After powerfully and joyfully creating the universe, God rested. We were created in his image and therefore were made to joyfully create and rest as well. We regularly take time to rest, play, create and restore beauty in ways that reflect what God is like to our community. (Genesis 1-2:3; Deuteronomy 5:12; Mark 2:23-28; Hebrews)

2011-09-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

Francis Chan delivers this inspiring message at the On The Verge Conference 2011. The church in the west is on the verge of either disappearing or becoming a missional movement. A new apostolic movement will occur when every Christ follower and church gains missional “movementum.” This occurs through a process of three moves in which we follow Jesus: “See it”, “Get it”, and “Do it.”

Francis Chan: On The Verge from Verge Network on Vimeo.

This is Discipleship

2011-09-01T10:59:00.002-04:00

This is Discipling from The Foursquare Church on Vimeo.

The Kingdom Of God Is all and in all

2011-08-24T11:56:00.000-04:00

Growing up entrenched in church culture I always thought it was weird that christians segregated themselves so much from the world. We had created our own culture. Christian music, fiction, clothing, jewelry, etc, and if you crossed that line you were immediately banished from the realm. But when you looked at everyones ordinary lives, doctors, lawyers, teachers, city officials, bankers, fast food workers....everyone was living double lives. In the last 10 years I have started reading Schafffer, Lewis, DeMar, Calvin, Hodges, and more importantly THE BIBLE and realized that the kingdom of God is all and in all. There is no separation between sacred and secular. Whatever a christian puts his hands to is sacred. As a christian, any song I write, wether it be about my wife, a dog, a situation or the color blue, is SACRED because of the Spirit of Christ that dwells in me. that goes for any position, job, task....anything one does. Now in our human condition we can operate in sin and create carnal things....but can those carnal things not be redeemed by the grace of God. Just some thoughts I have.

Here is an interesting article by Gay DeMar that is on this same thought.....

“The Great Statute‑Book of the Kingdom”

When I was a student at Reformed Theological Seminary (1974-1979), I was taught that certain cultural applications flowed from a consistent application of Calvinism. Calvinism is synonymous with a comprehensive biblical world-and-life view. It’s not just about TULIP (Total depravity,Unconditional election, Limited atonement,Irresistible grace, Perseverance of the saints). Simply put, we were told that the Bible applies to every area of life. To be a Calvinist is to make biblical application to issues beyond soul-saving. I never heard anything about natural law or a two-kingdom approach to social, cultural, and political action, alternatives that are all the range among prominent Reformed thinkers.

All the literature we read on Calvinism had at least some reference to the application of Calvinism’s world-and-life view in history. No one ever questioned this theological framework until some of us actually began to apply worldview Calvinism to particular social themes. This is what we were taught to do, from our first reading of Abraham Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinismto Francis Schaeffer’s How Should We Then Live? As time went on, however, some of the professors got a little nervous. They didn’t like where all of this worldview talk was going. Thetheory of a Christian worldview was appropriate, but its application to particular issues was a different matter. The first time I saw this aversion was when a guest speaker applied the Bible to modern-day economic theory.

Little has changed in 2011. A number of Reformed thinkers are still nervous about applying the Bible to particular issues beyond the church. They’ve taken a two-kingdom approach. While the Bible applies to the life of the Christian, his family, and church, there isn’t a moral word for the world other than to repent and believe in Jesus. But then what? What are these new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) to do while they are “are exiles and pilgrims” in Babylon? Some great Reformed thinkers had a lot to say about this question. Here is some of what I found:

Abraham Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinism

Those students who were interested in cultural Calvinism were directed to Kuyper’s 1898Lectures on Calvinism. It was here that we were told that we would find a fully developed, comprehensive, biblical world-and-life view. Kuyper’s brand of Calvinism has been described as the “only modern exception” to the tendency of Christians either to abandon social action in favor of piety or to abandon piety in favor of social action.[1]

The “Kuyperian” tradition “was at once pious and socially influential.”[2] “As Abraham Kuyper said, there is not one inch of creation of which Christ doesn’t say ‘Mine.’”[3] In his Lectures on Calvinism, Kuyper discussed politics, science, and art — a rather odd mix, but it was more than the familiar five points of Calvinism. (Economics and law were strangely absent.) Reading Kuyper was like reading a repair manual that was all diagnosis and little if any instruction on how to fix the problem. Here’s a sample:

That in spite of all worldly opposition, God’s holy ordinances shall be established again in the home, in the school and in the State for the good of the people; to carve as it were into the conscience of the nation the ordinances of the Lord, to which the Bible and Creation bear witness, until the nation pays homage again to God.[4]

Everything that has been created was, in its creation, finished by God with an unchangeable law of its existence. And because God has fully ordained such laws and ordinances for all life, therefore the Calvinist demands that all life be consecrated to His service in strict obedience. A religion confined to the closet, the cell, or the church, therefore, Calvin abhors.[5]

Notice that there is no talk about natural law or a two-kingdom approach to ethics that essentially separates special revelation from our world beyond the church.

