A Church Adrift?

I believe in the church.  However, the church is not a place you go to. It's a people.  People who have been called out of themselves and into and intimate relationship with God and others. Lately, I find myself struggling with the setbacks that are occurring in many churches as a result of a performance oriented and technological driven culture. It's unfortunate that many church leaders and groups have been seduced into an attractional, propositional, and colonial group culture.  Since the mid-1970's God has been calling his people into a real New Testament church life experience.  Somehow. this calling has gotten lost in all the noise and scrabbling to become culturally relevant. Having grown up in a very large baptist church with it's one hundred voice choir, thundering organ, and broadcast driven Sunday morning live radio productions; I find myself at a loss in the world of staged re-enactments of the stations of the cross, cold play like worship concerts, and large screen monitors having become the new stained glass windows.  Add to this, the idea that relevancy means "to do accept anything and measure our outcomes by numbers, cash and assets as a measure of success leaves me completely confused. I cannot find one piece of evidence of Jesus' staging a show with The Blues Brothers as being an evidence of faith.  It's cool and the show will draw crowds... but I can also turn on my light at night and attract a crowd too!  Of bugs. Lol  Is this the reason the Son Of God came to earth?  Crowds? Crowds are fun... and as a former musician I love all kinds of music (except country), lights, and stage productions but those things do not produce "disciples."  Discipleship is like raising kids - it's intentional, it takes time, and it involves teaching people self-discipline and building healthy relationship with God and one another. On average, it takes a unsaved person about 7 years from leading a person to Christ, discipling them, and engaging them into places of leadership. It's an awesome task to undertake.


Last weekend I had the opportunity to minister in a church modeled that was based on the contemporary church model I have been apart of since 1990.  I enjoyed my time worshipping and ministering with them. However, I noticed something about myself.  Just as God called me out of the Baptist Tradition he has moved me from something I loved into something that I don't quite understand yet.  Now this is not unusual for me.  It takes me about 5 years to figure out what I've gotten myself into. But it seems to me that God has his finger on the subject of incarnation, iniquity, and racial justice all at the same time. How this translates into a new way of doing things I'm not sure but I do know it involves participatory culture, holograms, and the idea of every church having it's own incarnational story.  God is a creative guy.  Not everybody is interested in being starbucked.  Individualized branding, customization and uniqueness is the way of the future.  We are all called to celebrate that creation.  I don't think the current post-modern church is prepared for what is about to take place.  What would happen if a whole city in an instant got saved.  So, if you live in a small city of 55,000 and currently 13,000 attend 42 different worship on Sunday mornings there are 42,000 sleeping in.  the average church seating runs safely around 300.  According to my stats those 42 churches are serving about 310 people each.  So if this little city were to have a revival break out in one day and the whole city had to be prepared.  Each church would have to take on an additional 1,000 people. Now if we were to really believe that God was going to change our city how are each of our churches prepared to facilitate the ministry to those new 42,000 converts.  Remember it takes 7 years to disciple them to a sustainable faith in Christ.  This is a lot of work. who's writing the circulum?  Who's preparing to outfit the church with the proper technological tools for the generation we are called to serve?  Who is going to handle, teach, train, and disciple the people? How many workers do you need?  How much seating, parking, adequate restrooms, and children's facilities would you need to administrate this church?  How much staffing do you need to meet the needs of a totally unchurched group of people?  how many people in your current church have read and studied the scripture to be able to teach it to others?

Years ago I had a very significant discussion with a major leader from the 1970's Jesus People Movement.  At the time, my friend was probably the darling of the Charismatic movement and was a profound bible teacher.  You had to wait to get in stadiums for 45 minutes ahead of time to just get a seat in his meetings.  His church was considered one of the first mega churches in America.  In 1973 is church grew to 3000.  I asked him what was the key to becoming an effective leader during that time. He explained to me that he made a shift in his ministry.  He had to learn the cultural language of the generation they served.  He choose a bible that was relevant to them - The New American Standard Bible.  His church had an awesome worship leader who's music brought song's like "Our God Reigns" to the church world. He told me that the key was to shift the preaching, teaching, and ministry to meet the questions of the generation.  Very powerful insight!  However, I think we are facing a serious problem in our time.  The current generation lives in time where "communication technologies" are causes breakdowns in people's ability to hold meaningful discussion. Recently, and American survey demonstrated that most people have an 8  second attention span.  We live in a world of soundbites. This makes it diffcult to read, teach, and hold the attention of an audience if you want people to learn the scriptures. One friend of mine is trying to offer 90 second biblical insights on his website daily. Tough stuff.  Critical thinking may be a thing of the past for many which is why many churches arew resorting to the entertainment model.  My thinking is that the contemporary model, altough attracting thousands, is still not reaching the greater population for Christ,  Currently,  90 % of Gen Y (digitals) now moving toward their thirties have never darkened the church's door and have not heard the Gospel.  America has become the number one mission field.  What bother's me is how many think the contemporary model church is the answer to reaching post-moderns.  It's not working.  It doesn't disciple people. Contemporary Churches lose 30% of their people every year.  Lights, music, and motivational teaching are not resulting in transformation.  I find most leaders from all denominations and various models of church life are struggling to meet the demands that are created by our new high tech culture. The greatest shift in our time will be how to help this generation develop "critical thinking skills," learning how to communicate, learning how to listen, discern and make good life decisions, and buiding relationship skills necessary for authentic success in their lives.  How we develop that will take time and a willingness to do our due diligence and reseach to change ourselves and the ministries we serve.  

