1. The President has correctly stated that these people in NY have a Constitutional right to construct their center as long as they abide by the laws of the land.  This is the same right of any other American religious group.

2.  Not all Muslims in America have declared Jihad or live by the same interpretation of the Qur’an as the terrorist of 9/11 did.  Not all Muslims hate the West or America.  I don’t hate Muslims.

3. But the real reason is my faith in the power of the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.  Paul stated that he was not, “ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”.  In short, I am not threatened or fearful of Islam.  I have a friend from Iran who came from a Muslim faith.  I believe that when the simple elements of Christ are placed alongside the basic tenants of Islam on an equal playing field, Christ will win.  I say that not because Christ followers are better than Muslims.  Rather I say that because Jesus answered the inner cry of our hearts like no one else ever has- how can we have peace with God? Islam says keep the Five Pillars and maybe you’ll get in.  Judaism says keep the Torah and maybe you’ll get enough points.  But Christ came and said that in and of ourselves we are bankrupt, but that he loves us anyway.  We are unable to appease God, but Jesus came and took our brokenness and sin on the cross.  That is where true transformation comes from.  That’s love and power and true change.  That’s why I’m not too hot and bothered by a Mosque two blocks from ground zero.  I’m actually excited about more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those in New York and around the world who don’t know him.

The real answer for NY is not a court battle over property, but for someone to move there, share the love of Christ, and thus plant a living Christ centered community there.  Any takers?  I might be able to get you connected.

But it does raise questions among some Christ followers.  Is it good to see and pay money for shows like this?  I mean there were scenes with graphic violence, some really hard language, and at the end the Bible is meticulously placed between the Torah and the Quran.  How do you even interpret that last one?  Were the writers showing that the Bible was superior to the other two or more than likely just implying there was no difference between them?  Yes, there were some real issues in the movie and if they are a conviction on your conscience, then you need to pass it by.  But on the other hand no one should judge someone else who did watch it.  For while I would not want little kids to see this show, I believe that Christ followers ought to give this sort of thing another look.  Here are some reasons why.

-The Kingdom is bigger than the church building walls.  The point of the Kingdom of God is that it is lived out in our everyday lives and not just a Sunday morning routine.  We can’t do that if we cloister ourselves.  There are a lot of people who have seen The Book of Eli who don’t know Christ and if we ignore everything the world puts out, we won’t be able to communicate with them.

-The Church’s tendency to separate the sacred from the secular.  Yes, there is clear sin.  There was sin in Eli.  When it comes to black and white sin the response is clear; avoid it.  Don’t justify it, stay away from it.  But there was truth in the movie as well.  I was amazed at the amount of scripture that was either alluded to or directly quoted.  I think one of my favorite parts was the last line that was taken directly from 2 Timothy 2:7 – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”   So, take the good and trash the bad.

-I’ve heard that Denzel is a Christ follower and I hope that’s true. If so, I don’t think he sold out in the movie.  But my take is that he was just trying to do what I do a lot and that’s engage the world in conversations they understand so that we can ultimately show them the love of Christ.  Yes the Torah and the Quran were shown at the end of the movie.  But I’ve got a hunch that anyone searching for answers and saw the movie is more likely to go out and buy a Bible rather than the other two “books” and that excites me.

-We can learn from them.  Honestly, one thought I had after the show was, “Dude? Wish I had the whole Bible memorized.”  Yes, I experienced a bit of conviction of my own need to get back to some scriptural memorization.  If Christ followers really believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, then why don’t we spend more time internalizing it and applying it? 

In short, I thought the movie was great.  If you saw the show, what were your thoughts?  What other movies have you seen where Hollywood has tried to honestly enter the spiritual realm?

So if you’re out there Denzel and you’re reading this, as the Brits say, “Good Show”.  Oh, and by the way, if you need a supporting actor for your next flick, let me know and I’ll be happy to oblige.

Pre Prayer Journey Preparation

Reasons For Unanswered Prayers

     In the week before our prayer journey we would like the people going on the journey to consider examining their hearts so that they will be able to better listen to God and get answers to prayer. We would also encourage you to spend a day in fasting for further purification. Listed below are ten biblical reasons that prayers are not answered. Please examine your heart this week and seek God’s forgiveness. We want everyone to be as equipped as possible when they arrive for the prayer journey. All scripture quotes are NLT.