Henry Van Til’sThe Calvinistic Concept of Culture

Next was Henry Van Til’s The Calvinistic Concept of Culture. Van Til, in his discussion of Augustine, wrote:

Augustine believed that peace with God precedes peace in the home, in society, and in the state. The earthly state too must be converted, transformed into a Christian state by the permeation of the kingdom of God within her, since true righteousness can only be under the rule of Christ.

Not only in the realm of ethics and politics must conversion take place … [but also] for knowledge and science. Apart from Christ, man’s wisdom is but folly, because it begins with faith in itself and proclaims man’s autonomy. The redeemed man, on the other hand, begins with faith and reason in subjection to the laws placed in this universe by God: he learns to think God’s thoughts after him. All of science, fine art and technology, conventions of dress and rank, coinage, measures and the like, all of these are at the service of the redeemed man to transform them for the service of his God.[6]

Van Til believed that the building of a Christian culture is a Christian imperative. Van Til castigated the Barthians for their repudiation of a Christian culture. “For them,” he wrote, “there is no single form of social, political, economic order that is more in the spirit of the Gospel than another.”[7]

H. Henry Meeter’s The Basic Ideas of Calvinism

H. Henry Meeter’s The Basic Ideas of Calvinism focused on politics. The first edition (1939) was described as “Volume I.” A subsequent volume never appeared. Again, the Bible was emphasized as the standard for both Christian and non-Christian.

The Calvinist insists that the principles of God’s Word are valid not only for himself but all citizens. Since God is to be owned as Sovereign by everyone, whether he so wishes or not, so also the Bible should be the determining rule for all. But especially for himself the Christian, according to the Calvinist, must in politics live by these principles.[8]

Since God is the Sovereign of all His creatures, He must be recognized as the lawmaker for all mankind. How does one determine what that rule is? Meeter told us that the Bible should be the determining rule for all, not just for Christians and not just for settling ecclesiastical disputes.

Whenever a State is permeated with a Christian spirit and applies Christian principles in the administration of civil affairs, it is called ‘Christian.’ If that be what is meant by a Christian State, then all States should be Christian, according to the conscience of the Calvinist, even though many states are not Christian. If God is the one great Sovereign of the universe, it is a self-evident fact that His Word should be law to the ends of the earth.”[9]

Meeter had moved from “Christian principles” to “His Word should be law.” The goal, then, is God’s Word as the “law.”Meeter continues:

If God is Ruler, no man may ever insist that religion be a merely private matter and be divorced from any sphere of society, political or otherwise. God must rule everywhere! The State must bow to His ordinances just as well as the Church or any private individual. The Calvinist, whose fundamental principle maintains that God shall be Sovereign in all domains of life, is very insistent on having God recognized in the political realm also.[10]

In what way is the State to “bow to His ordinances”? Where are these ordinances found? “For matters which relate to its own domain as State, it is bound to the Word of God as the Church or the individual.” For Meeter, a “State is Christian” when it uses “God’s Word as its guide.”[11]

Meeter left the inquiring Christian with additional questions: “If the Bible, then, is the ultimate criterion by which the State must be guided in determining which laws it must administer, the question arises, with how much of the Bible must the State concern itself?”[12] He told us that “Civil law relates to outward conduct.”[13]

The Calvinistic Action Committee’s God-Centered Living

The Calvinistic Action Committee’s God-Centered Living. God-Centered Living began with this noble goal: “This book seeks to be of help to those who desire to know what the will of God is for the practical guidance of their lives in the complex relations and situations of our modern day.” The Committee encouraged the reader with its intent not simply to “theorize,” describing its method as “a call to action” based on the “clarification and application of basic Christian principles. There will be no solution for our pressing modern social problems without recourse to the verities of the Word of God.”[14]

A.A. Hodge, Evangelical Theology: Lectures on Doctrine

A.A. Hodge was Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Seminary from 1877 until his death in 1886. Hodge made the case that “the kingdom of God on earth is not confined to the mere ecclesiastical sphere, but aims at absolute universality, and extends its supreme reign over every department of human life.”[15] The implications of such a methodology are obvious: “It follows that it is the duty of every loyal subject to endeavour to bring all human society, social and political, as well as ecclesiastical, into obedience to its law of righteousness.”[16]

In addition, he had no problem in teaching that there are political implications to the preaching and application of the gospel. Consider the following:

It is our duty, as far as lies in our power, immediately to organize human society and all its institutions and organs upon a distinctively Christian basis. Indifference or impartiality here between the law of the kingdom and the law of the world, or of its prince, the devil, is utter treason to the King of Righteousness. The Bible, the great statute‑book of the kingdom, explicitly lays down principles which, when candidly applied, will regulate the action of every human being in all relations. There can be no compromise. The King said, with regard to all descriptions of moral agents in all spheres of activity, “He that is not with me is against me.” If the national life in general is organized upon non‑Christian principles, the churches which are embraced within the universal assimilating power of that nation will not long be able to preserve their integrity.[17]

Hodge calls the Bible the “great statute‑book of the kingdom.”