The Undoing Of "Pentecostalism" and The Work Of The Holy Spirit

Serving the last generation of leaders taught me a great deal about the important work and moving of the Holy Spirit.  The easiest way to start a revival is to reach church leadership, who love Jesus, and passionate teach his word.  One of my favorite passages demonstrating this comes from Acts 18:24-26 "A Jew named Apollos, who had been born in Alexandria, arrived in the city of Ephesus.  He was an eloquent speaker and knew how to use the scriptures in a powerful way.  He had been instructed in the Lord's way and spoke enthusiastically.  He accurately taught about Jesus but knew only about the baptism John performed."  In other words, He was an evangelical preacher who knew how to lead others to Christ and baptize them."  In Acts 19:1-3 Paul arrives and asks, those who came to Christ under Apollos' ministry, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'  These new believers at Ephesus responded, "We never even heard of the Holy Spirit."  So right out the gate we see Apollos never introduced them to an encounter with the Holy Spirit because he only knew of John's Baptism. Paul then asks (Acts 19:3) "Then what kind of Baptism did you have?"  So they responded that they only knew of John's baptism and Paul then introduces them to The Baptism In The Holy Spirit and they begin 'Speaking in Tongues' (Acts 19:6).  Apollos could only take them as far as he had gone in his experience.  He led this group into understanding who Christ is and their need for water baptism. He was one of the best Evangelical leaders of his day - an eloquent speaker, knew how to use the scriptures in a powerful way and spoke enthusiastically but he was not familiar with the Baptism Of The Holy Spirit.  However, Acts 18:26-27 says that Priscilla and Aquila, took him home with them and explained God's way to him more accurately.  It is here, I believe he is introduced to the Holy Spirit to Apollos and he leaves Ephesus to bath himself in the understanding of this new testament faith experience. Every believer needs to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit!  You can be saved and be assured by the Holy Spirit your are a son or daughter of God but you can remain ignorant of the Baptism Of The Holy Spirit.

Years ago, a funny little man, a Dutch Reformed Minister, named Herald Bredesen came into my life. I had been raised in a Baptist Church that was pastored by a great pastor who graduated from Princeton Seminary and was an eloquent speaker and accurate Bible teacher like Apollos. One day, someone introduced him to The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit and he began to speak in tongues. As a result he introduced it to us. My pastor's encounter of the Holy Spirit can be traced right back to Herald Bredesen introducing the Holy Spirit to members of the clergy throughout the world. He was a bold witness and introduced the Baptism of The Holy Spirit to men and women like Dr. and Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale, Dr. Robert Schuller, and Dr. Pat Robertson.  Their lives were changed.  In fact, on the occasion of Herald's night of ministry to The Peales; Mrs Peale assigned one of her best editors, John Sherrill, from Guideposts magazine to follow Herald around as he ministered in various places. The result was John received the Baptism Of The Holy Spirit and wrote a book called "They Speak With Other Tongues."  This book was read by many Catholic leaders and lead to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Duquesne in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  It is here that my Baptist pastor was introduced to the Holy Spirit.

Over the years, I had the privilege to travel with Herald. In fact, in 1987 Herald asked me to accompany him to the Vatican where he introduced me to Pope John Paul II.  I was amazed to learn the Pope John Paul was Baptized In The Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues all the time. I watched Herald introduce people to Jesus and especially the Baptism In The Holy Spirit unashamed no matter what status in life they held.  Why is it that we have so many contemporary pentecostal leaders mixing with great evangelical leaders and not introducing them to the Baptism Of The Holy Spirit?  We have a whole generation of great evangelical leaders who have been used mightily like Apollos... but we haven't witnessed a Priscilla, Aquila or even and apostolic leader like Paul being bold enough to ask the questions we find in Acts 18:24-26. I am a baptist boy (age 11) who got Baptized by The Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues, and laid hands on a 13 year deaf/mute girl who got instantly healed.  I have no interest in returning to the franchise I served.  God broke me out of my traditions and set me ablaze to share the Baptism Of The Spirit to many people and leaders around the world.  I get excited about introducing the Baptism Of The Holy Spirit.  Former Assemblies Of God minister, David DuPlessis did the same - why can't pentecostals do the same.  When I introduced the Baptism Of Holy Spirit to Rick Godwin, senior minister of the Summit Christian Center in San Antonio, Texas in 1983 - He was a baptist minister, serving a Baptist Church in Atlanta, and was a graduate of Bob Jones University.  As a result of his encounter with the Holy Spirit,  God revolutionized him and brought him into a new dimension of ministry that went world wide with signs and wonders. In the early 1990's I was honored to introduce Rick to my friends Brian Houston and Pat Mesiti. Rick has been a regular guest at Hillsong for the last 20+ years. It's awesome to see how God works. God can always do it again and again if we would just open ourselves to the work of The Holy Spirit.

