Colonialism, American Exceptionalism and Obama's World in 2016!

          I'm just finishing reading a great book entitled, "Albion's Seed, Four British Folkways In America."  It is an extremely fascinating look at how four different cultures from England were brought to America and imposed on both the native and African populations.  The collision of these groups was a cultural process of high complexity. However, in the end the four cultures of English colonialism won.  The Massachusetts Bay colony shaped the future of their region when they imposed a culture on the new world that was defined by church membership (who's in, who's out), created a standard model for town government based on eastern Lincolnshire, London, Middlesex, and Hertfordshire puritan culture.  In Virginia, the culture was built on the cavaliers who came to rebuild their English lifestyle on large plantations like they had in the English countryside. Problem was they had no "servants" to maintain their lifestyle.  Early on, the real purpose of planting the cross at Cape Henry and the six other crosses around the Chesapeake Bay was to subjugate the native populations, dispossess them of their lands, and to bring them into perpetual slavery. (see http://www.doctrineofdiscovery.org)  Colonial Governor, Sir William Berkley, made many critical decisions when he recruited a colonial elite, encouraged the growth of slavery drove out the Puritans and Quakers, and discouraged schools and printing all in the name of protecting his own cavalier lifestyle.  When the native populations refused to comply he imported "Africans" into Virginia - introducing American slavery to the south.  Even though, William Penn's Holy Experiment is admirable and provide the basis for an American melting-pot, his cavalier background never questioned what right the English had in just taking or purchasing land in the new world.  I don't remember reading about "for sale" signs being posted by the first nation people nor advertisements taken out in the Sunday Evening Time of London by them.  William Penn brought Euro-centric values from England, Germany and Holland and gave us a system of institutions that reintroduced principles of English government without involving his own slaves or native opinions of the government that was being imposed on them.  Finally, the fourth culture introduced from the isles of Britain, was the Scottish Highlands and Northern England which permeate the mid-west.

       What did this give us?  An internal conflict among immigrant elites who supported the founding purposes of their colony, but disagreed on issues of authority, order, and individual autonomy. Sound familiar?  The second major theme that emerged in all these four British folklores was the myth of "Manifest Destiny," that somehow America was God's chosen land for God's new chosen people.  Today it's called "American Exceptionalism."  My question is, "what did the natives think?"  What is the historic view of First Nations people and those groups that have emerged from the underside of history known as slavery?  I don't remember the idea of subjugation as being a Christian idea.  All through the 19th century our republic wrestled with the issue of slavery and gave us a civil war that has not ceased nor has it resulted in the end of slavery and racism.  There are still more slaves in America today than prior to the civil war!  So, please explain to me the benefits of colonialism.

       I recently went to see Obama 2016.  It was a movie based on an upper cast, Indian's (meaning India) take on Obama's work to stop "colonialism" dead in it's tracks.  The underpinning of this movie was to say that anyone involved in ending "colonialism" is anti-American.  I humbly disagree.  We need to repent as a nation and get ourselves out of the business of imposing "our values"  on other nations.  We need to repent of trying to subjugate other nations to "democracy" so that our oil companies, multi-national corporations and banks will stop raping other nations of their resources for perpetuating our own American resources.  We need to use our own.  We can sustain ourselves without having to take other nations resources and deplete them so that we can enrich ourselves.  I'm with Obama if this take on his mission is accurate and I am not a socialist or communist.  Do we have to label our president as a "not real American" or "real citizen" because he's anti-imperialism. God did not call the USA to become the new "colonial" power of the world.  We are not called to "import our pornography," "our self-centered lifestyles," or "way of doing business," on China, North Korea, Iran or any other country that values their own cultures vs. ours.  Our culture is not "Better."  The notions that Romney, a Mormon, committed to "manifest destiny" or Utopian Mormon ideas would restore America is fundamentally off base. Restore America to what?  What time?  What history?  Whose's perspective?  The dispossessed First Nations and the apartheid system that still divides them today from equal access to American life?  Or, how about "slavery," "Jim Crow," and abortion rights that are enforced to continue the greatest "Black genocide" in American history?  How about Lynching instead of propping up the 10.4% of the black population that is locked up in our American (Free) prison system. We have 25% of the world prison population incarcerated. Wow!  And we want to import this stuff and tell the world "we are the greatest nation on the earth."  
             I'm thankful that Roosevelt gave our nation a way out of the economic depression of the 1930s.  Last I checked he was such a good president that our grandparents and great grand-parents elected him four times to office.  He built the infra-structure necessary for private businesses to succeed. He gave us our national park system we all now enjoy.  He saved the "Grand Canyon" from developers.  So who is going to rebuild our schools, fix our electrical grid, and make bio-fuels so that we can get off our oil dependency?  -Private contractors, public government employees, and those illegal aliens who cut our grass, run our 7-11 stores, and keep the 20 somethings from manual labor, right?  Is this as un-American as some claim? I have a brilliant idea... get your 20 something to do manual labor and see how high the grass gets in your yard. Oh, I'm sorry- they're too busy online, texting, and listening to their headphones to hear your request of them.