All of these works speak against the idea that even though we are pilgrims and exiles in Babylon, we have a duty to transform Babylon. In fact, those who held to a world-and-life-view Christianity did exactly that. I suggest that the two-kingdomers read Vishal Mangalwadi’s The Book that Made Our World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization for a historical lesson. It’s marvelous reading.

Endnotes:

Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe, Understanding Cults and New Religions (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 126. [↩]

Hexham and Poewe, Understanding Cults and New Religions, 126. [↩]

Douglas Groothuis, “Revolutionizing our Worldview,” Reformed Journal (November 1982), 23. [↩]

Abraham Kuyper, Lectures on Calvinism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, [1931] 1970), iii. [↩]

Kuyper, Lectures on Calvinism, 53. [↩]

Henry R. Van Til, The Calvinistic Concept of Culture (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1959), 87. [↩]

Van Til, Calvinistic Concept of Culture, 44. [↩]

H. Henry Meeter, The Basic Ideas of Calvinism, 5th rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, [1939] 1956), 99–100. A 6th edition appeared in 1990 with three chapters added by Paul A. Marshall. [↩]

Meeter, The Basic Ideas of Calvinism, 111. [↩]

Meeter, The Basic Ideas of Calvinism, 111–112. [↩]

Meeter, The Basic Ideas of Calvinism, 112. [↩]

Meeter, The Basic Ideas of Calvinism, 126. [↩]

Meeter, The Basic Ideas of Calvinism, 127. [↩]

Calvinistic Action Committee, God-Centered Living or Calvinism in Action (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1951), 5. [↩]

A.A. Hodge, Evangelical Theology: Lectures on Doctrine (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, [1890] 1990), 283. [↩]

Hodge, Evangelical Theology, 283. Emphasis added. [↩]

Hodge, Evangelical Theology, 283–284. [↩]

To think Or Not To Think

2011-08-17T14:40:00.000-04:00

I just read this over on Bill Muehlenberg's blog CultureWatch. Some good insight.

On Learning How To Think (Perhaps For the Very First Time)

An entire generation in the West has been force-fed a steady diet of secular leftism, moral relativism, and postmodern psycho-babble. Our schools, media, legal system and popular culture – among others – have dumbed down an entire generation, instilling in them every idiotic and puerile PC dogma and leftist tenet of belief possible.

Thus most people today, raised and reared in that system, are now becoming close to zombies, parroting the latest trendy leftwing fads and foolishness, not even aware of how little bearing their ideas are to reality, common sense, history or basic morality.

This is the very frightening legacy of years of concerted efforts to wear down the West from within. Gramsci and others fully outlined their intentions in this regard years ago, and we are now seeing the fruit of their labours. I have written about the scourge of cultural Marxism elsewhere, eg:

www.billmuehlenberg.com/2011/03/19/how-to-sabotage-a-nation/

www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/09/28/on-capturing-a-culture/

It is not just the steady stream of indoctrination, propaganda and agenda-pushing from our schools and elsewhere that is so problematic. Even worse still is the result of all this. Not only is Western culture going down the gurgler (just what the leftist militants want), but our very ability to think and reason is being destroyed as well.

Students today are rarely being taught how to think for themselves, how to logically assess an argument, how to critically think through the issues of the day. Instead they are being spoon-fed exactly what their puppet masters want them to think.

Indeed, the last thing these cultural Marxists want is for people to actually be able to think and assess matters for themselves. They want well-heeled mobs that will unflinchingly follow the leftist dictates which have been drilled into them from kindergarten to grad school.

And of course with this neutralism of the mind comes an equally pernicious and harmful neutralising of the spirit. A loss of reason and critical thinking will always lead to a loss in basic morality. Indeed, with political correctness running amok, and kids from day one being taught that there are no moral absolutes and no intrinsic rights and wrongs, then we should not be surprised to see a widescale hardening of the moral arteries.

The rioting in Britain last week is just one clear example of all this. Plenty of other examples come to mind. One occurred last night on TV. I did not see it but was told about it. A pro-marriage advocate was basically howled down on a talk show for arguing that children need a mum and a dad, and that same-sex marriage would open the door for all sorts of other problems.

