Colts vs. Patriots... Who's Side Is God On? Let Google Settle It...
It's a fair question -- Who's side is God on, this Sunday??? The Undefeated COLTS? Or the previously-undefeated Patriots?
We could guess, I suppose, just from how He frowns upon 'cheating'... But no one is saying for sure,... although pretty certainly He's spoken directly to Coach Dungy... and Tony is just too polite to mention it.
So we're left to our own devices, to know the answer to this important question. And what do we do when we don't know the answer to something? We look it up in the Bible, right? But in this case, like some other great questions, the Bible is silent on the matter. So NOW where do we turn to search out the answer?
Sectarian prayers, including those to Jesus Christ, could return to the front of the Indiana House chamber after a court ruling Tuesday, but opponents warned of a legal challenge if that happens.
“It is a great joy. God has answered our prayer. We have been fasting. We have been praying. We have been crying to the Lord that he would restore our freedom.” — Yaqub Masih, pastor of Abundant Life International Church, a small Northwestside immigrant church
Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame. Proverbs 18:12-13 NIV
I had permission to bring Faith, Hope and Love to my apartment complex. I just wanted to give you the follow up on what happened during that week of local missions (FHL Week, July 22-26,2007) to my neighborhood.
I had asked my personal dentist to donate toothbrushes so I could give them out to my neighbors. I asked my daughter and her friends, who are atheists, to help me pass out the toothbrushes to my neighbors. We only passed out toothbrushes to neighbors who were standing outside. We did not go knocking door to door disturbing anyone. My neighbors were glad to get the toothbrushes, so glad in fact that we ran out very quickly. I was only able to give out toothbrushes on my street and the next street over. My dentist only gave us 72 toothbrushes and they went like hotcakes. One poor boy cried because we ran out.
On Sunday night I had three friends from church walk around and pray over all of the property. We ended up sitting on the steps to the rental office where we prayed for the staff of the office and the maintenance men. One maintenance man saw us and he couldn't believe that four single women would walk around praying in such a rough neighborhood. As we prayed I realized for the first time how hard it must be to work in that rental office. Most times living at the complex for 22 years now it always seems the rental office and the residents are at enmity with each other. We prayed for peace and reconciliation between the staff and the residents. My daughter and her two atheist friends also helped pass out small packets of Propell. It's a drink mix to put in bottled water. Once again we only went to neighbors who were standing outside. No door to door knocking and disturbing my neighbors. We also did not pass out any fliers. So we saved the rainforest by not using any paper and we did not tax maintenance with any extra work passing out fliers. While we were passing out Propell and toothbrushes, we invited my neighbors to come to the prayer trailer on Thursday of that week.
That Thursday the semi tractor trailer (FHL Prayer Trailer) pulled up and parked at the corner. They have a new (to me) pastor who is a woman and she is doing an incredible work to help out the neighborhood. The trailer had just pulled up and we didn't even have the stairs up yet when we got swamped with people wanting to come inside and get prayer. We were so swamped with people they had to wait in line to get prayer. The entire preschool came in to get prayer. My neighbors came in to get prayer. I personally picked up and drove my next door neighbor to the prayer trailer. We prayed and prayed.
Well God has answered our prayers.I am pleased to report that I have not heard any gunfire since July of this year. The horrible oppression that used to be over my neighborhood is gone. I am no longer afraid to live here. The atmosphere in my neighborhood has turned to bright hope.
I have wanted to do an art outreach when the weather got cooler. I simply want to put an easel outside and paint on the sidewalk as I would if I were in Paris at springtime. Only it would be in Fall. The weather is much cooler today and I'm getting the outreach ready. I hope to involve children passing by to participate in painting.
Merlin Gonzales, my friend who heads up Faith Hope and Love told me the biggest response to the prayer trailer that went all over the city was at my apartment complex. So with 72 toothbrushes God has moved the mountain of fear off my neighborhood. I would call that a miracle. I sleep at night like a log.
