The Jury Is Out

The six female jurors who determined whether George Zimmerman committed second-degree murder when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year have heard the case and reached a verdict. Innocent on all charges.

During almost three weeks of testimony, they listened to 56 witnesses — 38 for the prosecution and 18 for the defense. A number of items were the source of conflicting testimony, and jurors had to sort out those contradictions in the deliberation room without any new evidence.  The trial was over. The decision was theirs.

Thanks God for America and for our judicial system. It is not perfect.  Yet, if I were going on trial in any county and had a choice it would be America.

Hopefully, on Judgment Day the judge of all the earth will come to the same conclusion. Who am I to second guess then or now, however.

Another verdict of enormous consequence is awaits America right now, and the jury of public opinion is still out. Thousands of innocent victims are sentenced to death each year in this otherwise great country simply because they were so unfortunate to be given a chance at life at a time like this. I am thinking of those precious little one who struggle for life in the womb of a potential mother who decides to abort the child because of (in most cases) the inconvenience it might cause her.

I must admit that I sat in total astonishment as I watched the Texas House deliberate on whether or not a surgically safe environment should be provided when a child is aborted prior to the 20th week of pregnancy—previously it was 24 weeks, and the pro-choice fanatics in mob fashion tried to disrupt the proceedings.

The sad fact is, however, timing is the only consideration at this point. Killing is still okay, it is just a matter of time and whether or not it should be done in a sterile environment. The argument is, therefore, not that abortion should be outlawed; but rather that dirty killing is just undesirable.

I know that we must be pragmatic about these things, but how can one be pragmatic about killing? I guess about the only pragmatic comfort that I can get out of the whole affair is that these little ones are now safe in the arms of Jesus. 

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Racism: overt or cover, what's the difference?

Reflecting on the past election, I have come to a couple of conclusions. One is, I am thankful that we have put overt racism farther behind us, and I believe America and the world at large will be the better for it; however, a more sinister and potentially attitude is that of covert racism.  We still have a long way to go on one's secret thoughts, but fortunately, we have made progress in the right direction. Also, I am thankful that we live in a country that has a peaceful transition of executive power between our political groups.

Before, however, we get caught up in the euphoria of self congratulations, I think, we as Christians, should take a thorough inventory of our assets and set our priorities for the future. And, in a sense, every day we should conduct our own personal inaugural based on solid Biblical principles and the self determination to ride the inevitable storms of the challenges we face in this voyage we call life through to the Heavenly prize that awaits us.

Recently someone remarked that Jesus left us with one, only one, assignment: that is to disciple the world. And, I think in a very broad sense that is true. If we successful accomplish that one task, then all the other priorities will fall in place.

Think of that for a moment.

It takes a Christ-like man or woman to produce a Christ-like disciple. And, to become Christ-like life’s agenda takes on a new perspective and a new meaning; doesn’t it? Sure it does.

Therefore, my prayer and my goal for each new day of this year is to make as many disciples as I possibly can, and that possibility will be severely limited or expanded by your prayer and financial support. So, please make this a priority; if not for me, for someone else. Okay?

Lazy busy summer time . . .

Not much happens in the church during the lazy months of summer; after all, people need their time off to rest and relax, so church attendance is dismal.

So, an occasional vacation Bible school or two is arranged with a summer camp to get the kids out of their parent’s hair. Ironically, this is about all the Bible these kids get since hockey, and gymnastics, and wrestling, or soccer . . . let’s not forget football, either . . . just about eats up all of their waking hours during the school year, including just a whole lot of time in which they could be getting their homework done.
 

Why such rush? Where are we going in such a crazy speed? Is life really that urgent?


It doesn’t stop when parents ship them off to college, either. Mom and dad keep up the hectic pace to fill in the boredom of the empty nest syndrome. Then really seem surprised when little Johnnie or cute Susie comes home and announces that they have met their significant other and have decided to move in with them to save money. No, they are not going to church while at college, either. Things are tough, you know, with all the studies and other stuff that is going on. Of course, they never get around to defining the “other stuff.”
 

Now, mind you, not all kids are like this, but surprisingly a number are. Good kids, raised in a good Christian home—but, and here is where the rub comes in, not a good Christian environment.
 

