Quiet Time Religion

Here is a thought going through my head this morning, "What religion does not allow, grace does". 

I was speaking to someone recently about their struggles with their "quiet time". It struck me while we were talking that the goal of quiet times is not quiet times, but conversation with a person, with God. It's speaking to someone, and allowing them to speak as well. It's about relationship.

I don't know about you, but i don't approach talking with friends with a need for emotional connection or a huge sense of intimacy. I don't approach friendships in terms of duty to be together, but in delight in hanging out, catching up, sharing story, connecting with someone I enjoy. I don't place a burden on others to meet a need or give me some huge emotional lift. I spend time with people for the value of being with them, and allow the relationship to be what it is.

The goal of spending time with God is not found in how much emotional intimacy we feel, but in simply being with him. I approach being with my wife the same way... we just enjoy each other's company, sometimes laughter, sometimes sadness, sometimes just sitting together without talking, sometimes sharing our hearts very deeply... we talk while driving together, we talk over meals, we make dates to hang out without interruption, we turn off the phones, and give attention to each other. And if we get busy, then we go out of our way to make sure we have time to talk and be together.

It's about relationship, not religious duty. The same applies to our relationship with God.

I can tell you what happens if Sally and I don't have time together... we grow apart. We get disconnected. Hurts turn into offenses. Little things become big things.

Communication fosters deeper relationship with my wife, not an emotional relationship, but just pure relationship, sometimes with emotion sometimes not. It causes our hearts to stay connected, for trust to grow, for affection and commitment to be strengthened.

Spending time with Jesus is the same for me... it is not a thing to do, but someone to talk to. 

If this is true, then spending time with Jesus counts whenever it happens, any time of the day, any posture, any moment... walking, shopping, driving, it all counts! 

Growing, healthy relationships are intentional. If you want your relationship with someone to grow, then you get intentional about meeting up, about sharing dreams and disappointments. The same is true of our relationship with God. 

So let's chuck quiet time religion, as in the duty to do something to please God, and focus on talking to God, on speaking to him as a friend. Focus on the pure value of talking to him about burdens, about joys, and about the things that distress us. Tell him everything...

Does that mean there is no need to set aside time on a regular basis to read the Bible and pray?  Not at all... it will enhance your relationship actually. Be intentional about being spontaneous.

The big bonus is grace.  There is an impartation of God's grace that happens when we are intentional about being with God, about accepting his offer to give himself to us. So ask freely, and receive freely. If we love it when friends ask us for advice, for help, how much more does God delight in us when we ask him?

It's about grace flowing down...covering our sins, covering our fears and failures. Let it flow... ask for it, any time and all the time. When you shower or bathe and dress for the day. When you eat food. When you are driving or walking. Be intentional but don't be religious.

Remember, grace allows what religion does not. 

John's gospel says, "Of his fullness have we all received, grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth through Jesus Christ" John 1:16

Make it a receiving day today!  Be intentional but not religious.

Safe theology. Dangerous life.

A co-worker and a man I disciple wrote the following article after I spoke on values, safety, and what is really dangerous.

Many people worry about their safety and security. We happen to live and serve in South Africa, a country bound by fear and crime and loaded with gates, locks and alarms. But we also serve in a missional community where many people are preparing to go to hostile places around the world where the gospel has not yet reached. So, danger is a very real thing for many of our friends who are counting the cost of giving their lives.

Last week, I was listening to Floyd (our leader here) teach on values and he started talking about danger in a way that stirred my heart.

• Living in constant disobedience to Jesus…that is dangerous.

• When our greatest goal is to work 70 hours a week for 35 years so we can have a nice house and a pension…that is dangerous.

• When a Mom and Dad compromise the will of God while their kids watch on…that is dangerous.

• When you are more interested in insuring your life on this earth (70 years if you’re lucky) while you do nothing to insure your life for all eternity….that is dangerous.

• Wanna hear something else dangerous? Dangerous is when you install gates, alarms and locks all around you and your family while you open your doors wide to the father of lies, the great destroyer and accuser, satan.

Perhaps it would do us all some good to consider the differences between danger in the world and danger in the Kingdom.

You can lead people if you don't "need" people

John 2:23-25, "During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn't entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn't need any help in seeing right through them."

Jesus had no need of people therefore he could lead people. Needy leaders are grasping leaders. If we trust God to bring us the people we need, people will sense our security, that we won't "claim them" as own own, and be more likely to follow us.

A visiting friend commented, after visiting me when I was a young leader, "You see people for how they can meet your needs and help you fulfill your vision... God wants to change that. God wants you to see people for how you can help them fulfill their vision, not yours. If you will hold people with a relaxed grasp, with your hands open, God will fill your hands with more leaders than you know what to do with. But if you hold onto them tightly, then your hands will be full and God cannot give you more people, especially the right people."

Complicity and Confrontation

Complicity and Confrontation – 1 Samuel 2:12 – 3:14

“Do not share in other people’s sins...” 1 Timothy 5:22

Corruption and Compromise - Whenever corruption and compromise takes place, the spotlight should be on the one who committed the sin, the perpetrator.

But that can be a distraction from another sin, that of complicity on the part of those who knew about the sin and were silent. To be silent when knowing about sin is agreement with that sin.

Complicity is the sin of hiding people’s sins.

Not so obvious is the sin of leaders in the background who know about the corruption and compromise, and are silent. There are those in the foreground, whose sin is seen, and those in the background, whose sin is not seen, but is just as great an act of irresponsibility.

It was once said, “The despicable conduct of those in the foreground is not possible apart from the irresponsibility of the leaders in the background...”

Silent Perpetrators – Those who are fearful of being rejected, who are filled with indecisiveness, concerned about their image, lacking in love for their leader or friend, clinging to the safety of being inconspicuous, saying little or nothing, turning a blind eye, claiming busyness, rationalizing responsibility, are guilty of anemic spirit; these are the leaders and friends who fear man more than God, who are prisoners not leaders, and cowards not true compatriots.

The biblical figure who was guilty of the sin of complicity is Eli the High Priest (I Samuels 2: 12-35; 3: 11-14).

Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinebas, were priests under Eli’s leadership. They ate meat that was to be offered for sacrifices and seduced young women who assisted at the tabernacle. The New Living Translation calls them scoundrels. As an old man, Eli did confront his sons on one occasion. However, it was weak and half-hearted, and therefore ineffective. He did not stop their blasphemy. He covered it up. Despite his age, Eli still had responsibility. In fact, God repeatedly warned Eli to discipline his sons (I Samuel 3:13). Under the authority of God, Eli could have dismissed his sons from priesthood. He did not. Eli could have cut them off from the community (Numbers 15: 30). He did not. Therefore, God harshly judged Eli, making good on the promise to bring an early death to Eli’s sons and the rest of his family as well as cut his family off from the line of priests.

When things go wrong publicly with a leader, look beyond the public to the private. No man or woman who sins publicly is without a private world of family and friends and fellow leaders. Who knew and did not speak up? Who spoke up but did not follow up? Who followed up but did not speak up?

What roles do leaders and leaders of leaders and family and friends of leaders play in corruption, compromise, and cowardice? We cannot claim culture when God says it is compromise.

Complicity – participation in wrong-doing. Complicity comes from the word accomplice, meaning an associate, an ally, to wrap or fold together. An accomplice is a person who helps another person commit a crime.

Complicity is the result of the fear of man. It is caused by a lack of the fear of God. It is the sin of negligence. It is to cover up, to conceal, to deny, minimizing, or otherwise failing to challenge or expose wrongdoing. Silence about the sin of a friend or family member or another leader is not love, it is cowardice.

Every leader has a choice: you can obey your culture or obey Christ. Christ or culture, who will you follow? Who will you obey?

Skill of confrontation – what should one do when a friend, a follower, a family member, or fellow leader sins?

1. Pray for true love, for wisdom, and for courage and strength to do the right thing with the right attitude of heart and mind. 1 Timothy 2:2, “pray for those in authority”.

2. Go to the person alone. Ask questions - don’t make accusations. Speak with respect not anger. You are not responsible for their actions; you are responsible for your actions. Do not be drawn into an argument, do not be swayed by emotions.    1 Timothy 4:12, “let no man despise your youth... but be an example”

3. Take time for discernment – an “injury time out” of a few hours or if needed, for a few days, to reflect, to discern, and to seek God’s wisdom and guidance.

4. Go with another person who has witnessed the same situation. Give the guilty person the opportunity to confess their sin himself or herself. Wait a few hours, not days or weeks or months to hear their response. 1 Timothy 5:1 “do not rebuke an older man, but speak to him as a father”

5. Offer to go with them to confess their sin to their leaders.

6. Go to the proper authority to report the sin. If they don’t confess their sins openly to their leaders. Go with tears, not tantrums. 1 Timothy 1:8, “lifting up holy hands, without wrath...”

“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words...he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which comes envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth...from such men withdraw yourself…

Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows...

Flee these things... fight the good fight of faith... keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing...

Command the rich not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches, but to trust in the living God, who gives us all things to enjoy...” 1 Timothy 6:3-19

See also 2 Timothy 2:14-18...

“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God will perhaps grant them repentance, so they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will...” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

This article was adapted from other articles and sources, which have been lost. To my regret, I cannot attribute proper credit where it is due.

Planning Not to Be Needed

Every great leader is a leader who wants others to outdo him, to excel him and to replace him. The test of a leader is to be able to serve without a title or position... what a great challenge!  

“One aspect of a job well done as a servant leader is what we do to prepare others to carry on after our season of leadership is completed. Your personal succession planning efforts will speak volumes about your motives as a leader. It is likely that anyone leading from an ego involved in the promotion and protection of self is not going to spend much time training and developing their potential successor. In the use of His time and efforts on earth, Jesus modeled sacrificial passion for ensuring that His followers were equipped to carry on the movement.”

Blanchard, Ken, Phil Hodges. The Servant Leader. Nashville: J. Countryman, 2003.

Seven Marks of Disciple Making Churches in the Muslim World

This article is from Joel News International:

West-Africa - Seven Marks of New Churches in the Muslim World

For more than seven years Jerry Trousdale studied disciple making movements in the Muslim world, especially in West-Africa. In that period more than 6,000 new Muslim-background churches were started in 18 countries, comprising 70 different Muslim people groups. Trousdale found that ‘church’ is being done in a specific way:

1. Groups are kept small. The average church size is 31.2 Christians per church. In extremely high-risk areas this is approximately 15 Christians per church. Church buildings are uncommon as they only increase the risk of persecution.

2. Every member is expected to participate in ongoing ‘discovery Bible studies’ in which people together learn how to obey God and help one another grow in faithfulness to Him.

3. The leadership of the church is somewhat collective, but typically includes a facilitator who is receiving ongoing biblical training and mentoring. This is done two to four times a year, without extracting them to other regions. The facilitators support themselves financially.

4. Many churches set aside special times every week for prayer and fasting.

5. Between 60 and 70 percent of the churches report a dramatic healing or deliverance that usually causes the church to suddenly accelerate in growth.

6. More than half of the Muslim-background churches are planted among people who are considered totally unengaged by the gospel. About one quarter of the churches are in Muslim-dominant regions where persecution is very common. In some areas, the sheer number of churches that are planted changes the spiritual environment, which in turn gives Christians much greater freedom.

7. Disciples reproduce disciples, and churches reproduce churches in ways that are biblically informed and culturally appropriate. There are not many programs, but quite of lot of genuine transformation of individuals, families and whole communities.

Source: Jerry Trousdale

Six Types of People You Meet in Church Planting

Guest article

by Todd Bumgarner

As a church planter, you are called to raise up disciples and leaders. It's an investment of time and energy that is critical to the mission of your church. One of the hardest truths early on in church planting is discerning who is with you and who is not. As I have worked with people, I’ve learned there are six categories into which someone falls. Categorizing people is helpful to determine where to focus your time and energy and to wake you up to the reality that some people, despite their excitement and interest, simply are not on board.

1. Family

These are the folks who are all-in. They’ve caught the vision and want to help in any way possible. They are servant-leaders and their commitment is apparent via a verbal conversation in which they express it. It is important to realize that simply showing up at things does not make someone part of the family (consistency does not necessarily equal commitment). A better gauge is to combine their consistency with their language. Folks who are in the family use phrases with first-personal plurals like “our church” or “we can do this.”