           We are out of control!  Did you know that George Washington warned us to stay out of other nations affairs?  Despite, what Romney and the Koch Brothers tell you, "Barack Obama" in his first major speech on foreign policy which was delivered on April 23, 2007, to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs identified the problems that he believes the current foreign policy has caused. He outlined the five ways, he believed, the United States can lead again, focused on "common security", "common humanity", and remaining "a beacon of freedom and justice for the world":

• "Bringing a responsible end" to the war in Iraq and refocusing on the broader region.
• "Building the first truly 21st century military and showing wisdom in how we deploy it."
• "Marshalling a global effort" to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction.
• "Rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats," including global warming.
• Invest in our common humanity" through foreign aid and supporting the "pillars of a sustainable democracy – a strong legislature, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, a free press, and an honest police force."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    My only question is this, "Is this colonialism?  Or is he really dedicated to end colonialism as the movie purports.

I am an advocate for repentance, reconciliation and healing.  However, I am very interested in the view of a new friend I have made among the Leni-lenopi tribe.  He said to me, "Mike, when white people do reconciliation with Native groups; they leave feeling good that they have apologized.  We go back home to the same injustices we came from."  So I ask my friends on the extreme right (Christians who think that voting republican is the only position of a Christian)  What does it mean in Micah 6 "What does the Lord require of you? To do justice" ?  Black, white, Hispanic, Asian or first nations- what does justice look like to you?  I'm convinced it's not about undressing Pocahontas,  cutting her hair, teaching her proper English or putting her in an proper English dress to make her acceptable to a prevailing "WHITE" culture.  Are you?

           Yes, this election is about America's future?  But who's vision? What color does America's future look like?  Is it colonialism or anti-imperialism?  Both candidate's represent a view...  vote your conscience.  I'm with anti-imperialism!

            

             

Father's and Daughters

Almost twenty three years ago, Andra and I brought home the most beautiful little girl we had ever seen - our  daughter Ariel.  She was a cute kid.  She was one of the most complaint kid I had ever met, and of course, like any parent we spoiled her with love, fun, adventure, and everything a kid could possibly wanted. I still think Andra was one terrific mother and I did pretty good as Ariel's dad.  I expected at some point she would lose her mind though...

Many of my close older friends warned me that between 22-26 that daughters lose their mind.  They blame Dad for everything that they see wrong.  His advise, opinions, views, and actions are all wrong.  Girls and fathers are at odds between 22-26. But then they come back to their senses at 26 and see how great their Dads really were and are.  I thought to myself these guys have got to be kidding.  But. so far in my experience to date they are dead on in their experience. I 'm looking forward to this one being 26 and coming back to her senses.  Some days I'm sure we both think that we both have lost our minds.  Only God can help us get through this one.

Why is it that kids have to "individuate" so hard and push back on their fathers to discover who they really are?  It's all about boundaries. The shift from dependency to independence requires not only emotional adjustment on our part as parents but it also requires us to set new boundaries.  The kid that becomes an adult wants their parents to accept their new adult boundaries (which are in a state of flux) but those young adults also need that mom and dad are not going to relate to an adult as they did to the kid when they were younger. So adjustments and redefining boundaries becomes necessary.  My adult kid cannot just come home after graduating college and expect me to continue to pay their bills, eat my food and tell me how terrible of a parent I am because I don't accept "childish" behaviors from an adult.  The Apostle Paul said, "When i became an adult, I put away childish things."  I guess this is hard for both Parent and young adults. As a parent you want to still parent and as a young adult you want your "cake" (for free) and eat it too (without washing your own dishes).  Time to get out.  Time to get a real job.  But, I'm afraid we've raised a generation that wants to live rent free, have their parents pay for their phone bill, car insurance, health insurance, and all the benefits they had as kids... and then tell you how big of jerk you are because you don't agree.