Yes, that’s right, not in a good Christian environment. Sporadic table prayers, or occasional church attendance with a home atmosphere that is permeated with a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude backed up with inconsistent discipline will not do the trick. It takes more. Much more.
 

It takes love. Sometimes tough love. But, it also takes commonsense. Sense enough to admit that as a parent you are not perfect. Sense enough to know that only prayer will bring the answer—usually, allowing God to speak to you as a parent with words of wisdom, not necessarily to slay little Johnnie or cute Susie with an on the road to Damascus event. It’s terribly hard to unscramble eggs. In fact, impossible. So, parents should not expect to reverse the head on collision that looms just ahead for the kids unless they are prepared for some major disappointments. Johnnie is just as bull headed as dad was; and Susie can be just as sassy as mom. So, we must keep it in focus that kids are only modeling behavior that they learned, primarily through osmosis. In short, parental example.
 

So, what’s the bottom line?

 

 

There is no bottom line. The game of life is already on. We Christians just need to be smart enough not to play it.
 

Sadly, however, the mania is not confined to America. It has spread around the world. Once idyllic communities of calm and serenity are now caught up in the whirl of modernity, chasing the end of an ever illusive fleeting rainbow. Some find it, only to discover that instead of a pot of gold there is nothing there but a cauldron of festering disappointment and spiritual disillusionment.
 

Church, we need to wake up. Church, we must wake up. We have no choice. Love demands it. The love that took God all the way from Heaven to the Cross. This is the answer. The only answer. Yes, more than ever Christ is the answer.
 

Christ is the answer for the family, the neighborhood, the city, and to an ever increasing concentric circle of peoples around the globe.
 

Thank you for helping us to make our ministry more than just a calling, or a burden for the lost. Thank you for making the Great Commission a reality in and through our lives.

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

What's Trayvon Martin or George Zimmerman got to do with missions, anyway?

News these days is really disturbing. It seems as if our country takes two steps backward for every one step it takes forward. Abortionists seem to be more entrenched than ever, as do the attacks on traditional family values. Violence and mob protest plague our country. If a small minority disagrees with policy or laws then that justifies disrupting and in some cases taking over the state legislatures, or school board meetings, or wherever something they disagree with that is going on.

Christians are repeatedly portrayed as bigots with the brains of Neanderthals by the liberal media simply because they uncompromisingly defend their faith. Political hack James Carville—who engineered Clinton’s successful campaigns for the presidency—best typifies the attitude of these politically correct bigots when he writes:

"[The] so-called debate over evolution boils down to the Republicans invisible-angel theory of gravity against the Democrats' 150 years of science and the U.S. Constitution position."[i]

Carville is shifting, as you can see, the argument from the facts to a biased political agenda to issues that on the surface do not seem all that important except for religious purposes; however, the man’s not dumb. He realizes that unless liberals are unable to undermine a Christian’s faith in the sovereignty of Almighty God—who is the creator and sustainer of all—then his liberal agenda will cave in on matters like abortion, evolution, same-sex marriages, and a host of other choice issues.

The strange thing—at least to me—is that politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Hillary, and, yes, our president can separate politics from “their personal faith.” (Well, on second thought, it is not all that strange since James reminds of that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, doesn’t he?) Nancy chose not to have an abortion and gave birth to five, but says it is okay for others to abort if they so choose. It’s their right, she upholds. Hillary and the president have voiced similar affirmations, also.

Now, my question is, since when did God give us permission to murder at will simply because an indefensible unborn child is an unwelcome and inconvenient intrusion on our selfishness? I know, I know, we have equal rights under the Constitution. Equal rights to kill, as in abort an innocent child? I think not. Equal rights to brainwash our children in our public schools to undermine traditional religious values? No, I think not. Respect is one thing. Censoring and degrading anyone who disagrees with the liberal politically correct agenda is something else, entirely.

Yes, we have rights. But no state has the right—perhaps the might, but not the right!—to force or coerce a politically correct agenda down anyone’s throat. As Lincoln reminded us at Gettysburg,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

So, just to set the record straight, I am in no way suggesting that we abandon these fundamental principles. What I am saying, however, is that it works both ways and Christians or anyone else should not be ostracized simply because of their religious beliefs.