These young trendy hip TV presenters were so thoroughly steeped in their left PC indoctrination, that they all took offense at this, and said they were insulted by such outlandish remarks. Imagine being offended by someone standing up for marriage and the wellbeing of children!

When a generation of rather lost souls comes to a place like that where mental and moral firmness have disappeared, then we know that society is basically in a terminal condition. Indeed, with minds like mush and morals almost nonexistent, we can expect to see any number of new and horrendous social engineering proposals. And even more tragically, we won’t even bat an eyelid about them when they are presented.

Let me offer two brief examples. Both of these despicable matters reported in the news are just par for the course for a generation which has been robbed of the ability to think or engage in sound moral reasoning. The first has to do with a gathering of various eggheads, sexperts and academics. Now that they have managed to normalise and glamorise homosexuality, they are attempting to do the same with paedophilia.

Here is how one news report covers the story: “Researchers from several prominent U.S. universities will participate tomorrow in a Baltimore conference reportedly aiming to normalize pedophilia. According to the sponsoring organization’s website, the event will examine ways in which ‘minor-attracted persons’ can be involved in a revision of the American Psychological Association (APA) classification of pedophilia.

B4U-ACT, a group of pro-pedophile activists and mental health professionals, is behind the August 17 conference, which will include panelists from Harvard University, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Illinois. B4U-ACT science director Howard Kline has criticized the definition of pedophilia by the American Psychological Association, describing its treatment of ‘minor-attracted persons’ as ‘inaccurate’ and ‘misleading’.”

There you have it folks. After a generation of mindless and soulless brainwashing we have managed to convince ourselves that there are no longer any adult perverts running around who want to take their sexual thrills out on little children. Now they are so very politely referred to as “minor-attracted persons”.

Isn’t it interesting? Decades ago we argued that if we go down the road of normalising homosexuality, paedophilia will be next on the list. We were shouted down with abuse and ridicule at the time – and still are. But now our exact warnings are coming to pass, yet the radicals will simply keep shooting the messenger here.

Let me give you another example, also having to do with sexual madness. Consider this tragic case coming out of Sydney: “A Sydney man says he is devastated that his name has been taken off a 10-year-old girl’s birth certificate, after a legal challenge by the mother’s former lesbian partner.

“The girl was born in 2001 after the man, who for legal reasons can only be known as BB, answered an advertisement to provide sperm to a lesbian couple. The birth mother’s name was put on the birth certificate, along with BB’s. A law change in 2008 allowed lesbian couples to be listed on birth certificates, but still limited the document to two parents.”

Father? Come on, that is such an outmoded and oppressive concept. We are all so very enlightened now. We know that fathers don’t mean beans any more. As long as various adults are around that will do for parenting. Why get hung up with such quaint and unnecessary concepts such as biological mothers and fathers?

And who gives a rip about the child in question? The right of every single child to know and be raised by his or her biological parents has been stripped away by the single stroke of a pen by an activist PC judge. We have declared war on our own children, all in the name of letting adults fulfil their selfish lusts while destroying society.

Indeed, our Federal Finance Minister and her female lover have publicly celebrated their coming IVF baby, so why shouldn’t we? In fact, anyone who dares to question this move, such as Fred Nile, is immediately howled down by our elites, eggheads and intellectualoids.

We are all just so smart and progressive nowadays. C.S. Lewis said it so very well a half century ago: “We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

www.lifesitenews.com/news/academic-conference-seeks-to-normalize-pedophilia?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b1b95da732-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines08_16_2011&utm_medium=email

www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-17/father-loses-birth-certificate-fight/2843288

Soon and Very Soon!

2011-08-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

10.21.11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Club Zoo

Thrice.....Live.....Oh Yeah

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Mark Twain

2011-07-29T14:56:00.001-04:00

I found this article from Feb. of this past year quite interesting. I guess you can't believe the hype. The danger in this article would be to get to excited about what's stated. Even though it would seem that the media has exaggerated the death of Christianity in the world, it has significantly dropped from the culture in the western world. We have truly become the new mission field.

Christian Number-Crunching

Feb 9, 2011

George Weigel

For 27 years, the International Bulletin of Missionary Research has published an annual “Status of Global Mission” report, which attempts to quantify the world Christian reality, comparing Christianity’s circumstances to those of other faiths, and assaying how Christianity’s various expressions are faring when measured against the recent (and not-so-recent) past. The report is unfailingly interesting, sometimes jarring, and occasionally provocative.