Thank you for letting us bring Faith Hope and Love to my apartment complex. We hope to get an RV to bring a prayer trailer more often than once a year. The semi tractor trailer is only donated to us one week of the year. We also hope to partner with the local church and bring a food pantry to my neighbors. We have bright hope for the future.
Throwing Down The Gauntlet... to Boston Facebookers!
We've been up to some mischief in Facebook among our Boston friends. But there's plenty more possibilities... go make some mischief of your own. Remember, the national "City Impact Roundtable" will be hosted by our friends there next April. Let's be sure to take bragging rights as we go, whaddaya say?
Colts v. the Patriots... the two UNDEFEATED teams... in a winner-take-all cage-match... in the RCA Dome THIS SUNDAY!
Have you ever fasted, either a partial or a full fast? Did you do it for a day, seven days, or even 40 days? Why did you fast, and how did you fast? What happened during and after you fasted? Wait a minute; the holidays are coming soon, and we are talking about fasting! However, fasting is not necessarily tied to food alone. So you will do just fine this coming Thanksgiving.
The Bible tells us that fasting is not an option, but a command. Jesus said in Matthew 6:16, “When you fast…,” not if you fast. There were many people in the Bible who fasted, such as Moses, Daniel, and even Jesus. There were many instances where the leaders would proclaim a fast for a city, or for the entire nation, such as in the story in the Books of Kings and Esther.
There are many books written about fasting, why we should fast, and the ways to fast. In this issue, I would like to talk about the kind of fasting that the prophet Isaiah talks about:
Isaiah 58:5-7
“5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD ?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Isaiah wrote these passages after seeing what the “religious” people did when they fasted. He saw that they looked solemn, and they fasted for the wrong reasons. He exposed the hypocrisy of people, their wrong motivation, and the way they fast.
I remember the first time I fasted. It was Good Friday. A few people in my office, including my boss, talked about fasting on Easter, so I decided to fast as well. I did not drink coffee in the morning, no food for lunch, and by mid-afternoon, my stomach was growling and I had a terrible headache. As soon as the sun set, I grabbed a big sandwich, drank a soft drink, and had a few chocolate bars. I felt satisfied afterwards, but a question came to mind: Why did I fast? My first reason was because people around me were fasting, and it was Good Friday. I fell into the same trap as the people that Isaiah talked about. I fasted for a day, and did it for the wrong motivation. Like the people during Isaiah’s time, I fasted because I saw many people doing it (in my office), and because of selfish reasons.
Through Isaiah, God told His people the fasting that He desires for them.
Loose the chains of injustice
Yes, working towards justice in the world is fasting. In our multi-cultural society, injustice is prevalent. Ask yourself, “How could I be part of bringing justice to my community?” An organization called The Fairness Foundation is doing just that. Through their leadership and initiatives, they are looking for ways to help those who are uninsured get the proper medical treatments.
Untie the cords of the yoke
The yoke means bondage or oppression of the people. How many of your immediate family is tied to the yoke of oppression, discrimination, physical and spiritual abuse, addictions and slaves to pornography? Untying the cords of the yolk could mean sacrificing your time to be with them, helping them in ways that promote equality and honesty, and showing them the path to freedom from additions and slavery. A Christian organization called Kairos Prison Ministry has been bringing the love of Christ into the prison for many years. Their famous motto is “listen, listen, love, love.” I was part of a group who went to Pendleton Correctional Industrial Facility in April. We served the offenders and brought the love of Christ there for four straight days.
Share your food with the hungry
When I was in the Philippines, I thought that there is no hunger in the US, which is the most powerful country in the world. I was wrong. I found out that hunger is not just physical, but also spiritual. In the past three consecutive years, I have been giving food to the hungry in downtown Indianapolis on Christmas Day. I do this with We All Care, a group of senior citizens who bake cookies and prepare snacks for the hungry. The amazing thing about this is every time we share food with hungry, I receive more through the outpouring of the presence of the Holy Spirit in me.