Now, in closing I would like to discuss how this whole Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman trial fits into my thinking on all of the above. I include Trayvon Martin as on trial, too, since he is being tried in the court of public opinion. And, if George Zimmerman walks out scot-free, Trayvon Martin is ipso facto convicted posthumously—not of murder, of course, but of provoking the altercation. This trial is not all about murder; it is about latent guilt and lingering racial prejudices as well. Let’s face it; as far as Trayvon was concerned a “freaky cracker” was following him. And, who can convince me that if he had been a white boy going to visit his father that George would have followed him? So, in a real sense, racial prejudice killed Trayvon and will most likely put Zimmerman behind bars, if he is not a very fortunate man indeed. So, who’s to blame here? Society? Well, yes, in a sense society is to blame. I don’t think any thinking person can deny that.

The question, therefore, remains: “What are we going to do about it?”

You want the answer? Well, here it is; although, I don’t think most of us will like it. Society will do nothing, or at the most very little constructively. Society will just rock along like a rotten melon in a pond. However, as individuals we can do something. We can do some really deep soul searching. We need to ask ourselves—it we haven’t already—does someone’s skin color really matter; or on a broader plane should gays and lesbians have fewer rights than we heterosexual do? Or does a woman have a right to abort an unborn child; or is abortion wrong under any and all circumstances? Now, we must also ask ourselves, which of these examples among others of similar debate do we feel is worth dying for? And, if they are not worth dying for, why are we so vociferously defending them?  Are these life and death issues?

Perhaps, some will answer, yes, these are life and death issues, and I am willing to die for them. Where, and how? Surely we are not at the armed combat stage; although, Francis Schaeffer predicted it would come to that. My feeling is that not only can we do something about it, we must.

First of all, we can and we must pray. Prayer is not a cop out either. It’s tough work when done properly. Secondly, we must keep informed, so that we know how to pray. Thirdly, we must put legs to our prayers. We must do something. Anything reasonable, as long as it is non-violent. We can petition. We can protest. We can protect. We can proclaim. People simply do not get the message unless they are told. I am speaking of the gospel message here.

My primary responsibility is foreign missions by calling, but I am committed to do what I can not only abroad, but here on American soil. Because, if we lose America the rest of the world will fall in short order to death, Hell and destruction. Yes, we are rotten to the core; but name me one other nation of any political significance that is not.

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

---

[i] Carville, James, 40 More Years: How the Democrats will Rule the Next Generation:Simon & Schusterp.93 

What We're Doing

Teaching in Sri Lanka and Russia

 What We Need

We must pay for all travel expenses, room and board while in route. 

This amounts to:

Sri Lanka—$3,449 for travel and other incidental expenses
Russia—$1,900 in travel expenses while in the former Soviet Union
Total $5,349 for 3 months ministry

Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith. We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

Remember Enter:"09" Personal Expenses"40" Work Expenses 

Thanks!

Statement of George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Regarding United States Supreme Court Same-Sex Marriage Cases June 26, 2013

This morning, the United States Supreme Court issued rulings in two highly anticipated same-sex marriage cases: United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry.

I am grateful that the Supreme Court upheld the right of the states to legally define marriage as the union of a man and a woman, rather than striking down such laws via judicial fiat.

However, I am concerned that the Court's uniformly negative portrayal of opponents of same-sex marriage inUnited States v. Windsor is both false and demeaning. And I am concerned that its Fifth Amendment reasons for overturning the federal definition of marriage (in the Defense of Marriage Act) will be used in the future to overturn similar state definitions.

It is especially disturbing that Justice Kennedy, in his majority opinion, identified "animus" against homosexuals as one motivating factor in the adoption of the Congressional Defense of Marriage Act. To apply the word "animus" to those who hold to the view that marriage is reserved for a man and woman is an inflammatory accusation that ignores our principled arguments and demeans our motives.

You see this animus in Christians being labeled as haters, homophobes and bigots when the reverse is true. Humanitarian care and love for neighbor is a timeless value demonstrated daily by Christians. If the culture can dehumanize followers of Christ by attaching hateful labels to them, then it's only a matter of time until Christians are first marginalized for their faith, deprived of their 1st amendment rights, and ultimately persecuted.

Americans disagree about the advisability of same-sex marriage. In their often-heated debates, they deserve to have their reasons and motivations portrayed honestly by the other side. And they deserve the right to resolve these issues at the ballot box, one way or another. This is the essence of self-government.