I recently saw a posting with my dear friend, Phil Pringle, a great apostolic leader of C3 churches based out of Sydney, Australia preaching at Steven Furtick's Elevation Church just recently. I was greatly encouraged to see Phil there because he is a Holy Spirit man. If anyone will impart "a new dimension of the Holy Spirit" into Steven Furtick's life - Phil will be one of those guys. We need more leaders like Phil who come out of pentecostal cultures and lead a whole new generation into a new move of God. I love Phil... and I love the possibilities of seeing Steven Furtick's generational leaders encountering the Holy Spirit in the same manner at we find here in Acts 18 & 19.  Great leaders of the last generation were not afraid to introduce the Baptism Of The Holy Spirit to denominations who never even heard of the experience.  A number of years ago, I was directing/producing Che Ahn's Holy Spirit Today Show and arranged for an interview with Cliff Barrows from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  Cliff agreed to the interview and shared a very powerful story.

During the interview, Che asked Cliff how Billy Graham and his team got their break.  Cliff shared on film that he and Billy Graham had gone to Theneathly, Wales to hear the great preacher Stephen Olford share the gospel. After hearing the young Graham and Barrows approached him to ask how they could be used of God like Olford was being used.  He invited them back to his hotel where he laid hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit just like Paul did in this passage.  They were both powerfully touched and Billy Graham proclaimed that every believer needed this experience. From that time forward, according to Cliff, Crowds of people came and kept coming to Billy Graham's meetings and millions were saved. He attributed the growth of their ministry to the Baptism In The Holy Spirit.  God has placed many contemporary pentecostal leaders in key positions to impact our new post-modern leaders. Just days before his death, Pastor Frank Houston shared with me his concern for the contemporary pentecostal church in Australia. He said, "Mike, they are moving the Holy Spirit right out of their churches. Don't you do that Mike."  I responded, "Frank, you don't have to worry about me." My concern for these great 21st century churches is that they will relegate the work of their pentecostal forefathers right  out of the life of their churches.  It will be the undoing of their movements. The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit is an essential gift promised to every believer. (Acts 2:39-39)

Just for the record my mentors,  Herald Bredesen, Judson Cornwall, Malcolm Smith, Jim Burke, Jim Brown, Glen Foster, and John Gimenez instilled the importance of The Baptism In The Holy Spirit as an normal essential experience for all believers.  I'm committed to that new testament experience and will not be ashamed of this blessed experience... and will share it with all those I can influence.  I hope you will take time to read Acts 1:8, Acts 2, 10:44ff, and 19:1-6 and ask Jesus to Baptize you with the Holy Spirit.  How will know you've received it?  When you have the experience these early disciples had in the Book of Acts.  It's the normal Christian life.  It's also imperative to share the "whole" gospel to men like Apollos in our generation.

Deconstructing The Euro-Centric American Gospel (PART ONE)

So you want to believe that we are living in the last days. Isaiah 2:2-3 says, "In the last days The mountain of the Lord's house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. All nations will stream into it!  Then many people will come and say, 'Come and let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of our God. He will teach us HIS WAYS and we will walk in HIS PATHS for the law shall go forth out of Zion and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem." What a great promise.  Do you think we are there yet?  One of the most important aspects of Isaiah's prophecy is that "HE will teach of HIS ways." Later in Isaiah 55:8-9 God speaks to humanity and says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Too often, churches across North America think they are teaching God's ways; when in fact they are steeped in a colonial "white" gospel.  Without realizing or paying close attention to understanding what the "roots" of our Westernized gospel has been - we are under the influence of a Euro-centric culture that dehumanized and stripped both First Nations and African American people of their cultural heritage.  In fact, we have presumed that the underlying foundations of the Christian faith were based in an integris commitment to present the Christian faith to the Native people with the planting of the first English flag on the shores of Cape Henry.  There is increasing evidence to prove otherwise with the recent examination of the papal edicts that gave ascendency to what is called, "The Doctrine Of Discovery."  The doctrine of discovery was an edict that told European leaders to "go conquer and dispossess pagan, heathen and unchristian lands; disposses them and to bring the inhabitants of the land into perpetual slavery."  So Portugal went to Africa and enslaved the African people. The Dutch did the same followed by the Spanish and English nations.  Rev. Robert Hunt planted his cross along with seven other crosses around the Chesapeake Bay to let the Portugees, Spanish, French, and Dutch know that England was taking this territory in the name of their God and King.  Why did they bring Rev. Robert Hunt?  To Christianize the Native American's and use them for the crown's purpose. Gospel according to the English ment to cut Pocahanna's hair, give her a bath, and put proper English clothing on her and to adopt "White Anglo-saxon" ways.  That was their gospel.  Instead of allowing her to hear the gospel and allowing the incarnation of the Holy Spirit to work in her tribal ways the English imposed their culture on the Native cultures.  History accuratley demonstrates this from North to South, East to West.  When the Powhatten tribe and other Chesapeake Bay tribes fought back against the plantation of Virginia Governor Berkley got so frustrated that he ordered the introduction of African slaves to be imported since the First Nations were not suited for meeting the needs of free labor for southern plantations in Virginia.  This is a simple survey of the story but it's true. 