2. Fence

These are people who are interested in what you’re doing, excited about what you’re doing, have come to one or more of your vision meetings, or otherwise expressed their interest/excitement. People in this category require patience. Often people on the fence are plugged in to other church communities, and asking them to uproot from that to join what you’re doing is a complicated decision and process. I tell people on the fence that we are not in the business of stealing people from other churches, but to cast the vision and trust that the Holy Spirit will do his job.

In a church plant, people on the fence ultimately have to be called by the church planter to commitment. A church plant consisting only of interested and excited people (but with no commitment) will fail. This is the category where the most time and prayer will be spent. In addition, a prayerful ear to the Spirit’s prompting of when to call them to commit must be discerned. The goal is to move people from the fence to the family or discern if perhaps they are simply a “friend.”

3. Fans

On Facebook, having a lot of fans is great; in a church plant—not so much. Fans love what you’re doing, express their excitement, follow you on Twitter, meet you for coffee, let you buy them lunch, but never come to anything that you organize. Fans are typically podcasting Driscoll, reading Piper, and can give you the latest update on Chandler’s cancer faster than it takes for you to find it on the web.

Fans will suck the energy out of you. Often people in this category are another “F” word I like to use: “floaters.” They don’t have a church home, and float from one church to another, avoiding commitment, and seeing themselves as getting “fed” from guys they podcast. Fans love to talk about terms like “gospel-centered” and “missionally-focused” but fail to ever translate their talk to their walk.

Fans need to be quickly moved to the fence or the farm or they will consume your time and distract you from the mission.

4. Friends

Friends are typically gospel-centered people who are playing in the same league but on a different team. They are interested in what you’re doing, realize the importance of it, and want to support you in any way they can, but in the end are plugged-into and committed to another church. Friends are great, but they’re not family. You can call on friends for practical help and outside advice, but when you’re trying to build a family, sometimes you have to limit your time with friends.

5. Farm

The farm is made up of people who were on the fence and turned out not to be in the family when you called them to commit, or folks who were fans that you simply had to move to the farm, as they were much more interested in hanging out in the grandstands than ever making it onto the field. Instead of being all-in, they’ve verbally or non-verbally stated that they are out. The sad reality of a church planter is that once people are on the farm, it is typically a distraction from the mission to continue to pursue them. If they want to rejoin the fence, trust that they will on their own.

6. Foes

Foes are the critics and the opposite of “family.” We’ve had a few of these in our short history as a church plant, including one lady who accused me of trying to attract people to our church with beer, and another I’ve never met who sent me an email with some poor exegesis of 1 Timothy 3 and tried to tell me that I was not qualified to be an elder. I would have liked to meet her.

As a church planter, you will have a growing family, people on the fence, a host of fans, some good friends, a growing farm, and a number of foes. Your goal is to call people to commit and determine who’s in the family so that you can march forward with your mission to reach the unreached for Christ.

By Acts 29 Network

When is Church Growth Not Healthy Growth?

I am a big fan and a friend of Mark Buckley, who pastors Living Streams Church in Phoenix, Arizona. Mark and his wife Kristine have been the guests of All Nations in the past and will come again next year, God willing. We are willing - just need to work out the dates with Mark and Kristine.

I love Mark's perspective on when church growth is not good growth...

Healthy Things Grow Naturally - December 2012

Many people say healthy things grow. If something stops growing, it’s not healthy. Some people apply that logic to churches and others apply it to businesses. I want to clarify that concept. No plants, animals or people keep growing indefinitely. All living things reach a maximum size determined by genetics and environment, otherwise they would become gigantic. When healthy things reach maturity, new growth comes through reproduction.

No business or church can grow indefinitely either. Healthy businesses stay focused on their customers and main products. If they get overextended they are vulnerable to all kinds of problems. Healthy churches grow to a size determined by the gifts, talents and opportunities given by God to the congregation and leaders. They reproduce by raising up mature disciples who establish new ministries and plant new churches. The apostles left Jerusalem to preach the gospel and establish new churches. Some of the new churches they established grew larger and lasted longer than the church in Jerusalem.

Jesus said, “See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or toil.” (Mat. 6:28) Healthy things grow naturally. It is a flawed form of judgment to value people by the size of their ministry, business or bank account. That is like saying your mother was an incredible woman because she raised you in a big house. The impact of your mother, father, or friend is as great as the love they showed you and the wisdom they imparted to you. If Christ is in you, you may not be impressive to the world, but the faith and love you have can transform the life of anyone who believes your message.

One reason I enjoy the challenge of sports and games is the opportunity to make progress in ways that are measurable. A smoother golf swing improves my scores and helps me to feel like I’m learning and growing. We need to have a sense that we are growing in wisdom and understanding in life as well. After midlife, our bodies diminish in strength and energy. Life can be depressing if we focus on that decline. Fortunately, the Lord allows us to grow in grace and wisdom throughout our lives.

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (II Corinthians 4:16) Inward renewal comes as we draw near to the Lord in prayer and experience his grace. I’m learning to trust God in deeper ways, so my faith stays alive under stress and pressure. Spiritual growth can be measured by peace in our hearts and confidence in God when we face the pressures of life.

Our six year old grandson Matisse captured a scorpion and released it recently. The next day he asked his mother, “If I can catch a baby scorpion, how can we train it to hunt? Do they have books on that?”

Matisse will grow in size, wisdom and understanding in the years to come, but he is precious to us right now. You too will naturally grow in wisdom and understanding as you read the word of God and put it into practice. Yet I hope you realize that you are loved as much today as you will be on the day you meet the Lord and receive your reward.

Join the Largest Prayer Meeting in the World

Hello, 20 years ago God allowed me and several others the privilege of helping to pioneer what is most likely the largest prayer initiative in the world, called "30 days of prayer for the Muslim world". Since that time it has spread all over the world and now millions of people pray during Ramadan for pre-believing Muslims.

I want to call this prayer and awareness initiative to your attention and ask that you join me in supporting this amazing opportunity to stir up love and faith and reconciliation toward Muslims who have not yet come to faith in Jesus. Join believers all over the globe praying during Ramadan - not because we believe in Islam, but because we believe for those who follow Islam to come to faith in Jesus!

Who knows what God will do when we join with many others to fast and pray during Ramadan for Muslims to come to faith in Jesus!!