In his dissent, Justice Scalia predicted that this decision was only the first shoe to drop. As American culture shifts away from its Judeo-Christian heritage, the speed of that shift will only be accelerated in the days to come.

The decision today is a call to Christians to fervently pray and actively work for a great spiritual awakening in our land. God tells us what to do now: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR APOLOGETICS

The Scripture Says: In 1 Pt: 3:15:

That we are to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

Let’s Examine This Verse for a moment to give us a guide to how we are to defend the Faith.

Firstly, the man or woman who is ready to give an answer of the hope that is within them must sanctify the Lord God in their hearts. That is, God has a sacred place in their hearts—the seat of their emotions. Anger and argument for the sake of argument has no place in the defense of the Faith.

Secondly, we are to be “ready” to give an answer to every man—Hindu, Muslim, Jehovah Witness, Mormon, every man.

Thirdly, you must give a reasonable answer.

Fourthly, this answer is to be done with meekness and fear.

Let’s Examine These Points Carefully:

·         You and I as apologists must have a right attitude—a Christ like spirit, with our emotions clearly in check. We must “sanctify the Lord God in our hearts.”

o   That is, Christ as Lord must be front and center. We must have pure heart.

·         We must be ready. A slothful and a careless, sloppy approach is not good enough. We must be prepared spiritually and knowledgeable!

·         Our answer must be reasonable. The moon is not made of green cheese. Neither is our faith an unreasonable concept.

·         Gentleness, and meekness is the hallmark of true Christian apologists. After all, a changed life is the best proof of the power of Christ to change human behavior.

Now, Let’s Take A Close Look At Jesus’ Methods Of Persuasion:

He never condemned.

John: 3:17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John: 8:10: When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
John:8:11: She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

He never enticed

John:6:26: “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. You only follow me for the loaves and fishes,” he said.
Matthew13:58: “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

He never made discipleship easy.

Luke 19:16-30: To the Rich Young Ruler, he said, “Sale all you have and give to the poor, if you want to follow me.”

He never coerced:

Luke 9:52: “And [he] sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53: And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54: And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55: But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56: For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.”

Can you think of other examples?

A Question of Birth: "Why were you born?"

Chuck Swindoll once remarked, “There are two great events in your life. One is the day you were born; and the other is when you asked ‘Why?’”

Strangely, the ‘Why’ has never been a problem with me. I have known as long as I can remember that my vocational calling was to serve God in one capacity or another. When I was around 5 years old I promised the little girl next door that I would give her an apple if she would listen to me preach. She agreed, and I must say was an attentive audience of one. Problem is, when I handed her the apple across the fence, she took a bite out of the apple and then announced, “I am a Catholic, and I don’t believe a word of it!” And, with that she ran towards her home with me in hot pursuit.

Galatians 6:7

Fortunately—for her, and me, too, perhaps—she made it inside and locked the door behind her. So, to really get back at her, I splattered the whole side of her newly painted home. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction, especially since it was white and the black mud really showed up.

Following that, as mother reminded me years later; I went home and immediately went to my least favorite spot: a chair in the corner. Mother then asked, “Jimmy, what did you do?”

I said, “You’ll find out pretty soon,” and just continued to sit there.

Well, it wasn’t long before I heard the girl’s mother stomping across our back porch. And, of course, the rest is history.
I learned two things that day: one was I wasn’t Catholic, and number two was that it was sure a lot easier muddying the side of the house up than cleaning it off.

Life is like that isn’t it? Sometimes—most times for some—our purposes are noble, but we just can’t see beyond mudding the situation up when things do not go our way.

Many a pastor has muddied up a congregation or particular members because things just didn’t go as he expected. Perhaps, his apple had a worm in it, or they just weren’t ready for his sermonic treat—not hungry enough or whatever. In any event things were only made worst by his reaction. This applies to missionaries and other Christians as well; so, no I am not picking on pastors since this applies to all.

Years ago, I pastored a small church in Southern California. The district officials had encourage me to take the pastorate with one of them remarking, “Jim, you can’t make it any worst, they have had 19 pastors in the last 20 years.”