Provide the poor wanderer with shelter
Last summer, Faith, Hope and Love helped the Inter Faith Hospitality Network (IHN) through painting the inside of their building. IHN provides temporary short-term housing to those in need. A few weeks ago, I visited two front-line ministries in Martinsville, Indiana. Desert Rose is a ministry that houses abused women. This organization was the vision of a person who wants to help the homeless and abused women. Well Spring Center houses the homeless for short-term and long-term stays. Both of these organizations are fasting every day… providing the poor wanderer with shelter.
The fasting that God has chosen
The leaders and visionaries of our time are countless. Many of them work on their own and are not part of any organization. They may be your next door neighbor or one of your family members. They bring justice, they feed the poor, visit the prisoners, and house the homeless. They are leaders in their own way: they have big hearts and they have amazing faith that empowers them to do what others are just thinking and talking about. They are fasting the way that the prophet Isaiah talks about. They are relentless, and they have the courage to trek on the highways and byways to serve to love the least, the lost, and the last.
This coming holiday season, take time to fast. Be busy to embody the words of Isaiah. There are many people who will bless you through serving them. It is a paradox, but it is real… it is through giving that we receive, and it is through fasting that God will reveal Himself to you in tangible ways.
Verdadero Ayuno Parte
Alguna vez usted ha ayunado parcial o totalmente? Lo ha hecho por un día, 7 días o es mas por 40 días. Porque usted ayuno, y como usted ayuno? Que paso durante y después que usted ayuno Oh un momento! Las fiestas vienen pronto y he aquí hablando acerca de ayuno! Como sea ayuno no necesariamente esta ligado con comida solamente. Entonces usted estará bien para este día de acción de gracias que se aproxima.
La Biblia nos dice que ayunar no es una opción es un mandamiento. Jesús dice en Mateo 6:16, “Cuando ayunen…” No se usted ayuna, hay mucha gente la Biblia que ayuno, como Moisés, Daniel inclusive Jesús, hay muchas circunstancias donde los lideres proclamaron ayuno por la ciudad, o por la nación entera como en la historia de lo libros de Reyes y Ester.
Hay muchos libros que hablan acerca de ayuno, porque debemos ayunar y las maneras de ayuna. En esta Edición, me gustaría hablar de la forma de ayuno que el Profeta Isaías habla:
Isaías 58:5-7 5 ¿Acaso el ayuno que he escogido es sólo un día para que el *hombre se mortifique? ¿Y sólo para que incline la cabeza como un junco, haga duelo y se cubra de ceniza? ¿A eso llaman ustedes día de ayuno y el día aceptable al Señor? 6 »El ayuno que he escogido, ¿no es más bien romper las cadenas de injusticia y desatar las correas del yugo, poner en libertad a los oprimidos y romper toda atadura? 7 ¿No es acaso el ayuno compartir tu pan con el hambriento y dar refugio a los pobres sin techo, vestir al desnudo y no dejar de lado a tus semejantes? Isaías escribió estos pasajes después de ver lo que la gente “Religiosa” hacia cuando ellos ayunaban. El vio que se veían cansados y ellos ayunaban por razones erróneas (equivocadas). El expuso, saco al aire la hipocresía de la gente, la equivocada motivación y la manera que ellos ayunaban.
Yo recuerdo la primera vez que ayune era Viernes Santo, algunas personas en mi oficina incluyendo mi Jefe, hablaron acerca de ayunar en la pascua, entonces decidí ayunar también, yo no tome café en la mañana, no almorcé, y hacia el medio de la tarde mi estomago crujía y tenia un terrible dolor de cabeza. Tan pronto el sol bajo yo tome un gran emparedado (sándwich grande) y tome una soda y algunas barras de chocolate. Yo me sentí satisfecho después de todo, pero una pregunta vino a mi mente: Porque ayune? Mi primera razón era porque gente a mi a rededor habia ayunado, y era Viernes Santo. Yo caí dentro de la misma trampa de la gente que Isaías hablaba. Yo ayune por un día y lo hice por una razón equivocada. Como la gente durante el tiempo de Isaías yo ayune porque vi a mucha gente haciéndolo (en mi oficina) y por mis propia razones.
A través de Isaías, Dios le dijo a su gente que el ayunar era un deseo de ellos!