The provocation in the 2011 report involves martyrdom. For purposes of research, the report defines “martyrs” as “believers in Christ who have lost their lives, prematurely, in situations of witness, as a result of human hostility.” The report estimates that there were, on average, 270 new Christian martyrs every 24 hours over the past decade, such that “the number of martyrs [in the period 2000-2010] was approximately 1 million.” Compare this to an estimated 34,000 Christian martyrs in 1900.

As for the interesting, try the aggregate numbers. According to the report, there will be, by mid-2011, 2,306,609,000 Christians of all kinds in the world, representing 33 percent of world population—a slight percentage rise from mid-2000 (32.7 percent), but a slight percentage drop since 1900 (34.5 percent). Of those 2.3 billion Christians, some 1.5 billion are regular church attendees, who worship in 5,171,000 congregations or “worship centers,” up from 400,000 in 1900 and 3.5 million in 2000.

These 2.3 billion Christians can be divided into six “ecclesiastical megablocks”: 1,160,880,000 Catholics; 426,450,000 Protestants; 271,316,000 Orthodox; 87,520,000 Anglicans; 378,281,000 “Independents” (i.e., those separated from or unaffiliated with historic denominational Christianity); and 35,539,000 “marginal Christians” (i.e., those professing off-brand Trinitarian theology, dubious Christology, or a supplementary written revelation beyond the Bible).

Compared to the world’s 2.3 billion Christians, there are 1.6 billion Muslims, 951 million Hindus, 468 million Buddhists, 458 million Chinese folk-religionists, and 137 million atheists, whose numbers have actually dropped over the past decade, despite the caterwauling of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Co. One cluster of comparative growth statistics is striking: As of mid-2011, there will be an average of 80,000 new Christians per day (of whom 31,000 will be Catholics) and 79,000 new Muslims per day, but 300 fewer atheists every 24 hours.

Africa has been the most stunning area of Christian growth over the past century. There were 8.7 million African Christians in 1900 (primarily in Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa); there are 475 million African Christians today and their numbers are projected to reach 670 million by 2025. Another astonishing growth spurt, measured typologically, has been among Pentecostals and charismatics: 981,000 in 1900; 612,472,000 in 2011, with an average of 37,000 new adherents every day—the fastest growth in two millennia of Christian history.

As for the quest for Christian unity: There were 1,600 Christian denominations in 1900; there were 18,800 in 1970; and there are 42,000 today.

Other impressive numbers: $545 billion is given to Christian causes annually, which comes out to $1.5 billion per day. There are some 600 million computers in Christian use, up from 1,000 in 1970. 71,425,000 Bibles will be distributed this year, and some 2 billion people will tune in at least once a month to Christian radio or television. 7.1 million books about Christianity will be published this year, compared to 1.8 million in 1970.

The big lesson of the 2011 Status of Global Mission report can be borrowed from Mark Twain’s famous crack about his alleged death: Reports of Christianity’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Christianity may be waning in Western Europe, but it’s on an impressive growth curve in other parts of the world, including that toughest of regions for Christian evangelism, Asia. Indeed, the continuing growth of Christianity as compared to the decline of atheism (in absolute numbers, and considering atheists as a percentage of total world population) suggests the possibility that the vitriolic character of the New Atheism—displayed in all its crudity prior to Pope Benedict’s September 2010 visit to Great Britain—may have something to do with the shrewder atheists’ fear that they’re losing, and the clock is running.

That’s something you’re unlikely to hear reported in the mainstream media. The numbers are there, however, and the numbers are suggestive.

George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

2011-07-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Do yourself a favor and read this over and over and over.

It’s nutritious!

John Calvin wrote:

Without the gospel
everything is useless and vain;
without the gospel
we are not Christians;
without the gospel
all riches is poverty,
all wisdom folly before God;
strength is weakness,
and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God.
But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made
children of God,
brothers of Jesus Christ,
fellow townsmen with the saints,
citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,
heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom
the poor are made rich,
the weak strong,
the fools wise,
the sinner justified,
the desolate comforted,
the doubting sure,
and slaves free.
It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.
It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone.
For, he was
sold, to buy us back;
captive, to deliver us;
condemned, to absolve us;
he was
made a curse for our blessing,
[a] sin offering for our righteousness;
marred that we may be made fair;
he died for our life; so that by him
fury is made gentle,
wrath appeased,
darkness turned into light,
fear reassured,
despisal despised,
debt canceled,
labor lightened,
sadness made merry,
misfortune made fortunate,
difficulty easy,
disorder ordered,
division united,
ignominy ennobled,
rebellion subjected,
intimidation intimidated,
ambush uncovered,
assaults assailed,
force forced back,
combat combated,
war warred against,
vengeance avenged,
torment tormented,
damnation damned,
the abyss sunk into the abyss,
hell transfixed,
death dead,
mortality made immortal.
In short,
mercy has swallowed up all misery,
and goodness all misfortune.
For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit.
If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things.
And we are
comforted in tribulation,
joyful in sorrow,
glorying under vituperation,
abounding in poverty,
warmed in our nakedness,
patient amongst evils,
living in death.
This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.