Upon arrival, I found a pretty sizable group in the church that were not contributing one cent to the church. In my first board meeting I asked why and was told that these members were some of the finest in the congregation previously, but absolutely detested my predecessor so they sabotaged anything he was for—things like missions, funds for outreach, the Sunday school, choir, what have you, if he were for it they were against it. Of course, one of the most potent tools in their arsenal was money. So, they tried starving the poor fellow out and when that didn’t work the ballot did.

He was gone, and probably for good cause. The way that they went about it, however, only muddied up the situation and acerbated the problem. It took us months to recover.

Why do I even mention all of this? Well, simply for this cause: Perhaps, one of us is dissatisfied with the way Springfield "runs" things, or you think your pastor is not up to par, or whatever; if so, please don't muddy up the situation by withdrawing your gifts, because if you do, you are hurting the Kingdom of God. 

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

Crossing the red line morally . . . .

Dear friends and faithful supporters,

Syria is in the news this week, as you know. Approximately, 150 people were allegedly killed by some type of chemical weapon which was dropped on rebel territory by the Assad regime. President Bashar al-Assad had crossed the red line as far as the administration was concerned. Immediately politicians (keep in mind these are the people who run our country) jumped in the fray mouth first from both sides of the aisle and accused the president and his supporters of either not doing enough, or doing too much too late. It's been a three ring circus.

Now, I ask you, if you have been following the proceedings, is there any reason that the American public should not be cynical or skeptical of the entire process? Strangely enough, however, this is not really what disturbs me. What disturbs me is that from 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S with nary a peep out of these vociferous “crossing-the-red-line” champions of human rights.

Furthermore, it’s a fact also that a shocking 49 percent of all babies born in the U.S. are born to families receiving food supplements from the WIC program, according to Jean Daniel, spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture. And, a whopping 14.2 % of America's children are suffering malnutrition and most go to bed hungry each night.

So, I say it is high time for us to remove the beam from our own eye before we complain about the splinters in the eyes of the rest of the world. How many senseless wars must we involve ourselves in before we learn that we cannot control the rest of the world through force alone? Money’s not the answer, either. We cannot buy peace, or justice or even enough food to feed the poor for that matter. And, as bad as I hate to admit it we cannot legislate morality, either. Fornicators will fornicate. Thieves will steal. Conmen will con. Swindlers will swindle.    

But one thing we can do, and that is we can prevent our own from committing embryonic genocide, and protect and nourish those children that have escaped the forceps, scalpels and suction tube of an abortionist by them providing opportunity for a better life. Capitalism and entrepreneurship is the American way. With that I have no beef. However, when we witness failing executives walk off with millions of dollars of bonuses while Joe Blue Collar struggles to make ends men, I say something has got to give.

Politics is not the answer. Moreover, philanthropy will not do the trick, either. I do believe, however, that a changed heart will. Allow me to give you a most unlikely example, that of Onesimus and Philemon. I said it was unlikely, didn’t I?Onesimus was a slave owned by Philemon, and one day Onesimus said to himself, “I’ve had enough, I am going to take the law in my own hands and runaway.” Which he did. He left Colossi and skipped off to Rome to hide himself in the big city. Problem was, however, he had to keep looking over his shoulder, knowing all the while that if he was discovered Philemon could lop his head off with total impunity under Roman law. 

One day Onesimus hired out to run errands and do odd jobs for a prisoner named Paul who was awaiting trial in Rome for sedition, thinking no doubt that this new job would provide him enough wherewithal to survive as he plotted his next move. Times were rough and he did not want to lose his job, so he really worked hard at it.

  

Run cursor over picture

Eventually, Onesimus became interested in Paul’s faith and decided that he, too, wanted to put Jesus front and center in his life. Which he did.

As fortune would have it, Paul knew Philemon’s son Archippus and that his father had become a believer, so he told Onesimus that as a Christian he should go back and throw himself on Philemon’s mercy. Which Onesimus did and lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story?

Well, it is simple. What politicians and legal codes failed to accomplish two hearts that met at the foot of the Cross did.

Should we therefore just give up on the political process? No, that is not what I am advocating; although, I must admit that it is tempting to do at times. What I am saying is that we do not fight against flesh and blood—politics or political systems; we are in a spiritual battle. A battle for the souls of men and women. A battle we cannot afford to lose, as a country or individual. We must, therefore, work while there is yet daylight, for as scripture reminds us there will come a night when no one will work.

