The specific event actually took place about a year before Deb and I arrived in Moscow to help with a new church and the establishing of a Bible College.  It was the process of forming that new church that shaped how I think about “membership”. 

Lenin at Red Square

When Russia opened up and a number of people in Moscow embraced Jesus Christ, they began to come together as an official church to meet on a regular basis.  The State allowed them to do so but required them to provide evidence showing that they were indeed a legal church entity abiding by the laws.  So the Russian authorities asked for at least a dozen people in the church to come forward and submit copies of their pass ports for proof of the organization’s legitimacy.  This they did.  At least 12 Russian adults who had grown up under the Iron Curtain complied and their information was submitted.  Now that doesn’t sound like too big of an issue for us in the West and especially in the U.S.  I mean, we give our Social Security and Driver’s license numbers often when filling out documents.  But the big deal for these folks is that by giving out their information they were possibly putting their lives on the line if the winds of politics changed in Russia and the old guard Soviet Union came back.  Many of these people had relatives or knew people who were taken by the Soviet KGB in years gone by for religious reasons. So this was a heavy decision for them.  But they cared so much about committing to a local body of believers that they were more than willing to take the risk.  They had a level of discipleship and commitment that many in the US simply don’t understand. 

So when it came down to it, I decided that it was more than acceptable if not expected to ask those wishing to join The Crossings to attend a class and sign a commitment card. 

But for those who are still chewing on this issue, check out the seven reasons below.  What would you add?  (or not add)

 Why Make a Commitment?

 The difference between “attendees” and “belonging” can be summed up in one word:  commitment.

 At The Cypress Crossings Christian Church we recognize the need to be a membership-based church and therefore ask you to commit to membership for a least seven reasons:

1.  A Biblical Reason:  Christ is committed to the church.  “Christ loved the church, and He gave his life for it.” Ephesians 5:25

2.  A Cultural Reason:  It is an antidote in our society.  We live in an age where very few want to be committed to anything; job, marriage, and country.  This attitude has produced a generation of church ‘shoppers and hoppers’.  Membership swims against the current of America’s consumer religion.  It provides a model for our society on the value of belonging.

3.  A Practical Reason:  It defines who can be counted upon.  Every team must have a roster.  Every school must have an enrollment.  Even our country takes a census and requires voter registration.  Membership identifies our family.

4.  A Personal Reason:  It produces spiritual growth.  The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth.  You cannot be accountable when you are not committed to any specific church family.

5.  A Creative Reason:  It creates the type of future we desire.  Commitments are greatly misunderstood in our culture – they are often seen as something that ‘ties us down’ or holds us back.  But commitments aren’t constraints, they are road maps.  They are the tools that God uses to shape our future!  Our commitments help us create the type of life and future that will glorify God and fulfill us.  We make our commitments, but in the end our commitments make us.

6.  A “Same Page” Reason:  Membership does not mean uniformity, but it does mean unity.  As followers of Christ we are all different and there is really a lot of freedom in the Church of Jesus Christ for all kinds of practices.  But when we commit to the same mission and values of the church we commit to each other as a football team commits to the same play book.  By doing this we avoid division and commit to going forward together in strength and unity.

7.  A Legal Reason:  It shows our willing submission to the authorities.  In order for us to benefit from non-profit status and 501c3 standing, we must be able to clearly illustrate and define to the State what our membership is.  This shows that we are indeed a non-profit entity by their standards.

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.

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
   ”Salvation belongs to our God,
   who sits on the throne,
   and to the Lamb.”

 Wow, that’s amazing.  It speaks again that the hope for unity in the world is not the UN, but the love to Christ.  Yup, I really do love the Kingdom.  “Slava Boga!”

 Thanks Troy,

From, Sacred Scribbling. by Troy Dean.

This week I am away for a few days of solitude and reflection. This is the third Spring I have visited St. Columba Retreat House. It’s located on the Point Reyes Peninsula. I typically take a hike each day somewhere I can hear the waves crashing and see wildlife unseen in Lincoln (elephant seals). There is a historic lighthouse at the very end of the point. Many folks travel the winding roads pass a number of historic farms to come to visit and whale watch for a few moments. There are 300+ steps down to the lighthouse from the visitor’s center. It’s usually quite windy and sometimes foggy. The interesting thing about this particular lighthouse is that it no longer is lit. It does still have a loud fog horn that goes every 30 seconds, yet the light no longer is shining. It’s not due to budget cuts either. A number of years ago it was made automatic but now is dark. The information center states that since so much of our navigational equipment has advanced to include satellites and GPS maps, the light is no longer necessary. Modern day shipping no longer needs lighthouses.

It seems to me that might be said about what many think about the Church today because technology has given us a buffet for our spiritual appetites. We have a ton of unique and helpful Bible translations and tools to help us navigate the scriptures. We can listen to a favorite teacher or message via podcast. We have access to so many worship songs through sites like iTunes that we can construct our own personal worship set. We have big and comfortable homes to connect with our friends and host a family BBQ. We even have PayPal to help us give to those charities and compassion projects that personally move us. We can do everything that we do on a Sunday through our homes and the advanced technology of the internet. So who needs Sunday (or Saturday) church? It seems that modern Christians no longer need churches.  Can’t we just sit in front of our glossy screens (mine is an iPad) as belonging becomes an online customizable experience?  Do we really need the gathered church?

Before I respond to this critique, allow yourself to take a few moments and reflect on the question. Why do we need Church? Especially our weekend gatherings?

What do you think?

Oksana and the Blinchiki

I’ve always said that I could eat Tex-Mex food two or three times a week and I think that’s probably true.  But tonight was a dinner full of memories as we got together with some friends in North Houston for Borscht and Blinchiki.  Our chef, Oksana, is from Uzbekistan which used to be part of the Soviet Union.  So it was a lot of fun trying to remember our Russian and the names of the great dishes we had while living in Moscow back in the mid 90s.  I love trying foods from all over the world.  Probably the worst thing I’ve ever eaten was on a college internship in Chile back in 88 and I’d say that the best food I’ve ever had was in Nagaland, India.  But I think one of the greatest parts of these fun food festivities is not just the palate, but the friendships, culture, and Kingdom experiences that come along with them.  Cultural because we are all different and I love that.  But from the Kingdom standpoint, it is a reminder that the Kingdom of Heaven is not an American thing, but a God thing.  The real Kingdom of God, or Heaven, is something that Jesus said is within us.  It stretches all over the world and across time.  It will continue to expand in the hearts and minds of God’s children until Christ comes back.  So in a very real sense, the Kingdom is all over the world and transcends all cultures.  Having grown up in Texas, you could say that Tex-Mex really is a “national” or cultural reality for me.  But because the Kingdom of God is so big, there is really no one “national food” for Kingdom citizens.  But rather, it’s kind of a multi course banquet.  Now THAT smells good.  Fish Tacos anyone?

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.