Church Hosts Anti-Christian Concert

2011-06-21T01:27:00.000-04:00

Why would a church host an anti-christian concert? The same reason why a church should do anything: LOVE! If you enjoyed this story, please show your support by subscribing to our YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/User/TheRebellionofLove

Terry Virgo on Elijah’s Despair

2011-06-17T10:36:00.000-04:00

Terry Virgo on Elijah Prays For Rain
Terry Virgo preaches on the prayer of Elijah. Be inspired to put into practice lessons from this prophet who James described as "a man just like us"

Part One

Elijah Prays For Rain from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

Part Two

Elijah Prays Part Two from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

Terry Virgo on Elijah’s Despair
Terry has several decades of experience of leading a growing family of churches. As a result he has encountered many people who’s experience mirrored that of Elijah when he ran into the dessert. His pastoral wisdom and unmatched ability to preach inI such a way that a biblical character leaps of the page with lessons for us today make this an unmissable sermon.

Part One

Elijah: A Man Just Like Us from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

Part Two

Part 2 of Elijah: A Man Just Like Us from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.

Francis Chan - Radically Following Jesus

2011-06-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

From the Verge Network:

Francis Chan speaks at the Verge Missional

Community Conference about following Jesus, radical

obedience, the Holy Spirit, and making disciples.

Baseball

2011-06-15T10:42:00.001-04:00

I love baseball. I found the Cubs on WGN and the Braves onTBS when I was a kid in the 80's.

My favorite players were Andre Dawson, Ryan Sandberg and Greg Maddox of the Cub. Dale Murphy, Bob Horner and Phil Nierkro of the Braves. I also liked Willie Stargel of the Pirates, Kirk Gibson of the Tigers / Dodgers as well as George Brett of the Royals. The 7th inning stretch with Harry Carey singing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" always made me laugh:

As the late 80's and early 90's came I also started liking the Reds as well. I never tried to play baseball. I was way to awkward. My dad and I would toss the ball around and hit some, but I never really tried to play Little League or anything. No regrets or anything like that. That's just how I was back then. I went to my first professional game when I was on the road with Zao. We had some time in Cincinnati, Ohio so we went to a Reds game. We bought scalped tickets. LOL. But we had a good time.

So anyways, here is the reason for this post. I found this video on a Minor League team and was captivated by it. So now I share it with you:

Early Innings from Rod Blackhurst on Vimeo.

Transformation, Reformation, Awakening? Revelation or New Church Rhetoric?

2011-04-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

Transformation, Reformation, Awakening...if you have been in a church over the last 5 years you have probably heard these terms several times from the pulpit. Just like the word revival in the 80's and 90's, these words have exploded on the scene. They roll off the tongues of charismatic leaders, baptist preachers, pastors, bishops, elders, intercessors, worship leaders, televangelists, and even politicians. But do we actually know what we are talking about? Do we really understand what these terms mean or have they just become the latest craze for our christian sub-culture to write shallow books, preach fluff sermons, and take more offerings.

I'm not trying to be cynical at all. I'm just tired of all the talk and no action or results. I'm 36 years old. I come from 4 generations of pentecostal preachers. I was there in the late 80's and 90's in the midst of all the revival talk. I've seen the Brownsvilles, the Smithtons, the Torontos come and go. I know those places saw a genuine move, but was it really what you would call a revival or transformation. Not to be critical, but Brownsville ended in a mess, Toronto began birthing wackos and no one remembers Smithton except for the worship cassette Integrity music put out. That can not be a true definition of transformation.

Flash forward to the late 90's early 2000's. I remember several solemn assemblies, 40 day fasts, late night prayer services, fire services, and all the "revivalists" blowing in and out. I saw the church I was working at grow. The youth ministry exploded, the sunday services were booming with new faces and cranked worship. But once again, that ended in a mess.

From 1995 to 2009 I have worked off and on at a local Christian Bookstore, so I've seen all the latest revival books, revival worship albums, revival t-shirts, and all the CD's and DVD's from all the latest slick suit preachers on tv. "Revival" is a million dollar industry. Just look at all the conferences the church has had in the last 20 years. Here are just a few that I pulled off the internet happening in May:

That's just 4 of the 85 in May that I found on a particular "prophetic list" website. Oh we could write a whole other blog on the church's perception of the word "Prophet" but let's save that for another time shall we.