Since this and many other prayer initiatives began to reach out in love to Muslims, many have had dreams of Jesus, met followers of Jesus, and have opened their hearts to the peace of God through Jeus Christ. The greatest solution to war and strife in North Africa, India, Indonesa, and the Middle East is prayer and the love of Jesus.

P.S. To subscribe to regular updates or get more information on how you can get your church community and movement involved write to: 30-days@bfp-listen.de

Below is an update from 30 Days…

Dear friends,

20 years ago a few mission leaders were praying together. They felt challenged to focus their attention on reaching the Muslim world. Thus was born the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World movement.

Today, that agency has 10 times more teams working in the Muslim world than they did 20 years ago. Many other mission and church agencies have joined in. We have seen major breakthroughs. For example, in South Asia at least half a million Muslims come to faith among the Bengali. In Iran, Christian satellite broadcasting is widely viewed and supports a strong and growing underground church movement with thousands of house fellowships multiplying throughout the country. Several hundred thousand members of an unreached Berber group in North Africa have come to faith in just one of several movements taking place in that region.

The 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim world prayer event has played a big part in that - educating, motivating and encouraging believers to respectfully and lovingly share their faith. The guide is now distributed in over 38 languages, and millions have participated. We have a team of people across the planet who not only contribute to the contents of the booklet but also are actively involved in ministry reaching the lost.

We feel an urgency to continue calling the Christian world to pray. This is not the time to stop praying, giving and going. The avalanche of prayer, we believe, is seeing much fruit. And as we watch events take place in North Africa and across the Muslim world, we sense we must add our prayers and actions to the work God is doing. We are investing in eternity!

You will read many more miracles and facts in our coming prayer guide. I encourage you to get the prayer materials to your family, friends, church and social network. At our end we are doing our utmost to produce the prayer guide so it will engage as many Christians as possible. We also encourage everyone to contribute financially to the ongoing work. There are many bills to pay for the new booklet and of course for the people in the fields.

So, what of the next 20 years? According to a 2011 Pew study, twenty years from now the Muslim world population will have doubled from what it was 20 years ago. Muslims will represent a quarter of the global population. As followers of Christ, we must rise to meet this growth with a double portion of faith and love. Let's keep up the avalanche of prayer.

God bless you,

Ron and the team.

New Book

Mirror, Mirror - A Reflected Life

by Carolyn Ros

I wanted to draw your attention to this new book published by a friend.

From the press release:

Carolyn Ros, or Kari as she was known during her growing-up years, seemed to have everything going for her as she graduated from high school and headed off to college. The child of American missionary parents, she had grown up in Japan speaking two languages. Very early on she was chosen to model for Japanese advertisements, she excelled in her studies in a well-respected international school, and seemed to be the belle of the ball. Underneath it all, however, was a mountain of fear and doubt that was plaguing her and driving her deeper into anorexia and bulimia. Then, on top of all that, her world came crashing down as her face, hands, and knees were injured in a motorcycle accident. She was left a shaken shell. It would take years of serious probing and honest self-examination and a bold question from a fellow college student to get her started back on the road to self-realization and fulfillment. The book not only includes her story, but also many of the spiritual meditations that brought her renewed hope and strength.

Please see here for the full press release.

New Videos

I wanted to draw your attention towards two new videos, shot during my furlough in the United States. Both were shot during my time at LCC Redding.

The first is on Discipleship and can be found here.

The second is on Discipleship and Leadership and can be found here.

If you have the time, check them out!

Leadership is a Performing Art

Leadership is a performing art, not a science. It is the art of influencing others, not just to accomplish something together, but to want to accomplish great things together. Servant leaders challenge existing processes without manipulating or overpowering people, then they enable others to act by encouraging their hearts, modeling the way forward, and inspiring a shared vision. The authority that servant leaders have to impact the lives of others comes from their ability to serve artfully, and thus to influence people align themselves to want to act together. Servant leaders pay attention to individuals, stimulate people intellectually, inspire a big vision, and through these art forms, influence others to act together to achieve what they could not do alone. Servant leaders live what they ask others to do. Their integrity and character sustains their artful ability to inspire many others.

The Use and Abuse of Spiritual Authority

Because of the tendency of good but sometimes immature leaders to respond to selfish or needy people with overbearing authority, and because of the influence of cult figures on so many unwary young people, it is important to be aware of some of the unhealthy extremes leaders can go to in exercising their leadership.

Hopefully the checklist below will not only help members of organizations or congregations evaluate the kind of authority they are following, but will also help sincere leaders do some "soul-searching" if they are leading out of insecurity or are responding wrongly to those with needs in their group.

I have included at the end of this paper some Biblical principles for leaders to follow in responding to those people in their congregation or group that have need of loving confrontation. I have also included some guidelines on how to respond to leaders when they are wrong.

Extremism on the question of authority is easy to find: some go to one extreme and propound a kind of Christian anarchism where everyone is a law unto themselves with no need for accountability or submission; others go to the other extreme and teach a pyramidal authority structure that undermines the priesthood of the believer and exalts authority figures to a place God never intended them to have.  Those who dare to live in the "radical middle" will no doubt make mistakes in finding their way, but will in the end enjoy the rewards of their efforts: deep friendships, godly accountability, the serenity of surrendering others to the Lord and the peace of living in a manner that is pleasing to our Father.

I am a bit uncomfortable with those who appoint themselves to be "watch dogs" for the Body of Christ, especially when they are quick to judge or are harsh in their spirit.  Perhaps this is another form of authoritarianism?  Obviously we need those who are called by God to serve the church by discerning the "inroads of apostasy" (I highly recommend the Spiritual Counterfeits Project, Berkeley Christian College, Box 4309, Berkeley, CA 94704), but it is very important that they do their research thoroughly and without bias, and that they pray for those they find to be immature or unbiblical.  Those who do this kind of research have an additional responsibility to be mature, discerning Christians (James 3:1, 5-12).  They need to seek out those they find to be in extremism and give them a chance to both explain themselves and/or repent if they have been wrong (Matthew 5:21-16, 7:1-5; Galatians 6:1-3).  Researchers on cults have no less a responsibility to follow biblical principles of intercession, conversation and church discipline than what they expect from those they are researching in other areas of belief and practice.  I have known of instances where those researching the cults have judged others in the Body of Christ wrongly and have hurt and damaged people to the same extent that they were accusing others of doing.