Romper las cadenas de la injusticia
Si, la manera de trabajar en contra de la injusticia en el mundo, hay que ayunar. En nuestra sociedad multicultural; la justicia prevalece. Pregúntese a usted mismo “Como puedo ser parte de brindar justicia a mi comunidad?”, una organización llamada The Fairness Foundation. Esta haciendo justamente eso. A través de su liderazgo e iniciativas. Ellos están buscando la manera de ayudar a aquellos que están sin seguro para poder tener los adecuados tratamientos médicos.
Soltar los cordones del yugo
El yugo significa esclavitud u opresión de la gente, cuantos es su familia están cansados del yugo de la opresión, discriminación, abuso físico, espiritual, adicciones y esclavos de la pornografía? Soltar los cordones del yugo podría significar sacrificar su tiempo para estar con ellos, ayudarlos de una manera que promocione la igualdad, la honestidad y les muestre el camino de la libertad de las adicciones y la esclavitud. Una organización Cristiana llamada Kairos el ministerio de la prisión ha venido llevando el amor de Cristo dentro de las prisiones por muchos años. El famoso dicho es “escucha, escucha, amor, amor”. Yo he sido parte del grupo que fue a la correccional de Pendleton (Industrial Facility) en Abril. Nosotros servimos a los ofendidos y llevamos el amor de Cristo por cuatro días seguidos.
Comparta su comida con los que tienen hambre
Cuando yo estaba en Filipinas, yo pensé que no habia hambre en USA, ya que es la nación mas poderosa del mundo. Yo estaba equivocado, yo encontré que no solo existe hambre física si no la hay espiritual también. En los pasados tres anos consecutivos yo he dado comida a los que tienen hambre en el centro de Indianápolis en el día de Navidad. Yo hago esto con We All Care este es un grupo de personas de la tercera edad que son los que preparan las galletas y las onces (snacks) para los que tienen hambre, las cosas maravillosas que pasan cada vez que compartimos esta comida con ellos; yo recibo mas que eso es el derramamiento de la presencia del Espíritu Santo en mi.
Proveer refugio a los pobres desamparados
El pasado verano, Fe, Esperanza y Amor, ayudo a Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) pintando dentro del edificio. IHN provee un corto tiempo temporáneo de vivienda para aquellos que lo necesita. Unas semanas ante, yo visite dos ministerios en Martinsville, IN. Desert Rose es un ministerio que provee refugio para mujeres abusadas. Esta organización es la visión de una mujer que quiere ayudar a las mujeres que han sido abusadas, y han perdido a su casa. Las casas de Well Spring Center es el otro ministerio que visite este es para estadía de corto y largo tiempo. Juntas estas organizaciones están ayunando todos los días…brindando refugio a los pobres desamparados.
El ayuno que Dios ha escogido
Los lideres y visionarios de nuestro tiempo son muchos. La gran mayoría de ellos trabajan por su cuenta y no son parte de una organización. Ellos pueden ser nuestros vecinos o uno de los miembros de nuestra familia. Ellos traen justicia, ellos le dan de comer al pobre, visitan a los prisioneros, y le dan refugio a los que no tienen. Ellos son líderes por su propia cuenta: ellos tienen un corazón grande y ellos tienen una inmensa fe que los cubre con poder para hacer lo que otros solamente están pensando y están hablando. Ellos están ayunando de la manera que el Profeta Isaías hablo. Ellos nunca paran ellos tienen el coraje de caminar en las grande avenidas pero también en los pequeños caminos para servir y amar a los pocos, a los perdidos y a los últimos.
En este tiempo de festividades, tome tiempo para ayunar. Ocúpese en poner en práctica las palabras de Isaías. Hay mucha gente que lo pueden bendecir a usted a través de servirlos a ellos. Es un paradigma, pero es real…es a través del dar que recibimos, y es a través del ayuno que Dios va a revelarse a usted de una manera tangible.