Later, in Carlisle, Pa., a First Nations School was established to decontruct Native American identity. The purpose of this Christian school was to make "Native Americans" white.  The same happened to the African slaves in the south during the reconstruction period.  The intention was to deconstruct and assimulate First Nations tribal ways into a euro-centric cultural way.  Children were taken from their familiesand tribes and sent to these "White Euro-centric" schools and forced to stop speaking their native languages and to lose their Native cultural ways and become "American."  Today, we have 4 to 5 generations of First Nations people who cannot think like a Native Born person because they only have white man's thinking after this deprogramming initiative of the American government. Likewise, African American children have been indoctrinated to think like "White" America who view themselves as superior to the descendants of the slaves.  Why is all this history important?  Because, the exiles in Babylon had the same problems as the First Nations and African-American people exiled in North America.  Babylon wanted to assimulate the Jewish people and destroy their national identity. That's when Isaiah writes, "Come let us go to the mountain of the Lord... and he will teach us of his ways!"  Not Euro-centric cultural ways... God will teach us his way- how to treat people properly.  

“Well, Mackenzie, don’t just stand there gawkin’

with your mouth open like your pants are full,”

said the big black woman as she turned

and headed across the deck, talking the whole time.

“Come and talk to me while I get supper on.”

– The Old Black Woman as God in The Shack

By William Paul Young

I think God is calling the greatest weekly segregationist groups in American (The Church) to decolonize itself and look for a new incarnational understanding of its "Gospel." God is wanting to reveal the nature of his incarnational ways in and through non-euro-centric culture. But the question remains: Does what ran in our white segregationist, racist fathers/mothers still run in us?  Can we see God as an Old Black woman?  or does that sicken our own little racist hearts?  The truth is revealed in our relationship to "those people."  - whether white, hispanic, african american, muslim, Korean or Jew.  Repentance and racial reconciliation is the call of the Holy Spirit.  In the mind of some this will be seen and dismissed as a politically liberal article. However, Isaiah wants us to know that our ways of thinking are not as God thinks. In Fact, Romans 8:7 says "our minds are at enmity against God." This is why God is calling us to ascend to the mountain of the Lord to learn His ways - IN THE LAST DAYS!  After all - ALL humanity was created in the image of God.  So to respect and honor the Imago Dei in another culture other than mine is to acknowledge another expression of who God is.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling us to re-learn his ways (free of Euro-centric American Thinking) which would then call us to work with Him to reorder our worlds.

Drive By Relationships: It's time to slow down!

Each of us have the exact same amount of hours each week.  God gave each of us 168 hours a week. He designed creation to work this way.   Since most of us require 8 hours of sleep (56 hours) we are left with 112 hours of wake time.  Since God want us to take a regular sabbath (which is 10% of 168) we are left with  96 hours. If you are on a 40 hour a week schedule you are left with 56 hours or 9.33 hour per day to do whatever you deem important to you.  So if God has given each of the same amount of allotted time then why do so many people complain they don't have enough time?  Is your schedule under control?  If not, why not?

A number of years back, Bill Gates wrote a book entitled, "Business At The Speed Of Thought." The purpose of the book was to tell us to prepare ourselves for an acceleration of doing life at rapid speed due to new technologies.  Who would have figured facebook, instagram, twitter, snap chat, etc. becoming our regular means of communication?  140 characters, sloganeering, instant messaging have become the norm for marriages, friends, and kids.  No more table conversations around a dinner table. No more early morning coffees with the wife.  Husbands and wives juggling schedules to run kids to school, after school activities, chic-fli-a for dinner, soccer on Sunday mornings to ensure their is no faith instilled in your family life. Sounds old fashion to actually say, "you have the power to slow down and take time for your relationship with God, your family, and yourself."