The following contains principles that should be applied equally to all those in the Body of Christ whether pastor, leader or researcher.

1.     Insistence on sharing all things in common:  Insisting on giving up private ownership can be a way of controlling people's lives.

2.     Treatment of women:  When women are not given any authority or are not recognized as equals to men through respect for their opinions, then authoritarianism is sure to follow.

3.     The power of leaders:  The scripture teaches us to submit to those whom the Lord has placed over us  -  Acts 20:28-31;  I Timothy 1:3, 4:11;  Titus 1:13, 3:1;  Hebrews 13:17.  The question is, how much and where.  The Bible makes clear that in specific areas leaders do have authority, but there are very definite limits to this authority.  For example, a leader does not have the right to tell people what to do in their personal lives.  If you think through all the illustrations in the scriptures where elders and apostles were exercising authority, can you think of any instance where any of the leaders in the scripture, even in the crisis days of the early church in Jerusalem, ever tried to dominate or control somebody's life?  Even Peter made the clear comment that Ananias and Saphira could have kept all their money and property (the point is that doing what everyone else was doing was not mandatory).  The sin was not in what they kept, but in their lying.  There are no illustrations in the New Testament that are even remotely similar to the control being exercised by some elders or leaders over God's people today.

Leaders do not have the right to confirm people's personal guidance as to whether they get married, continue working in full-time Christian service or go to another place in that service.  It is a privilege to pray with others about their personal guidance but not a right.  A leader can obviously give a word of caution or counsel for a person from the word, but that should be shared as a friend.  To confuse the two is to bring people under condemnation and make them feel obligated to do what the person is saying because they are an authority figure.

4.     Turnover in leadership:  If there is a rapid turnover in leadership every two or three years, it could be an indication the leader is not the kind of person who can win long term friendships due to instability in his life or an overbearing personality.  It is very important for those in an organization to ask how long do those working up-close stay with their leader.  If people do leave, do they feel condemned when they do so?  Would they feel comfortable in returning for a visit?

5.     The leader's reaction under pressure:  If the leader is consistently defensive, it may show that he is insecure, unsure of himself and his work.  He may try to exercise a great deal of control over others and is often unsure of himself and may express his insecurity through authoritarianism.

6.     Exclusiveness:  Any time a group has an exclusive view toward their role in the church, it could be an indication that there is not only pride but authoritarianism.  Do they recognize all other committed Christians as believers and a part of the Body of Christ?  Beware of those who categorize some Christians as being more special to God, or having a revelation or experience or doctrine that produces the fruit of pride and/or exclusiveness.

7.     The psychological makeup of a leader:  Does the leader have in his nature a need to control others within his environment?  There are some people who; have this psychological flaw.  The Lord can use this man, but he must have God break this in his life or he will tend towards authoritarianism and manipulation.  Sometimes this trait surfaces in the beginning of a ministry, or it could come out later in a time of crisis or conflict.

8.     Group conformity:  There is always some need for conformity, particularly amongst organizations that have policies and procedures that are necessary for the accomplishing of their goals.  However, these policies and goals should be open for the scrutiny of all in the Body of Christ, and should be made with the counsel of godly people outside of the organization.  They should be explained to those who join the organization before any commitment of membership is made so that the individuals understand what would be required of them and expected of them and they can agree to it beforehand.

9.     Leaving the group:  When individuals want to leave the group are they made to feel guilty or is pressure put on them to stay?  Do they feel hurt when they leave?  Do they feel like they're second-class Christians, if they are not staying with the group and going back to a local church? 

10.  Possessiveness of staff and fellow workers:  Does the leader make those who work with him feel obligated to stay?  Is there a constant pressure used by the leadership to manipulate people into staying with the group?  Do they feel somehow they have to break out in order to leave the group?  Is "guidance" or "covering" used as a way of keeping people in the group?  This kind of possessiveness can often lead to great hurts and make people feel very condemned for leaving the group.

11.  Atmosphere of mistrust:  Do the leaders use rules, regulations, scriptures and policies to control people's lives?  Or do they create an atmosphere of grace and trust?  Do the leaders rely upon people's maturity or do they continually infer that the people cannot be trusted and "laws" must exist to regulate people's behavior?  Obviously there must be a certain amount of submission, particularly in missionary organizations that have developed policies and procedures in order to be more efficient in achieving their goals.  But even then those policies should be based on trust and not forced on those who disagree.  Hopefully potential areas of disagreement will be discovered before a candidate joins the missionary society, but if not they should be given the freedom to leave (if conflict doe arise) with appreciation for one another and a simple agreement that it is best for a parting of ways. 

12.  Questions and criticisms:  Can members of the group bring up their questions or make constructive criticism without the leadership becoming defensive?  Are the leaders secure enough and mature enough in the Lord to encourage people to share hurts or disappointments, or ask questions about things they disagree with without fear of recrimination or being judged as being "critical or rebellious"?  Are the leaders accountable to somebody else besides themselves and "the Lord"?  Are they open to be corrected?

13.  Overwork:  Does the leadership make the members of the group or organization feel obligated to work long hours, burning the candle at both ends?  Do the leaders drive their people and make them feel guilty for having personal time for hobbies, recreation, letter writing etc.?  Leaders can be guilty of burning their people out and placing them under condemnation for wanting the time necessary to be refuelled and refreshed in order to keep doing their work with the emotional strength that they need to carry it out. 

14.  Moral impurity:  Often those who become authoritarian or manipulative have compromised morally and are living in sin.

15.  Role confusion - inspirational and pastoral leadership:  A leader can become authoritarian or abusive in his leadership if he does not learn to distinguish the difference between personal counseling and visionary inspiration.  It is one thing to stand in front of a group and inspire the group with "the word of the Lord" for the direction of the group; it is quite another thing to be involved in personal counseling.  If the leader approaches his personal counseling in the same style and manner as he would to seek to inspire the whole group with a word from the Lord, he can come across not only very directional but also overbearing or overwhelming to those to whom he is giving counsel.  His role in counseling is to remind people of scriptural principles and encourage them to seek the Lord and to put God first in obeying His word.  It is not his responsibility to tell people what to do or to correct the errors in their life, but more to encourage them to be open to the Lord and to obey His word.