But I love my kid!  I want to be close to my kid... but at what costs?  As a dad I need to say to everybody, it's not okay for a kid to disrespect their parents no matter how old you are.  God said, "Honor your father and mother!"  If your a christian, the way you treat your parents should be recognized as an evidence of how well you are doing in your relationship with God.  That doesn't mean their won't be struggles in redefining our stages of life but it does mean that if you

dishonor them in your attitudes, thought life, mouth, and treatment especially as they get older - things are not going to go well with you.  I've got to say that one of the most difficult things I have found as a parent is to hear your kids "judge" and define you in ways that you know have not been true - but they have to hold onto in order to individuate from you.  It's tough because you feel violated after all the years of loving, sacrificing, and giving so much time energy, time and resources to see your kid have a great life.  I often wonder, did I do this to my parents?  Actually, I think I had a great relationship with them most of my life - even though they were divorced.  They never made their divorce my problem.  They were good about that.

So what am i trying to say... being a Dad is more difficult as your kids get older. My job of raising these kids of mine are almost over.  Thank God!  It will be their turn next... and then I hope that my girls will realize how much I've loved them, sacrificed for them and gave them my best.  I hope their choices in men - will result in their husband doing the same.  But, boy there are some real jerks out their - right now!  God help my daughters fine the right guys who will step up and be half the men I expect them to be.  My favorite story in the bible about manhood is Jacob stepping up his game with Laban to gain the woman of his dreams.  Would be nice to see some young men like that today.

Just remember guys the question at the altar is:  "Who GIVES this woman to be married to this man?"   The power of "her mother and I" rests in the words and authority of the bride's "DAD." God gave him this authority and you have no authority if you usurp or undermine his authority to get the bride!  Can I hear a big AMEN?

The Future Church... A New Testament Expression?

As a young man, I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit, one evening on the backside of the college campus I was attending.  The Holy Spirit showed me the great "restoration" of the church that was coming in the days ahead. A glorious church emblazoned with New Testament likeness and strength.  Then God gave me a life verse for which I've centered my ministry on since then.  Isaiah 58:12 "You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in and raise up age old foundations for future generations."  

Since then I have gone through several major moves of the Holy Spirit. During the early 1970's, I was swept up into the great Jesus People movement and introduced to the concept of "what a New Testament Church" would look like.  It all began for me at the Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church (commonly known as Parkesburg)  with Pastor Jim Brown.  People from all over the Eastern Seaboard came every Saturday night to experience the Holy Spirit in ways the traditional church had not known.  Great teaching from John Poole, Bob Mumford, Malcolm Smith and many others stretched us beyond anything we had learned from our own denominational traditions.  It was awesome.  My own home church, Immanuel Baptist Church, not only saw many young people coming to Christ but as a church we began discipleship groups, held teaching meetings every tuesday, thursday and Saturday nights to lay a firm foundation of faith in those who came to Christ.  Over 600 hippies filled our church halls.  Our church leadership (after 100 years of history) deconstructed our church government and instituted elders and deacons. We saw people saved, healed, baptised in the Holy Spirit all the time. We left the nice church baptismal for local rivers and lakes and baptized hundreds.  We went street preaching, passing out tracks, held outdoor services in the city square and witnessed things similar to what we read about in the book of Acts.  However, the underlying prevailing teaching and hunger was about "The restoration of the New Testament Church."  Our question was, "What does it look like and how were we going to get there?"  After all, the scriptures taught that the glory of the latter house was greater than the former.  

Then in 1983, a friend of mine introduced me to James Robinson, Rick Godwin, Tommy Williams, and Milt Green in Dallas, Texas.  Little did I know what was about to happen.  One morning my friend, Jim Ammerman asked me, "How would like to go see a group of Baptist leaders having their demons cast out?"  I was intrigued, so we went down to the Dallas Convention Center and there I had an encounter that would alter my life in a new way. Prompted by the Spirit,  Jim sensed I was to introduce this Baptist group to the Holy Spirit and sent me down to the stage to find a way to introduce them to it.  I went to Milt Green and he opened the door for myself and Tommy Williams to share it with the group and we witnessed hundreds of leaders encountering the Holy Spirit in was they had never seen before.  It resulted in me sharing with Rick Godwin, James Robinson, and others about the great "restoration" of the church.  As a result, a great revival swept from there to churches all over America and around the world.