Kairos Prison Ministry , share the love of Christ to those inside the prison. Simple outreach that will make huge impact in people’s lives: all you have to do is listen, listen; love, love. Available dates:
[per email from Bruce Richardson... "A great southside victory. My friend Vivian Vandivier owns Transformations Salon and Spa. They just won the Channel 6 A list competition for Indianapolis’ best Day Spa."]
Says one customer comment...
""Transformations is the best day spa because it incorporates spirituality as part of one's beauty! In addition, it is a full service salon with reasonable prices and fabulous staff, including the owner, who is certain to greet every guest regardless of whether it is their first visit or hundredth!!! The name stands true - you will leave there transformed, which is an awesome experience."
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Matthew 12:48-50 NIV
Praise God for this new venture increasingly connecting Christ-followers throughout the city & state, bringing glory to His name as they seek to be excellent ambassadors in the marketplace. Congratulations everyone on this great launch!
[Flickr Tip: When the slideshow is underway, click on any pic to see the well-written descriptions -- good job! ]
[IndyChristian Ed. Note: This is an excellent piece by the folks at 'Desiring God' ministry, and one worth considering as we best demonstrate the unity & harmony of the body of Christ sharing our common message & resources.]
Make It Free: Improving Online Effectiveness by Removing All Barriers to Accessing and Sharing Content
"If you are a Christian media ministry, I commend the following vision for maximizing your effectiveness online: Post all of your content online, for free, without requiring registration, in a maximally usable interface.
This basis for doing this follows from the purpose of ministry and the purpose of a ministry website. The purpose of any ministry is, at root, to spread the message of the good news of God's grace. And the purpose of a ministry website is thus to serve as an avenue for spreading that message."
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 NIV
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16 NIV
[IndyChristian Ed. Note: I know, I know, it's a rough life but somebody's gotta do it. Much as I hated to be away from my normal posting routine this week here at IndyChristian, a whirlwind vacation was a nice change. If interested, photos are online at LovingChange.com]
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:25-26 NIV
So whaddaya figure -- these geeks just sit around taking video of themselves? LOL.
Come find out for yourselves how they intend to change the world... Mark your calendar for Friday, Nov. 30th and stay tuned at IndyChristian.com for further details.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Psalms 139:13-17 NIV
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV
"Want to help your high school student transition to college well? LiveAbove.com has the resources and information you need to help them get started in the right direction. This is a cooperative venture between most of the campus ministries in the U.S." (eMinistryNotes.com)
Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:1-3 NIV
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,lying on top of the rigging. "They hit me," you will say, "but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?" Proverbs 23:29-35 NIV
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Psalms 24:3-5 NIV
September 23 at 5:51am is the official start of autumn. I remember while I was still living in the Philippines, my homeland, there is no autumn or winter; only summer and rainy days. I always get excited when I see pictures of autumn from a US calendar or while watching an American movie. It is fascinating! The colors are vivid and breath-taking…how I wish I could be there! I always dreamt of living in the US.
Then, a “spiritual window of time” arose. I moved to the US in August 1985. After a few weeks, I saw for the first time in my life the leaves of the trees starting to change. Every morning, I would go outside my apartment and glance at the trees nearby. While driving, I would take a moment to observe the surroundings. It is a miracle, the changing of colors, the changing of temperature and of our environment.
This autumn, take time to be mindful of your surroundings. Miracles are happening every moment; we just need to tune in and to be grateful of the wonderful things around us. God has given us this earth to enjoy and to take care of. Oftentimes, we miss the blessings because of our busyness. Go to a park or to a secluded area to savor the vast blessings we have all around us. I would like to encourage you to take time to slow down, smell the flowers along the way; pick up a leaf or two and see the universe in the palm of your hand. And, one more thing…hold on to your dream and act on it!
Visit www.lavozcristiana.net the only bi-lingual Christian Magazine in Indiana for more Christian articles written by ordinary people.
The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. "Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread." Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:1-12 NIV
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob." Romans 11:25-26 NIV
We're in a Yahoo Group along with many wonderful Christian authors, including Marilyn Rockett, author of the very practical and encouraging Homeschooling at the Speed of Life. I was just poking around in my archive of saved emails (looking for something that I couldn't find!) and I noticed an email to the Group from Marilyn that so impacted me at the time (way back in March) that I saved it to re-visit. Well, the Lord brought it to my attention today, so I thought--might as well post it to the blog!