All I ever hear these days, "I can't BE THERE I have too much work  to do."  Then we wonder why there is an epidemic of heroin use in our communities, porn, kids being abducted into sex slavery, violence in schools, 50% of American kids going home without a home cooked dinner and sitting all night in front of a video game leanring how to shoot guns and killing people. Daycare providers, latch key kids, and supposed vacation fixes for marriage is no excuse for schedules being out of control.  God did not design life to be like a fast food restaurant. No one can do life/business at the speed of thought.  My own brain is very creative, has hundreds of ideas, and is able to move at lightning speed but I regularily empty my thoughts in my "trash bin" because much of it is a distraction.  Too many people are filling up their schedules like landfills.  They are unable to keep up with the trash pile up and then have melt downs when their world is overscheduled.  Recently, I've watched people, even in church, who can't sit still, have to keep checking their smart phones, and won't engage in worship because they just don't know how to unhook from their technology addictions.  Being a human means "being present."  You can't expect a healthy relationship with anyone when your body is present but your not.  You can't expect a healthy relationship with drive by comments...  relationships take time to build, being engaged in conversation, and being together in those 9 and half hours you have to spend daily.  Even the sabbath was designed by God to unhook yourself from the daily routines of life so that you could reconnect to God, yourself and those you love. You make the choices of what's important to you.. you choose how to spend your time - you can't blame anyone but yourself for the decisions you make.  Relationship is either important or not. 

American culture today insists that we must be doing something or accomplishing something in order to have self-worth.  Need evidence?  Just suggest to someone that they're not busy and watch the fur fly. We live in a culture that is out of control.  Being relaxed is equated to being lazy.  Whatever happened to that "conversation over a cup of coffee (Third Place) vs. The Starbuck drive-thu?"  Steve Schultz said in his book, "Pour Your Heart Into It,"  that Amercia needed a Third Place like the Itailian cafes in Italy for people to take regular breaks in their day and connect with others.  Guess the only place for that to happen is the bar... drink your stresses away because you have NO TIME in your overscheduled day. If I sound a bit out of touch here... then so be it.  However, a text message, a FB picture, tweeting, instagraming just doesn't replace good ole facetime.  Being together, enjoying a another person, and having meaningful connections in this busy culture is more important to me these days than what "great accomplishments" my so called friends are posting on facebook.  Is it any wonder the divorce rate is climbing?  Is it any wonder our kids are going to school carrying guns to solve their problems?  It's all because too many people are trying to do drive-by relationships and not taking the time to slow down and let the people they claim are important to them know they are valued over the over-scheduled business of their daily routines. One last thought, don't ever justify your over-scheduled, disorganized, work addiction by saying "Well I am doing this all for you!"  Really?

Free Speech In A Post-Modern World

In the past few months, Ive been reading through Quaker history, books, and articles that have been demonstrating to me How Quakerism invented America. While in seminary in 1987, one of my church history Professors, Dr. Elizabeth Norbeck, shared early on in the development of America Quakers were a major force. However, although they no longer large in number or in influence today, their values as a faith community went up into and are a part of major values held as sacred within American culture.  This thought has remained present in my thoughts over the years.  Then in 2007,  while working on my doctoral class work, my favorite professor of all time, Dr. Leonard Sweet, made this observation. He said, “George Fox and Quakerism will be rediscovered in the 21st century and may be the best answer in presenting Christ to the postmodern mind.”  So this moved me forward in beginning an indepth study over the last few years into learning about the history of Quakerism and how Dr. Norbeck and Dr. Sweet's observations might be valid.  Honestly, even though I have earned a Master's degree in Church History I had never spent much time studying the Quakers and their important contribution to inventing America. I'm concluding that both of my professors, who are major church historians, are not only right in their opinion but I have also have found and returned to my own family's faith roots in The Religious Society Friends story right here along the Chesapeake Bay where I live today.  As a result of my initial gleanings of Quaker history, I have concluded that there are two major values that the early Quaker communities were committed to - "Freedom Of Worship and Liberty of Conscience. In this article, I would like to explore the idea behind "Liberty Of Conscience" and why it is such an important value in American Culture today.  I believe that the whole notion is being threatened and is worth our taking the time to understand it and fight for it to remain as a part of our national identity. 