Seven years later, I had the great opportunity to meet Pastor Frank Houston and his lovely wife Hazel (Hillsong Church).  Frank was an awesome man of God. A bit of a Smith Wigglesworth. He had an uncanny gift and use of the "Word Of Knowledge."  He invited me to teach and minister at his church in the heart of Sydney, Australia regularly for a number of years. There I witnessed hundreds coming to Christ, major numbers of people encountering the Holy Spirit and healings galore. While I was with him he introduced me to his son, Brian Houston and the church now known as Hillsong.  Wow!  All I thought at the time was, "if this music and worship experience ever gets to American shores, this is going to explode and change the face of worship in every church."  It did.  That's all history now.

But, who would have guessed that God was about to unleash his power across the world through a little church in Tronto called, Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (formally Toronto Vineyard).  In 1994, I had the opportunity to meet John and Carol Arnott.  They prayed for me and I was totally blitzed by the Holy Spirit for several days... which turned into weeks and years now.  Before God can "restore the church," he has to restore us.  During these years, I pastored in Annapolis, Maryland.  God sent two great leaders who influenced "Toronto" to come and minister at our church throughout the next decade... John and Paula Sandford.  They taught us about "healing" in ways I've never understood before.  Mass moves came over our church. Leaders like John Paul Jackson, Cindy Jacobs, Marc DuPont, Wes and Stacy Campbell, Frank and Brian Houston, Che Ahn, Tim Hall and many others came and taught at our church. An unprecedented encounter of the Holy Spirit began with us.  To date I had encountered three different waves of the Spirit laying a firm foundation that "Restoration" was possible.

Each emphasis of the spirit lasted in ten year increments.  So, what would the turn of the century hold as another wave moved in?  The first three decades of my life in the spirit were dedicated to "The restoration of his people" and "making church: relevant for contemporary people. It broke traditions, introduced new worship cultures, leadership styles, church government, restored apostolic ministry with apostles and prophets being recognized and encouraging the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in ministry... and then we moved into the turn of the century.  It has become a very different time and is presenting a major call on all of us to shift the way we have experienced things in the past.  We cannot get stuck in previous moves of God... change in on us.

Beginning in 2000, the world was about to shake.  Y2K fears unleashed the contemporary church to grapple with the historic rise of Islam in the East and it's attack on the west.  What was this all about.  Well, for those who are interested in Semiotics, the emphasis of the spirit moved on the idea of taking cities and nations for God.  This has been an absolute threat on the powers of darkness.  Here in Annapolis, we went to the city dock to repent and ask God's forgiveness for our city's involvement in the Sin Of Slavery.  We had learned as a church that is we were to witness a prevailing church in our own city we would have to address the principalities, powers and wickedness holding our city captive. As a result, we gathered in 2003 at the shores of the Chesapeake with William Haley (Son of author Alex Haley, known for his Pulitzer prize winning book, "Roots"), John and Paula Sandford, Winkie Pratney, Alister Petrie, Gloria Roberts and many others to break the power of darkness off our city so that we could create a new culture of cooperation and unity amongest our own city leaders. As we did this we witnessed signs and wonders... just like George Otis Jr.'s tranformation videos. http://www.glowtorch.org  The emphasis of the Holy Spirit has been pointing all of us to bring about citywide transformation. This emphasis has been about "creating a culture" for God's habitation in a city.  Without the culture being set... there can be no move of God's spirit.  You just can't rock up an expect a major outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the sins of the past have not been addressed by the church.  Read II Chronicles 7 carefully and then look at historic revivals and God's preparation processes for his work to take a firm root in those historic iconic ways of revival.  What does a church without spot or wrinkle look like?

So here we are in 2012, the supposed end of the world as we know it.  What does God have in store for us?  I think Exodus 33:19 speaks what lies ahead for us, God said,  "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."  These are the years when God is calling for Relational Holiness so that he can incarnate himself through us as the Body Of Christ.  This means that "relationship" is more important than the business of church.  Too many people are just going through the motions of contemporary worship looking for the world's acceptance.  Assets, buildings, tech tools, numbers and cash are not the measure of success.  It's time to unplug the amps, the hype, the large prayer demonstrations on malls and get back to the "organic" new testament" singleness of heart... and allow Christ in us to become our Hope...  Not the mechanics.  Recently, on facebook someone rehearsed a Willow Creek slogan, "The church is the hope of the world." No it isn't Jesus is!