Marilyn shared a link to a sermon on Youth by Paul Washer, but its content is relevant (and convicting) to all who call themselves Christians. The sermon can be heard via this link, or you can view the transcription in .PDF here. Otherwise, read the more powerful points pasted below. For more on Christian family life, etc. visit valuesdrivenfamily.blogspot.com.
I want you to know that the greatest heresy in the American evangelical and protestant church is that, if you pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, He will definitely come in. You will not find that in any place in Scripture. You will not find that anywhere in Baptist history until about 50 years ago. What you need to know is that salvation is by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. And faith alone in Jesus Christ is preceded and followed by repentance . . . a turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates and a love for the things that God loves, a growing in holiness and a desire not to be like Britney Spears, not to be like the world, and not to be like the great majority of American Christians, but to be like Jesus Christ! [The audiencethen erupts in applause].
I don’t know why you’re clapping. I’m talking about you. I didn’t come here to get amens. I didn’t come here to be applauded. I’m talking about you.
People so many times come up to me and say, “Oh, I’d love to follow you into Romania”; “I’d love to follow you into the Ukraine”; “I’d love to preach where you preached and planted churches in Peru in the jungle.”
And I tell them, “No, you wouldn’t.”
They say, “Yes, I would.”
I say, “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you’d be excommunicated from the church down there.”
What we need to see . . . I’m not trying to be hard for the sake of being hard. Do you realize how much love it takes to stand before 5,000 people and tell them that American Christianity is almost totally wrong? Do you knowwhat it’s going to cost me to never be asked back again to something like this? To be unpopular? Do you know why you do it? You don’t do it because you get paid well. You don’t do it because men love you. You do it because you love men and because, more than that, you want to honor God.
I want to tell you something. We’re going to go into Scripture, and I want you to look at it as it really is. It’s not comparing yourself with others who call themselves Christians. Compare yourself to the Scripture. When someone, a young person, comes to a pastor or a youth minister and says,“I’m not sure whether or not I’m saved,” the youth minister will usually throw out a cliché: “Well, was there ever a time in your life when you prayed and asked Jesus to come into your heart?”
“Well, yes.”
“Were you sincere?”
“Well, I don’t know, but I think so.”
“Well, you need to tell Satan to stop bothering you. Did you write it in the back of your book...the back of your Bible like the evangelist told you when you got saved, write down the date so that any time you doubted you could point him to the Bible?”
What superstition has overcome our denomination? Do you know what the Bible tells Christians to do? Examine yourself. Test yourself in light of Scripture to see if you are in the faith. Test yourself to see if you’re a Christian.”. . . . .
Now, we as Southern Baptists preach that you’re supposed to go through that one and only gate which is Jesus Christ. But we as Southern Baptists have forgotten something. And I want youth ministers and pastors and everyone to listen to me, parents, we have forgotten a very important teaching in the Gospel. It says that, not only the gate is narrow, it says the path is narrow. What we basically do is lead someone to Christ, lead someone in a prayer and then they spend the rest of their life living just like the world, and if you deny me on this, I can bring the statistics to prove you wrong. Gallup poll, Barnard [sic; Barna] polls, every kind of poll you can possibly look at,when it questions the morality of the church in America against the morality of those who claim to be lost in America, the polls find no difference. Now that is statistics. It has nothing to do with religious interpretation. Those are statistics.
Book after book is being churned out by theologian and philosopher and sociologist alike. What has happened to the church? We find out that abortion in the church is just as prevalent as outside in the world. We find that divorce is just as prevalent. We find that immorality . . . you know as well as I do, there are youth here right now who are practicing immoralityand yet worshiping God in the same breath. You know there are youth here that are doing drugs and yet coming to youth group. You know, watching and doing things that are not appropriate for a Christian, and yet they’re coming to the youth group, believing themselves satisfied, believing themselves saved, and no one is saying anything except this: They’re carnal Christians. They’re really Christians; they’re just carnal. That was a doctrine that started in a Baptist seminary, that is not a Southern Baptist seminary, several decades ago. It is not biblical and it is not historical. My dear friend, there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.. . . . .