In closing, I can almost hear someone say, “Why make such a fuss over the United States? I thought you are a missionary.” Well, the answer is, I am a missionary, but I am also an American that understands that if we lose our home base we have lost the battle from our end of things. The United States is still missions’ greatest ally. You and I are vital to its continued success. Millions have yet to hear the good news of God’s gift to us through Jesus Christ. So, let's do our very best to keep America morally strong because the rest of the world and indeed the Kingdom of God needs us. Now, this is not an arrogant statement either; after all, Christ does admonish us to pray that the Lord of the harvest will thrust out workers into the harvest field. (Matt. 9:38) And, why would he asks us to pray unless workers were needed? Makes sense, doesn't it? Therefore, we need to continue to pray in order that we may send workers to the mission field; for, indeed, the harvest is plenteous but the workers are few.

Thanks for helping us spread this good news around the world through discipling others in our colleges and seminaries. 

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith. We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

Remember Enter:
"09" Personal Expenses
"40" Work Expenses

 Thanks!

What's all this hoopla about that is going on in the church?

Interestingly enough, I hardly remember a word of most sermons I hear. Last Sunday, however, Bonnie and I were fortunate to attend Northplace Church in Sachse, Texas and listen to a masterpiece by Pastor Bryan Jarrett. He and Chuck Swindoll in my books are the best. Naturally, being Pentecostal I tilt towards Bryan; although, both in my opinion are two of God’s great gifts to the church.

Now, I don’t want to pick on anyone, but hey, isn’t it nice to hear someone break the bread of life and feed you from God’s holy word?

God forgive us for allowing our pastors, yes, our pastors—not all, but far too many—to lapse into the entertainment and feel good mode which they add to what little charisma they have and pass it off as preaching. Preaching is all about the good news that Jesus died, rose from the dead, and is coming back to receive a spotless bride. Now, I know that sounds old fashioned, but pray tell me can you envision one of the Apostles of Christ every preaching a feel good sermon based on the latest book that they have just read?

The problem with this craze—that is, these charisma driven motivational sermons that lay out the current me generation “how-to-become-successful” fad in 10 Easy Steps is that they work! Yeah, you read that right. They work. They succeed in making people even more of a bunch of narcissists than they were previously. Nothing like appealing to ones self-centeredness to draw a crowd.

I can just hear someone say, “All right, now that you have got that off your chest, Jim, what’s the point?”

The point is simple. Church services in many of our churches have morphed into little more than a pep rally crowd pumped up by a team of cheerleaders (aka, worship leaders) jumping around to the drum beat of a marching band. May God forgive us.

And the results?

Well, the results are that this crazy stuff is contagious. It spreads. Oceans know no distance. Mission fields are created everywhere it spreads, too. Because, I am convinced, that just a whole lot of these otherwise fine people eventually lose out on God. I say this because there is absolutely no substitute for His Spirit to fill the void in our life and shallow sermons and whipped up emotions will not satisfy a thirsty soul. Only God can do that.

Friends, we need to pray for a real revival. That’s for sure. 

En agape Christou,

A really funny thing happened to me on the way to Heaven!