God is "focusing" on us getting our "relationships" in order.  Husband and wives, Hearts of fathers restored to children, churches joined together in unity and community, racial divisions addressed and healed, honoring each others cultures and diversity- every place where God can incarnate himself.  Years ago, I asked Bob Mumford why the move of the Holy Spirit ended in Philadelphia and why the church got so divided. He said, "Well, it is like the story of Jacob when he first sees Rachel.  She was coming down a hill with her flock.  IT WAS NOT THE TIME for the watering of the flock.  However, Jacob didn't care.  He wanted to flex his muscles and show off his good looks to the girls of his dreams.  Normally, when a well was opened, the shepherds of Israel would gather together with their flocks at a certain time.  The cap stone on the well was very heavy so as to protect it from the enemies destroying it.  So together they would gather around the capstone, lift it together and then each would take a turn watering their flocks. After watering their flocks, together they lifted the capstone and placed it back on the well until the next time they gathered  Not so with Jacob, He was gifted and wanted to show off his wares to Rachel... just like so many leaders in the church today. They see the Body Of Christ and want to show off their gifts and flex their stuff before her to impress her.  When Jacob removed the stone, he had the adrenaline to lift it off but did not have the strength to put it back after her flock was watered.  Churches and leader have become "self-centered."  They only want to market and attract people to their own gigs. They reproduce "self-centered" people who only want to build their own dreams and live their lives to their own purposes.  Bob Mumford was right.   So, once again the church needs to "repent, and turn from her own wicked ways" - then we will hear from heaven.  Do we have to go around the mountain one more time?  Or can we just go in and possess the land?  Some are planning to go through the same old motions. I once heard the definition of insanity as being "doing the same over and over again, expecting a different result.

I believe the continuing work of the Holy Spirit and our journey toward the restoration of the church - is to get our "relationships" right.  Our broken relationship with others can't just be swept under the rug any longer. Our ends does not justify our means.  If the statistics of the church is found in the same brokenness of the culture then what message does the church have to the culture.  The church's colonial nature (Starbucking) is incompatible with the Holy Spirit.  God incarnates himself in human form.  He chooses to engage himself in diversity. Jesus choose twelve diverse disciples... that the religious establishment couldn't handle.  Out of this diversity came unity of purpose... first comes relationship, then come mission, then comes church.  Not the other way around.  God is not calling us to build glorious ministries.  He's calling us to return and engage ourselves in him and to reconnect ourselves one to another. Read the prayer of John 17.   

Today, I'm going to bust out of the mold.  I'm on vacation for the next week and as much as I love our church I am going to surprise and support another local church this morning to let them know that they are just as important to me as our church is.  Can't wait to worship with them.

Is Chic Fil-A Profiting Off of Freedom Of Speech Or its anti-Gay positions?

I Chronicles 12:32 says "The men of Issachar understood the times to know what Israel ought to do."  Ever known what not to do?  In recent days, the American Church has been plagued with Priests, Leading Pastors, and church leaders once again getting caught in sex scandals, found guilty and sentenced to jail, or paying off their victims so they can continue in their positions. Then on top of that,  thousands of American Christians protest "gay marriage", rail against the president, and alienate the very people that Jesus called the church to reach.  I'm confused.  

I've traveled to over 23 nations and ministered in over 166 cities sharing the gospel over the last 20 years.  And, the churches in many of those nations have engaged the people in the gospel and led them to Christ.  Great churches are being planted, established and busting out of their buildings and in America church buildings are empty. The American public is growing hostile to the church.  Why?  If you would list to it's current "bramble bush" leadership it's because "prayer has been removed out of schools",  judgement is on our nation due to abortion, homosexuality, and the democrat in the White House.  But, if you compare the global Christian movements vs. the America church it boils down to "The Gospel" not being preached.  Most American Christians don't know how to talk with their fellow Americans about Jesus.