As many of you already know, North Korea has launched a cyber-war upon our nation in an attempt to curb our commitment to "free speech" by hacking into Japanese owned, Sony Pictures. Kim Jong-un demanded that a movie called "The Interview" should not be released unless Sony and America wanted to face the dire consequences of further cyber-attacks - including the possibly shutting down of our nation's electrical grid. Many Believe North Korea's launch of a new kind of war against America should be compared to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and 911. Immediately, after this cyber attack, President Obama went on the defensive and stated that our nation was a nation committed to free speech and that no dictator or other nation outside our republic should even think they will be able to undermine our commitment as a nation to "Free Speech."  Then just a few days ago, Islamic Extremist launched an attack against a "French Publication" for what they saw as a desecrating image and mockery of their founder's faith. Immediately, The French people began to publically demonstrate for their support to the same right for "Freedom of thought and freedom of expression." For those outside our country, let me briefly explain why we as Americans believe anyone (good or bad) has a right to express their view publically even if we disagree with those views.  One Of Harvard University's former professors, Dr. John Rawls, defends in his book, "A Theory Of Justice," that one of the basic principles of liberty underlying our cultural heritage has been defined as "freedom of thought and conscience."  He rightly defends our American right to "Freedom of Expression", (under our constitutional social contract as a nation) as a basic freedom as well as other public liberties which cannot be infringed upon under any circumstances since it is our fundamental right guaranteed under the "Bill Of Rights." Our founding fathers committed us to these rights. In fact, thoughout our history as Americans, we have given our lives on the Battle fields of the world to defend the right for humanity's basic right for freedom. This includes the notion of "Liberty Of Conscience." My own father ( Korean War/Vietnam) and Great-grandfather (World War I and II) gave themselves for this cause. But as you know, there have been tyrants all through history who have been committed to denying these rights to their own nations and those of us in the free world. So where did this idea of "Liberty Of Conscience" come from?

During The English civil war period (1642-1651) The Religious Society of Friends emerged from an experience that, founding Quaker, George Fox had with the Holy Spirit.  Fox, who was raised as a puritan with Presbyterian leanings by background, began seeking the Lord for his own personal salvation experience.  After many conversations with the Church Of England's clergy of his day, George Fox began a spiritual journey that began in 1643 that resulted in his personal encounter with Jesus Christ in 1646.  To shorten our story, he went on to lead a movement of young people in an attempt to reform the very government of his nation.  Several prominent young men like Robert Barclay, Isaac Pennington, and William Penn joined the movement and worked with him in his endeavors. One of the main problems facing the group in England was the Church Of England's resistance to change. In fact, as a result of it's papal influences a "puritan" movement began to reform both the church and English culture leading up to the civil war.  One of center of controversies within the puritan fight was "to rid the Church of England of all of it's catholic tendencies and being under the tyranny of both the king and Roman popes."  They believed in the priesthood of all believers and their direct access to God. Any group who broke away or expressed views outside orthodoxy of the Church Of England were forbidden. As a result thousands of young people who had joined the Quakers were thrown into jail, beaten, and died while demanding a right to "Freedom of Worship and Liberty Of Conscience."  The Official position of the King Of England and his government was conformity to the Church Of England and any expression otherwise was considered a threat toward the King.  This eventually led to the founding of the major colonies in the Mid-Atlantic - Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.  It became a Quaker stronghold for 100 years. (1649-1750)

Shortly after this period, as the American Revolution began, our founding father's gathered in Philadelphia to explore William Penn's government.  First born Americans, who had no conscious memory or loyalty to England began to understand The Quaker's Holy Experiment notions of "Freedom or Worship and Liberty of Conscience" as the underlying urpose for which they needed to form an independant nation.  After much fermentation and debate, a "Declaration Of Independence" was issued and Americans began embracing, not only Penn's way of governance, but adopted many of the Qauker values that we hold so dear today.  It can be rightly asserted that William Penn was the architect of our nation and saw his colony as the "Seed of a Nation." This is what made America great place.  But these values have been put under tremendous threat not by the "Islamic extremist" of the middle east... Our fundemental rights have been under threat by "Academic Extremist" indoctrinating a whole generation in Political Correctness.

Recently, when asked what the number 1 core value people are giving up because of political correctness - Dr. Ben Carson replied, "Honesty." "People are giving up "honesty" because they are afraid to speak the truth because they will be ostracized." One of the major values of our nation has is the right to exercise "free speech." This is why what happened with Korea and the Paris incidents should be our wake up call to preserve our Right of Free speech and stop this non-sense called political correctness. The bible exhorts us to Speak the truth in love! (Eph. 4:15)  Political Correctness which was originally intended to develop "inclusiveness" has become  a means of censorship in America. It has become the silencing of "Freedom Of Thought, Freedom Of Conscience, and Freedom of Expression. 

Even though, Kim Jong-un and the militants behind the attacks in Paris, probably didn't have this "Freedom Of Thought" foremost on their mind when they attacked us and France, the attacks only serve as warning shots to those of us who are face the cencorship of thought and public expressions. Even if I don't like the perspectives of those who embrace cultures of suppression- they should be allowed to voice their opinions.  I think that it took murders at a Paris newspaper to awaken our sensibilities. It was good to see world leaders, minus the United States, to march with more than a million people in Paris to rally together for "freedom Of Speech. I am against "The Home Of The Brave" becoming tongued tied... and wonder if our political leadership deliberately missed the rally in Paris because they are those within our government who are opposed to the ideas of "freedom of speech." Too many people including our president hold to the "seduction" of political correctness which is seeking to silencing the soul of who were are as American people. It would be heartening to see our national leaders, churches, and ordinary people rally together to support "freedom of worship, freedom of thought, and freedom of conscience" like those who demonstrated in Paris. 