16.  Ownership of policies and major decisions:  Do the leaders give the people an opportunity to feel ownership at a grass roots level about decisions that are being made for the group?  Are decisions handed down arbitrarily from the top without any opportunity for the staff to participate in the decision?  Do the people feel like they can be a part of shaping the policies of the community and not be rebellious if they question them?

17.  Over emphasis on one person’s responsibility:  Too much emphasis in this area without emphasizing God's grace and mercy produces condemnation and doubt about God's love and forgiveness.  It is the loving kindness of God that leads men to repentance.

18.  Taking too much responsibility to correct the problems in people’s lives and not leaving them free to respond to the Lord when they are ready to do so:  Trying to be the Holy Spirit for people always leads to conflict and hurt.

19.  Denying people the right of appeal of a decision they disagree with or denying them right of accessibility to go to others for counsel when they disagree with a leader:  To "box" a person in in this way is very unjust and shows that the leader is at the very least exerting undue pressure on the person concerned, and perhaps it indicates the basic insecurity of the leader and his unhealthy need to be in control of the situation.

20.  Not admitting faults or refusing to lead from a place of vulnerability and transparency:  If the leadership makes mistakes or has somehow been a part of a situation that has been unjust which can include not communicating difficult living situations ahead of time and then blaming people for reacting to them; or not giving people adequate food or heating; or putting them under immature leadership and then blaming them for not cooperating, or exploiting their financial generosity.  In all these circumstances we should admit our failures and weaknesses and ask forgiveness from those who have been hurt.  If a leader does not do that he will tend to blame others for the reactions and accuse them of "having the wrong attitude" or "being in rebellion." (An excellent book on this subject is The Man Who Could Do No Wrong, by Charles Blair, Chosen Books.)

21.  Teaching that a leader should always be obeyed no matter what he says because he is "God's anointed," or "you should obey the leader even if he is wrong and leave matters in God’s hand to judge.”:  We should teach people to obey God and His Word, not men because they are called "leaders."   Obviously people need to deal with independence and an unbroken spirit, but that should be dealt with in the opposite spirit: gentleness and love. When there is a need for confrontation over bad attitudes, the following scriptural guidelines should be followed:

(1)  Galatians 6:1-3  -  Go in a spirit of gentleness and humility "looking to ourselves lest we too be tempted. . ."

(2)  Proverbs 8:17; Deuteronomy 17:3-4; I Timothy 5:19  -  Always hear both sides of a matter and thoroughly look into all the points of view before a judgment is made.

(3)  James 3:13-18, 5:19-20; Matthew 18:15-18  -  Follow the spirit of love outlined in these passages. Seek in every way to be redemptive. Never put people in a position where it is hard for them to return or seek counsel or find help from others. Remember that the portions of scripture on church discipline in Matthew are preceded and followed by injunctions to "not despise one of these little ones" (speaking of a straying or lost sheep) and to forgive our brother "seventy times seven" - which does not mean exactly four hundred and ninety!

(4)  I Samuel 12:23  -  Pray for those we are concerned about to make sure we have God's heart for them and we are not reacting to them out of our own hurt or disappointment, even the disappointment that comes out of love for a person that we know could have done much better.  We must pray until we have God's heart for a person, then go to them when we sense God has prepared their heart for the correction.  Timing can be everything.

(5)  Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 24:6  -  When there is a difficulty with someone's attitude seek the counsel of a mature, older pastor (particularly the pastor of the person involved) on how to respond.  There is great protection and wisdom in seeking the counsel of others, especially from older more mature men, outside one's own group or organization.  The willingness to seek this counsel shows a caution that reflects maturity and real love for what is best for the person involved.

The principles above give us guidelines on how to respond to those that we are correcting when we are in a position of leadership or when we are going to a brother or sister in need.  But what do we do when the leader over us or any person in a position of authority is wrong, either in their attitude or actions?  The following guidelines can be helpful.

(1)  Make sure the facts are correct.  Don't judge a person wrongly, and don't accept a charge against a person on the word of just one other person (Romans 2:12; Deuteronomy 13:12-14; and I Timothy 5:19).  It is very important to hear all sides of a conflict before a judgment is made.

(2)  Pray for the leader and make sure that you have no critical spirit or root of bitterness in your heart toward them.  If you've been hurt or disappointed, make sure that you keep on forgiving until your heart is free of hurt.  Make sure you maintain a heart of love since love covers a multitude of sins (I Peter 4:8).  It is possible to lose objectivity about a situation through taking on the hurts of others.  If you counsel with people who have been hurt by an authority figure and you take on their pain you can take sides in the conflict and lose the opportunity to both offer sound biblical counsel to the one hurt (e.g. to forgive and pray for the ones who hurt them) and be a minister of reconciliation and healing in the broken relationship.

(3)  Pray for the leader that he will have a revelation from the Lord about the wrong that he's done or that he will know the right thing to do if he needs wisdom in the situation.  It's extremely important that we intercede for him as an indication of our genuine commitment to the person and for God's best in the situation.

(4)  If a leader has done something wrong and there is no change, seek God in humility if you are to speak to them.  If it is an obvious wrong, such as stealing, being involved in a sexual sin, being dishonest etc., and you've gone to them and they do not repent, then go to another godly person in the Body of Christ and ask them to go with you to talk to the person again (Matthew 18:15-18; Luke 17:4).

(5)  If there is no response and it is not a matter of serious disobedience to obvious moral principles, then do not go to others in the Body of Christ criticizing and slandering the person concerned.  The Bible does speak very strongly about the importance of unity and forgiveness in the Body of Christ.  To go to others when you disagree with a decision could put you in a position of causing a greater sin than the one that you are concerned about in the life of the leader.  There are strong warnings in the scriptures about taking matters into our own hands and trying to correct them.  Even David would not attack Saul in spite of his great sin because God had put him in that position of leadership.  David trusted God to bring an answer in the situation (I Samuel 24:6; Numbers 14; Ephesians 4:26, 29, 30-32).