So here it is 2011. I hear these new buzz words and I have to ask, Is this real? Is it genuine? Like I said I do not want to be a cynic. I don't want to come off as a know it all or a jerk either. I am just asking legit questions. What is going on here? Let me share some thoughts I have and you can add yours at the end of the post.

When I look throughout history and see a genuine move of God (I classify a genuine move of God as a season where a culture has been impacted comprehensively and undeniably by the Kingdom of God) I see something that I don't really see happening today in so called revival movements. What is it that I see? Well it's one word with four letters. Love? No, although that is important. It's WORK, hard Work. The Blood, Sweat and Tears kind of work. Work that takes place outside the 4 walls of the church. Work that involves your hands getting dirty. Work that might just cost you your life. Kingdom work is dirty and dangerous. What we have today is a bunch a puffed up pride that pontificates ideas of change and revelation but fight so hard to hold onto the little kingdom that we have built for ourselves. Dear Jesus help us.

I have heard over 100 sermons since the last election about reformation. Heck I have even done it. But the proof is in the pudding, My hands, the churches hands are not dirty with the work of the Kingdom. I'm tired of the rhetoric. I'm tired of all the pontificating. I'm tired of the broken promises from fathers and leaders in the church. And I'm so tired of the games church people play. Do I have an answer? Not really. Just being honest. All I can tell you is that I am searching. I'm looking. I'm praying and I'm hungry. I want to push past my pride and actually get my hands dirty with the Kingdom. God started this whole thing with a garden. He told Adam and Eve to tend it, take dominion over it. He said they were to multiply so the rest of the Earth could be "Gardenized". Have you ever worked in a garden? You get dirty. Filthy Dirty. Jesus re-established this mandate in the Great Commission. We are to disciple the nations - to be fruitful, multiply and gardenize the earth. That's the call. So let's get dirty.

Mic

6 THINGS CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED BY HIS DEATH

2011-04-25T10:04:00.001-04:00

Here’s a very brief summary of the six core things Christ accomplished in his death.

1. Expiation

Expiation means the removal of our sin and guilt. Christ’s death removes — expiates — our sin and guilt. The guilt of our sin was taken away from us and placed on Christ, who discharged it by his death.

Thus, in John 1:29, John the Baptist calls Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus takes away, that is, expiates, our sins. Likewise, Isaiah 53:6 says, “The Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him,” and Hebrews 9:26 says “He has been manifested to put away sinby the sacrifice of Himself.”

2. Propitiation

Whereas expiation refers to the removal of our sins, propitiation refers to the removal of God’s wrath.

By dying in our place for our sins, Christ removed the wrath of God that we justly deserved. In fact, it goes even further: a propitiation is not simply a sacrifice that removes wrath, but a sacrifice that removes wrath and turns it into favor. (Note: a propitiation does not turn wrath into love — God already loved us fully, which is the reason he sent Christ to die; it turns his wrath into favor so that his love may realize its purpose of doing good to us every day, in all things, forever, without sacrificing his justice and holiness.)

Several passages speak of Christ’s death as a propitiation for our sins. Romans 3:25-26 says that God “displayed [Christ] publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration of his righteousness at the present time, that he might be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.”

Likewise, Hebrews 2:17 says that Christ made “propitiation for the sins of the people” and 1 John 3:10 says “in this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

3. Reconciliation

Whereas expiation refers to the removal of our sins, and propitiation refers to the removal of God’s wrath, reconciliation refers to the removal of ouralienation from God.

Because of our sins, we were alienated – separated — from God. Christ’s death removed this alienation and thus reconciled us to God. We see this, for example, in Romans 5:10-11: “For if while we were enemies, we werereconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

4. Redemption

Our sins had put us in captivity from which we need to be delivered. The price that is paid to deliver someone from captivity is called a “ransom.” To say that Christ’s death accomplished redemption for us means that it accomplished deliverance from our captivity through the payment of a price.

There are three things we had to be released from: the curse of the law, the guilt of sin, and the power of sin. Christ redeemed us from each of these.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13-14).
Christ redeemed us from the guilt of our sin. We are “justified as a gift by his grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
Christ redeemed us from the power of sin: “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Note that we are not simply redeemed from the guilt of sin; to be redeemed from the power of sin means that our slavery to sin is broken. We are now free to live to righteousness. Our redemption from the power of sin is thus the basis of our ability to live holy lives: “You have been bought with a price;therefore glorify God in your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

5. Defeat of the Powers of Darkness

Christ’s death was a defeat of the power of Satan. “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 3:15). Satan’s only weapon that can ultimately hurt people is unforgiven sin. Christ took this weapon away from him for all who would believe, defeating him and all the powers of darkness in his death by, as the verse right before this says, “having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).