 -If we have sin in our hearts God will not hear or answer our prayers. Psalm 66: 17-20: “For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me.”  Please confess the sins you may have in your heart.

 -If we are ignoring God, He may not hear or answer our prayers. Proverbs 1:24-28: “I called you so often, but you didn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered. So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you- when calamity overcomes you like a storm, when you are engulfed by trouble, and when anguish and distress overwhelm you. I will not answer when they cry for help. Even though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.” Please ask God to forgive you if you have been ignoring Him.

 -If we are ignoring God’s word, He may not hear or answer our prayers. Proverbs 28:9: “The prayers of a person who ignores the law are despised.”  Please ask God to forgive you if you have been ignoring His word.

 -Our prayers may not be heard or answered if we have an ungiving spirit. Malachi 3:8-9: “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you? You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Please ask God to remove the curse of an ungiving spirit if this applies to you.  

 -Our prayers may not be heard or answered if we are hypocrites. Matthew6:5: “And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on the street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get.” Please ask God to forgive you if you have a hypocritical spirit.                                                                                                                                  

-Our prayers my not be heard or answered if we have an unforgiving heart. Matthew 6:14-15: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Please ask God to forgive your unforgivness and forgive those people now if this applies to you.

 -Our prayers may not be heard or answered if we have a condition of self pride. Luke 18:10-14: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a dishonest tax collector. The proud Pharisee, stood my himself and prayed this prayer: I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else, especially like that tax collector over there! For I never cheat, I don’t sin, I don’t commit adultery, I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income. But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow saying, O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner. I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For the proud will be humbled, and the humble will be honored.” Please ask God to forgive your proud heart if you have one.

-Our prayers may not be heard or answered if we suffer from self doubt. James 1:5-8: “If you need wisdom- if you want to know what God wants you to do- ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They wave back and forth in everything they do.” Ask God to forgive you if you have doubted what He can and will do.

 -Our prayers may not be heard or answered if we are selfish. James 4:3: “And even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong- you want only what will give you pleasure.” If you have a need to ask forgiveness for selfish motives do it.

 -Our prayers may not be heard or answered if we have an unhealthy marriage. I Peter 3:7: “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. If you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.” I believe this applies to the wives as well. Please ask God to forgive any unhealthy marital situation if this applies to you.

       We devised this list in no way to be legalistic or to judge the hearts (only God does that) of those that will participate in this prayer journey. Our goal here is to give you some information to glean on and if it applies to you ask God to cleanse your heart. We want the people that formulate the prayer team to be the most effective they can be for God’s Kingdom. It is a big responsibility to plant a new church in a community, we don’t want to do it without God leading the charge (Psalm 127:1), and that is why it is very important for all of us involved to be able to hear his voice.

But I’m also thankful for a guy most of you won’t know named Morris. I met Morris for the first time on a college inner city trip in Atlanta back in the spring of 89. Then I ended up going to school with him when I transferred to Ozark Christian College that fall. But Morris went home to be with Christ this past month after faithfully serving Christ for a number of years in Honduras.  When I got the note from some dear friends in Tegucigalpa, it caused me to pause for a long time. One thing that struck me about all this was a sense of God’s faithfulness. I knew in that moment that Morris is now enjoying his eternal reward. Here’s the deal that struck me. Morris was never a flashy guy by the world’s standards and he suffered from various sicknesses through life. Because of that, unfortunately, Morris was never going to be invited to talk at a big convention. Sadly, in the eyes of men (even some of Christ followers) most people didn’t see a lot in him. But yet here’s the real deal on Morris, he was a guy who was giving all he had to follow Christ and speak up for him in whatever way he could. He was dedicated. He lived and breathed Kingdom Principles. But he will never get the applause of men or other man made accolades here. But now, he is experiencing his great reward. When I got the news of Morris going home, I just had the feel that he was what Jesus was talking about when he said, “the first will be last, and the last first.” Kind of like the kids at our Kamp this week.

Many people say they want to be like someone Great. They want to emulate a president, a great athlete, or a super star preacher. But I just wonder how different things would be if we all followed the lead of a guy named Morris.

PS Note from Jim Riley: (Good friend and Missionary in Honduras) Some have been asking about where to send memorials for Morris’ family. Send the check to Nortonville Christian Church, PO BOX 347, Nortonville, KS 66060. In the memo please put: HONDURAN MISSION MORRIS BATESON.