But if you profess to have gone through the narrow gate, but yet you live in the broad way, just like all the other people in your high school, just like all the other people who are carnal and wicked, the Bible wants you to know that you should be terribly, terribly afraid because you know not God. I fear men who have spent most of their life telling other men that they are saved. I fear you if you’ve done that. You don’t tell men they are saved; you tell men how to be saved. God tells them they are saved. What we have forgotten to believe is that salvation is a supernatural work of God, and those who have genuinely been converted, regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit is going to be a new creature. The Bible says, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. So we find out here in Scripture that there is a narrow gate and a narrow way.. . . . .
What is the sign that someone has become a genuine Christian? I wish that we would start teaching this again. What happened to our theology? What happened to our doctrine? What happened to our teaching? It went right out the window. No one wants to study doctrine anymore. They just want to listen to songs and read the back of Christian tee shirts. What happened to truth? Truth tells you this. The evidence––the way that you can have assurance that you are genuinely a born-again Christian––is that you do, as a style of life, the will of the Father. You say, “Oh, you’re talking about works.” No, I’m not. I’m talking about evidence of faith, and it goes like this. Your profession of faith is no proof that you’re born again because everybody in this whole countryprofesses faith in Jesus Christ. Barna tells us that 65 to 70 percent of all Americans are saved, born-again Christians. The most Godless country on the face of the earth. Kill 4,000 babies a day but, bless God, 70 percent of us are born again.
How do you know that the faith you have is not false? A style of life that is concerned about doing the will of the Father, that practices the will of the Father, and when you disobey the will of the Father, the Holy Spirit comes and reprimands you either personally through the written Word of God or through a brother or sister in Christ, and God puts you back on the path again. If you’re agenuine Christian, you cannot escape Him.. . . . .
I want you to know something. God is not a derelict father. If you can play around in sin, if you can love the world and love the things of the world, if you can always be involved in the world and doing things of the world, if your heroes are worldly people, if you want to look like them and act likethem, if you practice the same things they practice, oh my dear friend, listen to my voice. There’s a good chance you know not God, and you do not belong to him.. . . . .
You say the most important thing on the face of the earth is to know Jesus Christ. That is not true. The most important thing on the face of the earth is that Jesus Christ knows you. I’m not going to get into the White House tomorrow because I walk up to the gate and tell everybody I know George Bush, but they will let me in if George Bush comes out and says, “I know Paul Washer.”. . . . .
There are two ways. There’s a narrow way and a broad way. Which one are you on? There are two types of trees. There is a good tree that bears good fruit, and it’s going to Heaven. There’s a bad tree and you know it’s bad because it bears bad fruit, and it’s going to hell. It’s going to be cut down and thrown into the fire. There are those who profess Jesus is Lord and they do the will of the Father who is in heaven, and there are those who profess Jesus Christ is Lord and they do not do the will of the Father who is in heaven, and they go to hell––not because of a lack of works, but because of a lack of faith demonstrated by the fact that they had no works.. . . . .
We talk so much about being radical Christians. Radical Christians are not people who jump at concerts. Radical Christians are not people who wear Christian tee shirts. Radical Christians are those who bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Radical Christians are those who reverence and honor their parents even when they feel like their parents are wrong. Radical Christians are those who do not––now listen to me. This is going to make you mad, and I’m talking to boys and girls. Radical Christians are those who do not dress sensually in order to show off their bodies. If your clothing is a frame for your face, God is pleased with your clothing. If your clothing is a frame for your body, it’s sensual and God hates what you’re doing. Everybody wants to talk about a prophet, but no one wants to listen to one. I’m talking about Christianity. I have spent my life in jungles. I have spent my life freezing in the Andes Mountains. I have seen people die. A little boy, Andrew Myman [phonetic], the Muslims shot him five times throughthe stomach and left him on a sidewalk simply because he cried out, “I am so afraid but I cannot deny Jesus Christ. Please don’t kill me, but I will not deny Him.” And he died in a pool of blood. And you talk about being a radical Christian because you wear a tee shirt, because you go to a conference. I’m talking about holiness. I’m talking about Godliness.