It seems "Dissent", whether from a republican or democrat position is no longer valued by post-modern America. This is why our government is stagnated and divided. Our government was established with underlying principles brought to our shores by George Fox and the early Quakers.  Early Quakers valued and honored, "dissent."  They understood it as a prompting of the Holy Spirit to stop, to listen and evaluate an idea. They wanted to know if it was God saying no? Or, was it God saying wait? Or was it just a value to give others an opportunity to work through the ideas presented? The idea of "Liberty and Justice for all" equally having the same civil liberties that they wanted to enjoy - was a right denied in 17th Century England. That's why our nation was founded. The unfortunate thing about Post-modern America is that it has become entrenched in narcissism and solipsism which prohibits honoring "dissenting" view points. Political Correctness, as taught on American University Campuses is increasingly becoming embedded into our legal systems. Word crafting in the service of too many leftist ideologies has been seeking to undermine the freedom of speech and honest inquiry. Anyone who questions extreme environmentalism, sharia law being protected under our constitution, feminism, homosexual marriage or Marxist economic orthodoxy or even being a part of a religious advocacy group are now faced with harassment or outright silencing.  If there is one thing I have learned about the early Quakers, they gave their lives to stand against this kind new American Tyranny griping our national discussions. I've begun to wonder if "political correction" and those who espouse it are the real terrorist and if we are being given a wake up call to stand up what for our fundamental rights as a people are. Rev. Patrick Henry, pulled off his clergy robe and revealed his military uniform, and proclaimed in his Baptist Church, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me death!"  God is speaking are you listening?

Merry Christmas! You're Fiance' Is Pregnant with Someone Else's Baby...

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  The smell of fresh cut trees, ornaments being hung on a tree, a lighted fire place,  Christmas music and gifts under the tree - especially living along a waterfront known as the East Bay of The Chesapeake makes life a little special this time of the year. Despite all the claims of some in the Christian Church who would view all this as a pagan practice, there's another way to view this winter solstice festival.  Christ has incarnated himself into our culture and transformed a pagan practice into a time of remembering him.  So to all the fans of Frank Viola and his now famed book, "Pagan Christianity" - you need to stop the Awe Humbug and get into the mystery of  God's incarnational work in our cultures, our history, and our story.  Christ is born anew everyday in our hearts and lives by getting into our story.

Recently, I've been re-readng the Christmas story and found a long neglected passage of scripture in the Gospel Of Matthew.  Matthew tells us that when "Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with a child of the Holy Spirit; her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly."  The view suggested itself to most people is that Joseph thought Mary had been unfaithful to him.  But what strikes me about this passage is, how Joseph was "unwilling to put Mary to shame."  How did Joseph overcome what he considered an injustice?  He had a powerful encounter with God.  What a powerful thought about , justice!  

Micah 6:8 What Does The Lord Require Of You?  

To Do Justice, Love Mercy, 

and Walk Humbly with Your God.

So what does justice look like to you?  In this story,  it appears that Joseph felt wronged.  Her pregnancy outside of wedlock suggested that she was not only unfaithful but had cheated on their marriage arrangement.  What does Joseph decide to do?  He sides on the side of mercy by resolving to divorce her quietly.  As a result he is called a "just" man by the writer of Matthew. According to Jewish law, Joseph had every right to "cry" foul! He could have dragged her before the courts, her family, and made a public spectacle of her but instead he was unwilling to put her through the shame of being pregnant outside of their marriage arrangements and Jewish customs.  Is this something we do when someone does something unjust toward us?  Do we seek to expose the "truth" about those who have wronged us?  Do we seek justice through the public humiliation of the sinner?  Or do we do the "Just" thing that Joseph did?  My Bible tells me that Joseph rose above all his "hurt" and wanted to deal with this "privately" in a way that doesn't bind Mary to public shaming and punishment.  It's so unfortunate that too many people are Hell bent on "shaming others."  Pointing out the sins publicly, ensuring it makes the news papers, rehearsing it on television, and seeking justice in the court of public opinion.  How many people have had there lives, reputations, and life work destroyed by the hands of their so called friends and loved ones who sought to redefine the life history but one (what appears) a major mistake.  Do you realize that if Joseph had acted on what appeared to be an "injustice" against him, Mary and Jesus both would have had to pay the penalty addressed in Jewish law. 