As I noted earlier, there exists a counterfeit church today which is quite foreign from the real deal. But there is always an element of the real CHURCH in the world no matter what kind of institution is being propagated. You can read more about the authentic church here in Kingdomology under the CHURCH page. But in short, the Church has nothing to do with buildings or institutions. The authentic Church is more about God’s people called to him. When it comes to people, yes, you are quite right, there are a lot of people who make great claims about being good “Christians” but don’t seem to be any different than the rest of the world other than just being a religious pain in the rear because of self-righteousness. I get that. But here are some other points to consider.

1. Possibly these folks are really not Christians. In other words I can say I’m a Muslim because I go to a mosque. But that doesn’t change who I am on the inside. An apple can say it’s an orange, but that doesn’t make one fruit the other. Pt? Judge a tree by its fruit and not by what it says.

2. Possibly these “Hypocrites” are followers of Christ, but have lost their way. In one sense, everyone is a hypocrite about something. A guy plays pro-ball, but blows it from time to time. Can he still say he’s a pro-ball player or is he a hypocrite?

3. Could be that they are just sadly misguided. They have not been properly taught about what it really means to follow Christ. They took the ‘fire insurance’ but didn’t connect the life change.

4. Just because there are hypocrites out there, that does not mean that God or the CHURCH in its purest sense is wrong. You’ve spoken of loving Texas. There are some real nut jobs from Texas. Does that mean that all Texans are weird?

5. In conclusion, I just want to throw out a challenge to everyone who hates the church. I understand you’ve been jaded and I want to apologize for that. I understand that you’ve been wronged and I’m sorry. I do love people who don’t like the Church and want to be friends with them. But real friendships are two way streets so I just want to ask that everyone consider at least two things to start with.

a. Look to the real church. Consider all the major institutions in the West which exist to help mankind that were actually started by the church and Christ followers long ago. The Red Cross, most hospitals, and the YMCA. Even Harvard was founded for the purpose of better educating itinerant preachers without resources. Do I say it, but the “SALVATION ARMY”? So don’t waste your time on the counterfeits, but look to the source. Look to Jesus alone.

b. Be honest. Critics of the Church have been honest with their gripes and I’m happy and open for that. But I also want to ask that they honestly examine their own hearts as well. In other words, are the arguments people bring up against God really that solid or just a mask for rebellion? I’ve had good friends in the past who have rejected Christ and the Church, but when it all came clean, it was just an issue of choosing to say no to God because they didn’t want to submit to a higher power. In short, they wanted to be Master of their own destiny and didn’t want anyone or any god telling them what to do.

Is there anything else you would add?

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21

Oswald Chambers

     “Do you suffer on account of somebody else or for somebody else? In your agonizing prayers before the Lord on behalf of what you consider a “distressing situation,” are you longing for release because the “distressing situation” hurts and discomforts you? If so, you are not having fellowship with His suffering. But if your soul, out of love, longs and bears in a voluntary and vicarious way for others, then you are having fellowship with Jesus in His sufferings.
     When your Christian work seemingly is in ruins and you wail before God, is it because the work of your hands is in ruins? Are you tempted to say, “I thought this was to be my life work; now it is broken and blighted and shattered”? If so, you do not know what fellowship with HIS sufferings means. But when you see people defiling the work of God, making HIS house of worship a place for worldly business for the engendering of false affections and pursuits (I would also add a crying out for those perishing without knowing the love of Christ) and you agonize before the Lord with tears, then you are learning to have fellowship with our Lord in HIS sufferings.”

Oswald Chambers
Author of
My Utmost for His Highest

I think Chambers was on to something there, as so many times our prayers of anguish have more to do with getting us out of our tense situations than for the good of others. Something to chew on.

1. Change:  In the opening scenes of the movie, the head coach made it clear that if the US team was going to compete with the Eastern Bloc countries, they were going to have to change everything they did from extended practice schedules to strategy.  I know that change is hard, but for the churches in the West, we have to be willing to kill some of our sacred cows if we’re truly going to be effective in reaching out.