(6)  If the leader is authoritarian or immature or very unwise, you have one of two options:  you can stay under his authority and continue to pray for him after you've gone to him to share your concern, or you could leave the group.  It is important that you do not stay and become critical and bitter.  You have the freedom before God to leave at any time that you feel the pressure is too great on you, but do not stay and become a source of division.  If you do stay you should have the faith that God is going to bring a change in the situation and that He wants you there to be a blessing to others and for your own personal growth.  God will vindicate you if you keep your heart right and continue to pray and believe the Lord.  If it is a matter of moral impurity or compromise on orthodox doctrines such as the inspiration of the scriptures, the divinity of Christ, the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, his atonement on the cross - then after bringing a warning to the person and they will not change, then you should also leave the group.  To stay where there is moral impurity or doctrinal heresy could lead to compromise in your own life.

(7)  If you are unsure as to what to do, seek counsel of godly people outside of the group.  Go to a mature pastor or a leader in another organization, even if your leaders tell you not to do so!  Every believer has that right.

At the same time that we point out some of the abuses of authority, it is important to affirm the great need for godly leaders. To become a wise leader means years of experience, which of course includes making mistakes and failing. The scripture gives many examples of failure on the part of those who went on to be greatly used by God, this includes Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Peter, Paul and many others.

There is a great need for wise fathers in the Lord who will take Timothys under their wings and encourage them and train them in godliness and wisdom. Where there is abuse of authority obviously there needs to be correction, but even more important there needs to be restoration and the kind of counsel and commitment that redeems one who has failed. The leader who does that is indeed a rare and blessed person. May their kind greatly increase!

II Timothy 2:24, 25a

I Peter 5:1-3

I Corinthians 4:15,17

I Thessalonians 2:7, 11-12

Called of God

From the excellent website, churchplanting.com comes this devotional article by Peter Sung…

And he said to him, “Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” But he had nothing to say  ~ Matthew 22:12

READING:  Matthew 22:1-14

Every Christian is at once called to salvation and to ministry. Christians minister because we are called of God. Sometimes a more specific calling is recognized to be on a person and that person is called out by his community to help equip other Christians to do better ministry. It is the responsibility of the church community to discern whether that calling should also include a transition from secular employment to paid full time ministry.

The Greek word for calling is kaleo which means “to call out loud or to invite.” By definition, others must issue an invitation or a call. I cannot invite myself to someone else’s wedding party. That is the prerogative of the host. God does the calling. A church community does the confirming.

Consider your own calling. Who’s calling you? What are they calling you to do? The notion of calling gets tricky with church planting because the church community is yet to form and therefore yet to call. But, if we are indeed called, we answer to someone in some way. To whom are you accountable? As the apostle Paul says, no one can preach unless they are sent. Who is sending you?

Many church planters are rogue, isolated and unaccountable. They have invited themselves to a party without receiving any invitation. Jesus once told a sobering parable about a guest who was not invited and not properly dressed. He was promptly removed from the party lest the guest of honor, his son, be dishonored.

Are you called of God? Has your calling been confirmed by a community? Are you accountable?

Thank you, Father, for calling me and for using others to confirm it. Help me to walk worthy of my high calling with integrity and proper submission. Amen.

Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

1. Jesus is a unique and special revelation of God to humankind. He loves all peoples and will reject no one who comes to him sincerely. God welcomes every person to seek him and to pray to him. He lovingly draws every person to His son, Jesus Christ.

2. Jesus did not come to start a religion called Christianity. He came to stop religion, not start it. Religion is what people do to gain God’s favor or approval in their own way. Jesus is God's way of seeking people, to offer His acceptance and forgiveness to them

3. There are many ways to God, but they all lead to Jesus...it's as if there are many roads to the top of a mountain, but when people arrive at the top of the mountain, they find Jesus waiting for them with open arms.

4. God will not judge people for rejecting a Jesus they have never heard of.

5. God judges people on the basis of what truth they know and what they do with it. God shines truth into every human heart, and then watches to see if people respond to that light. Those who follow the light they have, are given more.

6. God is loving and just. The Bible speaks of God as the judge of all the earth. Abraham said about God, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is right?” God knows the hearts of all people. We can trust him to judge people justly and truthfully.

7. God has revealed aspects of himself in every civilization and every culture. It is as if there is a shadow that falls on every religion and civilization, and when one follows that shadow, it leads to the person of Jesus Christ.

8. Jesus made claims about himself (recorded for us in the New Testament), claims that are so unique, that if they are not true, then Jesus cannot be dismissed as a good man gone wrong, but more like a deceiver or deranged mad man. Either he is the truth, or he is a liar or a myth created by others.

9. Jesus has revealed himself in such a way that no one is forced to believe him or obey him, but for those who sincerely want to know if he is who he claimed to be, there is sufficient evidence to know he is the Son of God.

10. If you want to know for yourself, the best way to be sure is to read about his life and teachings in the New Testament. If you seek to know him sincerely, and are willing to obey Him, God promises to reveal the truth to all those who seek Him.

America - Where do you go from here?

OUR DEAR AMERICA - Where do you go From Here?

by Wolfgang and Mercy Simson. From www.revivalschool.com

“Today, Obama has been re-elected; all the efforts of many Christian leaders, prayer movements, "prophets" and "concerned Americans" who have lobbied, written appeals, articles, books, letters - some have even done films - to warn not to vote for him have come to nothing. Many of them have behaved as if the future of the Kingdom of God is at stake. Well, it is not.

Can we, as foreigners who dearly love you as a people, say a few words into this situation? Because it is evident to us that God has a clear plan with your nation. But many don t seem to see it, and therefore run the danger of fighting the wrong fight, wasting precious time and resources, and even endlessly calling upon God to do what he just will not do.

The German weekly Der Spiegel, kind of a German Time Magazine, has a cover picture of Uncle Sam in bed, titled, The American Patient: The decline of a Great Nation. We think this is a prophetic picture. As your friends, we know, acknowledge and admire that America has had a great past. But how will your future look?

God chastises whom he loves because he knows: pride will come before the fall, and humbleness and brokenness is the only condition he responds to. We personally sense we need to tell you: the destiny of your nation is in God´s hands, not yours. It is not at all about Obama or Romney, it is about God using all the nations in the world according to his global and unchanging plans. Did you ever allow the thought that God in his sovereignty is using Obama like a pawn on his chessboard to humble the US as a nation because he wants to show his grace to a nation gone completely self-sufficient? A nation that is so full of independence, individualism, nationalism and trusting a greed and fear-based economy that there may be only one way open to heal it from its idolatry and re-align itself with the Kingdom of God: a crisis beyond anything that America has ever seen?