6. And he Did All of This By Dying As Our Substitute

The reality of substitution is at the heart of the atonement. Christ accomplished all of the above benefits for us by dying in our place – that is, by dying instead of us. We deserved to die, and he took our sin upon him and paid the penalty himself.

This is what it means that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) and gave himselffor us (Galatians 2:20). As Isaiah says, “he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities . . . the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

You see the reality of substitution underlying all of the benefits discussed above, as the means by which Christ accomplished them. For example, substitution is the means by which we were ransomed: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Christ’s death was a ransom for us — that is, instead of us. Likewise, Paul writes that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the lawby becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).

Substitution is the means by which we were reconciled: “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). It is the means of expiation: “He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 3:24). And by dying in our place, taking the penalty for our sins upon himself, Christ’s death is also the means of propitiation.

To close: Two implications. First, this is very humbling.

Second, “Greater love has no one than this, than he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

The Bloggasbord!

2011-04-20T10:27:00.001-04:00

So I run across awesome blog content all the time and I feel like I need to share the wealth today. So here you go. This is what I am reading and watching this morning. Enjoy!

The Violet Hour
My Wife Lindsay has just put up a review of the new Ted Dekker book The Priest's Graveyard. She is part of a national blog tour reviewing his book. The Violet Hour

Holy Week: What Happened on Wednesday?

Justin Taylor, with the help of the ESV Study Bible, posted what happened on the Wednesday of the last week of Jesus' life. Check out his blog at The Gospel Coalition.

Jesus continues his daily teaching in the Temple

Luke 21:37-38

And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.

And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

With Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread approaching, the chief priests, elders, and scribes plot to kill Jesus

Matthew 26:3-5

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said,

“Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Mark 14:1-2

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said,

“Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

Luke 22:1-2

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.

And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Satan enters Judas, who seeks out the Jewish authorities in order to betray Jesus for a price

Matthew 26:14-16

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,

“What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?”

And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.

And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Mark 14:10-11

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.

And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money.

And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Luke 22:3-6

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve.

He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.

And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.

So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

What it Means To Be "In" The Word - John Piper

Desiring God posted this video today of Piper explaining what it means to be In The Word.

Apostolic Coalition calls on Cuban government to respect religious freedom

Bob Long, a man I consider a spiritual father, is the head of Rally Call Ministries in Austin TX.
They do a ton of stuff, list would be way to loooooong to put here, but one thing stands out to me. They are training and helping underground christians in Cuba. They have been to Cuba several times and are helping to raise up the church in Cuba.

Bob posted this on his facebook:
Update on Cuba, especially the outlawed Apostolic Reformation ( Independent Church) Movement that I am connected to. Omar Gude, after 2 1/2 years of imprisonment on false charges has been released. Leaders of the movement have been meeting. We are preparing to send a team sometime soon. God is moving & Marxism is shaking. Would you pray ? Would you help send us and support them?

Here is an article that will supply you with more information on the situation and what you can do to help:

Apostolic Coalition calls on Cuban government to respect religious freedom 18/11/2010

Leaders in Apostolic Movement, including Pastor Omar Gude Perez (left)

Religious leaders representing the Apostolic Coalition in Cuba have published a declaration calling on the Cuban government to respect religious freedom. The declaration was signed by six leaders of the Christian group on October 14 as a reaction to systematic government persecution of members of the religious network.

The leaders told CSW that they had taken the bold and potentially risky step because, “…the ministers and disciples of our congregations are being accused and persecuted, they throw them out of their work, evict them from their houses which are fundamentally necessary for the pastors, destroy local meeting places, confiscate their goods and tools which are used in religious celebrations, [send us] warning letters, [subject us to] arbitrary detention, threats...”

While the leaders make it clear that they are not members of the political opposition, the declaration spells out a list of grievances against the Cuban government and calls on the authorities to respect their rights, as protected by the UN Declaration on Human Rights and the Cuban Constitution. It also calls on the Cuban government to establish legislation on assembly and worship in order to put in place a framework to protect the rights of religious believers.

Pastor Omar Gude Perez, one of the main leaders of the Apostolic Coalition, was unable to put his name to the declaration as he is currently serving a six-year and eight-month prison sentence on trumped up charges. Leaders told CSW however, that they took the decision to write and publish this declaration because of his ongoing imprisonment and harassment and threats against other church leaders.

CSW’s Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston said, “This declaration is a call to action and the international community must respond by putting pressure on the Cuban government to respect religious freedom. These church leaders, who have put themselves in danger simply by putting their names to this declaration, are taking an enormous risk in the name of religious liberty. CSW adds its voice to theirs in calling on the government to cease its harassment of members of the Apostolic Movement and to establish a legal framework that will allow them to register their churches and enshrine freedom of assembly and worship in law.”

For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0)78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visitwww.csw.org.uk.

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.