2. Expectation: While most of the officials on the US Hockey committee were primarily concerned with merely doing well enough to “not be embarrassed”, the head coach was expecting to go all the way and even take on the Soviets.  He planned to win.  He reminds me of David who expected to take the giant Goliath down while the rest of the Israelite army stood shaking in their boots.  David trusted not so much in his ability, but God’s ability working through him.  As Kingdom citizens and Christ followers, that same power is available for our lives today.  Thus we must expect to advance.

3.  Hard Work:  We can never take the glory or credit for Kingdom advances and successes.  But the KING does expect us to work hard.  Note the parable of the talents where two were rewarded for their efforts but the third was kicked out and even called a “wicked and lazy” servant for doing nothing.  One of the reasons why the US team won in 1980 was because they were totally fit.  The theme of the coach was, “the legs feed the wolf.”  The point being that when they were at their utmost fitness they would be able to keep the same level of intense play even into the final seconds of the game.  For us, we need to remember that the Christian walk and church leadership is not just some hobby, but a way of life. 

4.  Team:  We see this in many sports, but it was really clear in this movie.  The success came when everyone got the picture that it was not about them as individuals, but them as a team.  Not who they were or where they came from as individuals, but who they were as the US TEAM.  I liked what one of our leaders said at our meeting the other night, “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team”

5.  Taking the Offensive:  No, this does not mean that we’re rude and offensive, but the opposite of hanging back in a fortress or defensive position.  This is similar to the expectation of winning.  The coach constantly put the agenda forward that they were going to attack the other team’s goal and not just defend their own.  It kind of reminds me of when Jesus said that the “gates of Hell would not prevail against His Kingdom.  The implication being that someone or something was advancing against those gates.  That someone is God’s mighty power in us.  Yes, the battle is fierce, but we can’t hunker down and take care of our own needs.  We’re called to make disciples and push forward.  We’re called to advance with the message that God really does love the world around us.

-Pray for a spiritual awakening in the EU and England.
-Pray for the true Christ followers in the EU and England.
-Pray for the missionaries who are there in the EU and England.
-Help support those missionaries through our resources.
-Begin to dialogue ourselves with other people who don’t know Christ.
-Live out a Christ centered life where we are today.

Repentance is a harsh word for the modern Western world.  While multitudes in our age profess a belief in God and many times even in Jesus, a radical change to actually follow Christ is often absent.  Jesus himself stated that “unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3).  Wow, did he say ‘Perish?”  So it sounds like this is something that we ought to be clear on.  The Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words describes repentance as the changing of the mind or to “adopt another view.”  The modern term also derives from an old Greek Military term used to mean doing an “about face.”  So the picture is of soldiers going one direction and then doing a “repent” and then going another direction.  For our purposes here, the term describes a turning from oneself to Christ.  That’s actually a big point there.  It’s really about who’s boss, us or Christ?

We see this a number of times in Acts where people are called to, or choose themselves to repent and turn from their former ways and follow Christ.  In Acts chapter 2, the convicted crowd asks what they need to do and Peter tells them to repent.  There are places where Jesus tells the crowd to “repent and believe the good news.”  In John 8 a woman is caught in adultery and brought before Jesus.  Everyone knows this is a set up to actually catch Christ, but he steps in to the situation anyway and turns the wrath away from the woman.  Most people stop right there and use this as a proof text for not judging.  But Jesus finishes up the passage by telling the woman to “leave her life of sin.” 

A perfect Biblical illustration of this is found in Acts 19:19 where some folks who came to faith in Christ burnt their sorcery scrolls which were worth about 50 thousand drachmas.  A drachma was a silver coin worth about a days’ wage.  In short, these folks not only had a head knowledge of what it means to come to Christ and be in His Church, but they repented and completely turned from their past sin.  Here again we see a huge missing element in much of the pop Christianity of our day.  The real deal of being a Christ follower and part of His Church is a complete break from the past.  By this I’m not talking about leaving old friends, but old practices of rebellion against God.  That is what repentance is all about.  Some areas of repentance are clear.  If a couple is living together and come to Christ, then they need to abstain sexually before they get married.  That’s cut and dry.  Others are trickier and have to do with individual consciences.  For me, I remember an occasion of personal revival about 20 years ago where I chucked all my Pink Floyd and Classic rock albums because I believed they were standing in the way of a closer walk with Christ.  Either way, to come into the Church of God calls for a change, it calls for repentance.  So there you have it, now the ball’s in your court now.