I wish––you know what a move of God would be in this place? If all of you came under conviction, if I myself came under conviction of the Holy Spirit, we fell down on our faces and wept because we watch the things that God hates, because we wear the things that God hates, because we act like the world, look like the world, smell like the world, because we do the very things, and we know not that we do these things, because we do not know the Word of God. Because, even though we claim as a denomination that the Scripture is the infallible Word of God, basically all we get is illustrations, stories, and quaint little novels. Oh, that God will glow on this place, that we would turn away from our sin, that we would renounce the things that are displeasing to God, and, then, that we would run to Him and we would relish Him and we would love Him. ________________________________________________
"A Tornado struck a portion of Nappanee, Indiana Thursday night, October 18th. HCRN is assisting and has set up shelter at the Nappanee Missionary Church. Volunteers are being recruited to assist starting 10-20-07. To volunteer call 1-866-909-4673."
"Buddha is welcome but the Bible is banned at the Bloomington, Ind., city hall after officials booted a display of the Ten Commandments erected by Christians wanting equal treatment with the Far East religion promoted by the Dalai Lama."
[IndyChristian Ed.Note: Ya gotta admire a guy that does the research... then humbly admits to a major error... and leads his organization on a pivotal course.]
Bill Hybels...
"We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own."
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch! Mark 13:32-37 NIV
Also visit CityReaching Research wiki-page, containing great links... and in this case, informal notes from the Mission America teleconference call today featuring Dr. Lindsay.
[IndyChristian Ed. Note: If you've ever seen Dr. Perkins, you'll know this photo captures the man perfectly. What a compelling speaker... and moreover... what a compelling message. Don't miss him when he comes to Indy... Jan. 7th & 8th... at Crossroads Bible College. In the meantime, join us for citywide Christian Community Development planning together on Nov. 16th.]
"We are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside... but one day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that a system that produces beggars needs to be repaved. We are called to be the Good Samaritan, but after you lift so many people out of the ditch you start to ask, maybe the whole road to Jericho needs to be repaved."- Dr. Martin Luther King
"I had the honor of sitting under the teaching of John Perkin this week at the Christian Community Development Association's Conference. I truly believe this man is an old prophet of the Amos quality. I felt like I was hearing history being made in those morning sessions...."
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV
Researcher Michael Lindsay, Telecon Guest, Oct. 18th
Dr. Michael Lindsay, Sociology Professor from Rice University, will be the interview guest on the monthly CityReaching call on Thursday, Oct. 18th, 11am (Eastern)...
Remaining true to the goal of engaging secular culture on critical issues in a thoughtful, respectful manner, Fixed Point Foundation sponsored a debate on what is arguably the most critical question of our time: the existence of God.
The debate featured Professor Richard Dawkins, Fellow of the Royal Society and Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University and Dr. John Lennox (MA, MA, Ph.D., D.Phil., D.Sc.), Reader in Mathematics and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science, Green College, University of Oxford.
The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Psalms 25:14-21 NIV
The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Psalms 25:14-21 NIV
Chris Provence at 'Rebuilding The Wall' alerted us to their need to hire a construction assistant. They are increasingly doing more & more work in the neighborhood -- PTL ! Visit their site, watch their video and then contact them for more info.
Coming on the heels of our own citywide discussion re Christian Community Development (Nov. 16th), here's another opportunity to visit a neighborhood where Christians & others are coming together to make a difference. Might be an interesting way to spark some thoughts for other churches around the city.
Here's a photograph of students from Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis who visited the Creation Museum. The President of the College, Dr. Charles Ware, is a great friend of AiG. Dr. Ware explains that an essential part of the dream at Crossroads Bible College and its mission statement– Training Christian Leaders to Reach a Multiethnic Urban World for Christ is...
For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NIV
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