One Man's Opinion by Jim Roane, Ph.D. Dear friends and faithful supporters: Yes, I am 75 and still love cartoons. Friends, if you have not discovered it, humor is the spice of life. Early in my career as a minister I decided that I would play the part and be a really serious, somewhat stern character—play the role, you might say.    Well, that didn't last long before humor got in the way. Since those nascent days as a want-to-be success, I have since learned that people (including Jesus) prefer you as you are. It takes all types. There is a difference however in cracking up at a cartoon or laughing at a clean joke than treating life in general as one big joke.   Even more dangerous, I believe is when we become immune as it were to the awfulness around us. As for instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), since 1973, roughly 50 million legal induced abortions have been performed in the United States.    Hitler or Stalin had nothing on us! Perhaps, the Ayatollah Khomeini was right when he called us “the Great Satan.” I reference him, not because of his authenticity, but because even the devil can see that we are absolutely corrupt as a nation. That is not to say that I do not love America. I do. But, it precisely because I do love my country that I must speak out.   And, friends, speaking out ain’t funny. It’s tough business.   Calling a spade a spade is a must as a preacher. Otherwise, we are simply hired hands doing the work of the ministry. Professionals at best, religious hacks at our worst. Ministry, true ministry, calls for action. Confrontation. Holy righteousness, as it were.   Now, there is much that is good about America. Our freedom, for instance. Freedom, however, without responsibility is chaos. I think of the recent riots by pot-smokers in Colorado. They had the freedom to smoke the stuff because of a new law but shirked the responsibility of civility. Makes me to want to take a new look at Paul’s admonition to Timothy when he wrote: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy....false accusers....fierce, despisers of them that are good....traitors....lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God....ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of Truth".( II Tim. 3:1-7)      Hey, if that is not America, what is?   Now, the really sad part is that the United States is not the only culprit. Mankind in general stands condemned before God. Lethargic, compromising Christians as well as outright heathen jihadist riding on the backs of the black horses of death and destruction, all stand in judgment.   Agree? Then, we must do something about it.   The Great Commission has not expired. It is still in force. Our mission is not accomplished. We still have work to do. And, do it, we will; but it requires team work. You must pull your load as well as I must pull mine. Together we can, we must get it done.   Right now, Bonnie and I are preparing to return to Southern Asia, and have also put Russia on our calendar. So, I am asking you to make this a matter of deep, sincere prayer. We need prayer for strength for the journey, wisdom in where and when to go, and, of course the finances to make all of this possible. I must say, however, that when we pray the finances all fall into place.   Thanks once again for the opportunity to minister abroad, and may God comfort you all along your Christian journey. En agape Christou,

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America: love it, or hate it?

Dear friends and faithful supporters:

Yes, I am 75 and still love cartoons. Friends, if you have not discovered it, humor is the spice of life. Early in my career as a minister I decided that I would play the part and be a really serious, somewhat stern character—play the role, you might say.

Well, that didn't last long before humor got in the way. Since those nascent days as a want-to-be success, I have since learned that people (including Jesus) prefer you as you are. It takes all types.

There is a difference however in cracking up at a cartoon or laughing at a clean joke than treating life in general as one big joke.

Even more dangerous, I believe is when we become immune as it were to the awfulness around us. As for instance, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), since 1973, roughly 50 million legal induced abortions have been performed in the United States.

Hitler or Stalin had nothing on us! Perhaps, the Ayatollah Khomeini was right when he called us “the Great Satan.” I reference him, not because of his authenticity, but because even the devil can see that we are absolutely corrupt as a nation. That is not to say that I do not love America. I do. But, it precisely because I do love my country that I must speak out.

And, friends, speaking out ain’t funny. It’s tough business.
 

Calling a spade a spade is a must as a preacher. Otherwise, we are simply hired hands doing the work of the ministry. Professionals at best, religious hacks at our worst. Ministry, true ministry, calls for action. Confrontation. Holy righteousness, as it were.

Now, there is much that is good about America. Our freedom, for instance. Freedom, however, without responsibility is chaos. I think of the recent riots by pot-smokers in Colorado. They had the freedom to smoke the stuff because of a new law but shirked the responsibility of civility. Makes me to want to take a new look at Paul’s admonition to Timothy when he wrote:

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy....false accusers....fierce, despisers of them that are good....traitors....lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God....ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of Truth".( II Tim. 3:1-7)  

Hey, if that is not America, what is?

Now, the really sad part is that the United States is not the only culprit. Mankind in general stands condemned before God. Lethargic, compromising Christians as well as outright heathen jihadist riding on the backs of the black horses of death and destruction, all stand in judgment.

Agree? Then, we must do something about it.

The Great Commission has not expired. It is still in force. Our mission is not accomplished. We still have work to do. And, do it, we will; but it requires team work. You must pull your load as well as I must pull mine. Together we can, we must get it done.

Right now, Bonnie and I are preparing to return to Southern Asia, and have also put Russia on our calendar. So, I am asking you to make this a matter of deep, sincere prayer. We need prayer for strength for the journey, wisdom in where and when to go, and, of course the finances to make all of this possible. I must say, however, that when we pray the finances all fall into place.

Thanks once again for the opportunity to minister abroad, and may God comfort you all along your Christian journey.

En agape Christou,