In 2008, God has been challenged by a man standing up in public, preaching to the cheers of a huge crowd: "Yes we can!" We watched it; we saw the tears of excitement in the eyes of the people; the statements were received as if coming from the Messiah himself, and the electoral rallies had all the flavor of a religious revival. "Yes, we can" is the exact opposite of the King of kings saying: "Without me, you can do nothing!"

If God is the one who "deposes kings and raises up others" (Dan 2:21), does it really matter what are the names of the current puppets set in place by God that advance both the New World Order and the Kingdom of God? Neither Herod, Pilate nor Caesar were truly important for the development of the Kingdom. That is exactly why Kingdom people do not play in the Second League, but the First, the one that matters. The one that puts the Kingdom first, and everything else - including their own nation - second.

The problem of the current commotion and insecurities arises when even the people that call themselves after God keep confusing the Kingdom of God with the United States of America. And when that happens, especially through Christians with a public voice, then we have truly lost all perspective of the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the predictions he has made that will precede his coming.

America is being publicly humbled by God; and he is going to use Obama - and those after him - to further advance his agenda that will lead all nations to kneel before the one true King Jesus very soon. If any nation wants to become a tower that reaches up to high heaven, it will be humbled by a God who will not share his glory with people relying on their own strength.

America, where do you go from here? What does this mean for you? The future is going to be very, very rough. Your securities will vanish, the economy will go down, the education system will become even worse, the streets more dangerous, the churches even more divided, the youth even more disillusioned - unless there is a true movement that abandons all those idols mentioned above, and radically repents, makes a radical alignment with the King of the Kingdom of God and his constitution, live the Law of Christ in all areas of life, first and foremost in the areas of sex, money, power and how we "do church". This is a defining moment for you as a nation. You could go down, as the German journalist of `Der Spiegel´ predicted. Or, America could be literally re-invented by Kingdom people who are ready to implode the prevailing myths about America's greatness, and replace it by God´s greatness. The King has even greater things purposed and would fulfill those purposes IF those who call themselves after Jesus the King, would turn away from their self-made religion, self-made churches and religious factions, self-made visions of success, and their self-made, harmless God.

Can we lovingly but urgently call you back at this hour to begin and initiate a movement to reposition and repatriate yourselves into the eternal Kingdom, by submitting yourself not only in theory but also in practical deeds to Jesus the King, starting to obey the King and his liberating decrees in all the areas that count? You might even want to write a declaration of dependence on God and each other, because by idolizing anything else before and over God, you will become illegal aliens in the country that counts, where we all are called to have our home: the Kingdom, the one place where our true citizenship, nationality and allegiance lies (Phil 3:20). This is the only one country that will not be shaken, as it has an unchanging King.

If there is any way that we can help you in this great challenge and task - we want you to know we will.

PLEASE COMMENT on this article at the website below-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

A Positive Vision for Church

A Positive Vision for Church by Joe Miller

From ChurchPlanting.com

When I spoke at the 2011 House Church Conference in Florida, I met many wonderful people committed to living out their faith in a house church. But, when it comes to the discussion between House Church and Legacy Church people, I still pray for a more positive dialogue.  The name calling  along with the “spiritual” pretense that there is only one way to be a “New Testament” church is hackneyed and counterproductive. Books capitalizing on anger, hurts, and bitterness have made publishing houses and individual authors lots of money, but as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to move toward a more positive vision for church.

Tim Chester is a house church guy who shares some of my concerns.  In one of his older posts, he shares reasons why he has not read a lot of books on house church.

“When I was first interested in household church I did read a range of material and I found most of it narrow, petty, reductionistic and reactionary. Either it defined itself in terms of what it was against. Or it was obsessed with debates over the minutiae of what may or may not have happened in New Testament churches. It all seemed a world away from the missiological engagement in which I was interested (I can’t say whether any of this is true of Pagan Christianity having not read the book!). Most of the groups involved seemed insular – more concerned with creating the perfect church than reaching the lost. Obviously I want to be biblical, but I believe there were a variety of church practices and models in the New Testament so that we can be flexible. We can adapt to our context (1 Corinthians 9).”

Chester’s observations are insightful and his advice is important for young church plant leaders. We must learn to be flexible in our methods of communal worship. That means instead of focusing energy on creating the most “biblical” worship environment, we should focus more on the mission of reaching the lost with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Let each church follow its own collective conscience on ‘how’, ‘when’, and ‘where’  to worship and invest more energy encouraging our congregations to live out the ‘who’, ‘what’, and ‘why’ of the Gospel.

This is Sin

"Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself." Susanna Wesley, 8 June 1725

Hell

"Hell then is the trajectory of a soul, living a self-absorbed, self-centered life, going on forever." Tim Keller

Hell is not a doctrine to debate, rather a sad state of existence to grieve, to weep over, to pray for, and to cause us to reflect gratefully on His great mercy.

Does God Have a Preference for Our Next President?

My wife asked me just a few minutes ago, "Does God have a preference for our next president?" I told her, "I don't know but I sure don't like it when some people act like they do".

I love these thoughts from Charliesays.It. Very thought provoking.

"Hope can be found in a human being – God’s children wanting to place their hope and trust in human form is nothing new. The desire to make a man king began in I Samuel 8 and hasn’t changed. It’s always easier to see and therefore believe a man will better protect and provide for us.

The other side of this belief produces fear: If “God’s man” is not in office, God’s plan and purpose can be hindered. Nothing is further from the truth. Matter of fact, from a national perspective, God has probably used more secular kings to bring about His will then sacred: Abimelech, Pharaoh, Hiram and Herod to name a few. God’s Word is clear:

He appoints kings and presidents – Romans 13:1

He appoints men that do not know and even oppose His way – Jeremiah 27:5-15

World rulers have always opposed God’s direction but cannot stop it – Psalm 2

Here’s another false notion:

God has an American agenda – Jesus is not an American. His agenda is not political but eternal. Remember His conversation with Pilate (John 18:36)? For this reason I am extremely careful when it comes to watching the news and listening to the radio. Republican, Democrate or libertarian: All argue for an earthly kingdom empowered by a seductive spirit of this world."