I love our country.  I am thankful for it's freedoms, it's liberty of conscience, and it's vision and values. My family arrived on the shores of Virginia in 1631 and has contributed much to the freedoms we enjoy today. However, this historic CHRISTIAN nation has dispossessed people, enslaved them, segregated and devalued life for over 400+ years of it's "Christian" history.  America has two tensions built in it's political life.   'We're in It Together' vs. 'You're on Your Own."  The only thing that has historically saved us from turning against ourselves has been historic moves of the Holy Spirit.  Hungry Christians crying out to God for God to touch our nation, not buying chicken from a fast food restaurant in support of a "Traditional BIBLICAL Marriage."  I don't even know what that means.  I guess if you really are in support of a "traditional Biblical Marriage" then you support polygamy and concubines. (Maybe this is why so many are open to have a Mormon in the White House). In fact, many great people in the scripture had multiple wives, had concubines.  Let's name a few, Lamech, Abraham, Jacob, King David, and Solomon to name a few.  Then there were people  engaged in homosexuality, adultery, and all kinds of sexual activity, otherwise there would have been no prohibition written.... and you know what "GOD" so loved the world he gave his only begotten son to  die for those engaged in similar practice.  The purpose of sharing the gospel is to liberate people from these sins not protesting against them and alienating them with some pious position.  Have we forgotten "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Without getting political, for a minute... would you stop and think about how our current President has been faithful to his wife, has been engaged in raising to great kids, has a spirit-filled, intercessor mother-in-law praying in the White House who's been charged with being a Muslim and socialist, all the while being an example of civility.  Despite His own testimony to having become a Christian, many have rejected his testimony. (I guess because he received Christ under the ministry of Jeremiah Wright he's not a TRUE Christian) Even if he was a muslim... he does not believe he's a god or that Jesus and Lucifer are bothers like his republican opponent does.  My point is that we are not called by God to rail against leaders but we are called to pray for them.  I Peter states, "Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, 'The Lord rebuke you!'"   But these speak evil of whatever they do not know..."   However, we all have the right to dissent, disagree, and take positions that may not be the same interpretations that others may hold about scripture.  

If you want to protest something then, What are you doing about the 300,000 (9-12 year old) kids being abducted and sold into slavery off our streets?  What are we doing about the foods picked by slaves owned by corporations putting groceries in our supermarkets?  I am bothered about the fight for traditional marriage when over 62% of the evangelical community is divorced.  I know men and women standing in the pulpits of America and on television that have engaged in "Sex" outside of marriage, divorced each other, were caught in homosexuality, and remain in the pulpit saying God has forgiven them but protest others.  Is there any greater sin than a sexual sin?  

Let's talk about abortion... Is contraception abortion??? Is throwing out frozen fertilized eggs abortion?  When does life begin...figured that one out?  

Now let me be clear, I have been married for 27 years to the same wonderful wife I met in Phoenix, Arizona in 1983 at Sweetwater Church Of The Valley.  I have two wonderful daughters.

I gave my heart to the Lord in Feb. 1967 and was Baptized in The Holy Spirit in July of 1970. I started preaching on street corners when I was 14, taught Sunday school classes since I was 16 and haven't missed many Sunday morning churches services since I was 5. I have two bachelor degrees, two masters from two Main-line denominational seminaries, and finishing an earned doctorate from George Fox University. I have been in the full-time ministry since 1976 broadcasting, pastoring, evangelizing, and traveling - 36 years.  I don't consider myself "HOLY" or "SIN FREE."  There are none righteous - no not one!  Romans 3:23; 6:23.  So you won't find me protesting... because the Jesus I know "didn't condemn or stone others caught in sexual sin... he called them out of it.  "While we yet sinners, Christ died for us!"  Thank God!

I struggle finding "significant" ways today of reaching our culture for Christ.  I'm looking for others who are engaged in doing what Jesus has called us to do... Win The Lost, Disciple The Found, and Heal the hurting to show me more meaningful ways to share my faith.  Even though I have had the priviledge of leading many to Christ... I struggle in how to reach the masses who have never heard the gospel in America... who have been alienated by those in "Church Land" who forgot from whence they've come.  

I would appreciate your views, comments and insights to our current delimma in the American church.

According to a  recent Gallup Poll:

66% of American's are divorced

66% believe in using animals for testing

60% believe in stem cell research from Human Embryos

58% are having baby's outside of marriage

49% of all doctors believe in assisted suiside

35% believe in cloning animals

58% have had sex outside of their marriage

44% accept homosexuality as normal

70% believe in the death penalty