According to Jewish Law, these children of unwed mothers are called mamzerim (Hebrew for bastards), and are subject to a variety of restrictions and discrimination; thus, so not share privileges of God's children.  For example, in Deuteronomy 23:2 it states, "A Bastard shall not enter the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord." And because Mary's pregnancy came at a time when she was an unwed woman, Jesus' birth came at a difficult time along the human timeline. Jesus' birth took place in the time of a great Roman Empire census and required everyone to return to their home of origin to be recorded as citizens.  What a scandal that would have been for Mary to be pregnant and registering in her hometown as an unwed mother.  Joseph's decision to "cover" her vs. "exposing" her brought credibility to a story most family's would find scandalous.  What would you do if your daughter came home at age 14 and told you she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit? An acceptance Of Mary's "incarnational" pregnancy is not only the call for the "redemption" of a person's life. It also is a statement that Joseph came to believe that "bastards" need to be redeemed too!  So Christmas can be seen as a moment when God is calling you to let off all the "bastards" in your life too!   

Hebrews 12:15

"See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God

and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble

and defile many."   

Galatians 6:1

"Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, 

you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back

into the right path; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will

not be tempted."

I think that many have forgotten that "None are righteous" and "ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."  Jesus came to identify with every aspect of our fallen world and to offer us redemption... shouldn't we.  Instead, too many people today (leaders especially) love defiling others - causing trouble - forgetting their own fallen human nature.  The Bible exhorts us to "confess our own sins, one to another" (James 5:16; ! John 1:9) not the sins of others - even if they are against you!

   There is another story in the Old Testament about Noah and his son Ham that has affected my thinking about how we need to be careful about how we pass on our life stories.  It's found in Genesis 9:18-27.  After Noah departs the Ark he is found drunk and laying naked in his tent by his second born son, Ham.  Instead of covering his Father's nakedness he runs and tells his other two brothers about it.  Noah's other two son's Shem and Japeth took a garment, went into the tent backwards so not to look on Noah, and they covered him with a garment.  Noah's drunkedness and nakedness was exposed by Ham.  As a result, Noah curses Ham's son Canaan and Ham's family lives in brokenness from this time forward.  This story is recorded in the Bible for a very important purpose.  Proverbs 11:13 says, "A gossip betrays confidence, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.  I Peter 4:8 states that, "love covers a multitude of sins."  The first thing this story is pointing out is- that Ham should have covered his Father's drunkedness and nakedness and then just kept it quiet about it.  The second major theme is - Ham brought a "curse" on his family's future. Deuteronomy 28 teaches that "Blessing or Curses" come down family lines as a result of the story we choose to rehearse.  Are you rehearsing your Father's sins or his life "testimony"?

I know both my mother and father's sins.  However, I don't go around rehearsing that history.  The story I rehearse is the story of their redemption.  Their personal "sin" story stops with me. Scripture states clearly that we are to "honor our father and mother that it may go well with us, and we live a long life in the land God gives us."  (See Ephesian 6:2)  I don't want to be one of those people who rehearsing the unrighteous" history in our family so that it defiles them and causes trouble in their own lives.  

Years ago, I attended a large leadership event hosted by a prominent national church TV preacher.  During the event, his wife got up and explained to the audience that her father was a Methodist minister.  Then, to my utter surprize she then proceeded to tell everyone that the purpose of the event was "to ensure that the leaders present were not failures like her father!"  Then she went on to talk about all the wrong things her father did.  Wow! I was so blown away I had to get up and leave the event and go home.  She defiled the whole group by rehearsing her father's sins publicly.  I guess that's how she wants her children to remember her... Ham's family curse began by his exposing his father's "unrighteous: history. I think anyone who defiles others by rehearsing publicly or privately the sins of their own parents should be removed from any kind of leadership. It's a pure violation of scripture - even if he was a "bastard." I could name of lot of "bastards" I've met... however, you don't have to rehearse that story.  A dear friend of mine, William Alexander Haley (a kind, gentle, loving individual that he is) recently dusted off his grandfather's (Author of Malcome X's biography and the famed "Roots" - Alex Haley) favorite quote - Find The good and praise it!  Instead of looking for what's wrong in a man's life - why not look for the good "stories" and telling that instead of rehearsing some ole family story you nothing about anyway.  Many family stories of injustice that are rehearsed about "family failures" are laced with "bitterness" and "victimology".   How would we all feel if our own legacy's of sin and failure were what is rehearsed to our great-great grandchildren.  I don't understand people who preach that Jesus forgives us of ALL our sins and then turns around and tells publicly the sins of their fathers. Proverbs 11:13 says,      "A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."  If anyone asked me about my father's sinful past I would tell they his story of redemption. His salvation experience is an awesome testimony to share.  That's what this Christmas passage is all about - our savior was born in "extreme" circumstances which could have disqualified his life.  Why did God want this story told?  Because He wanted to show us his mercy "while we were yet sinners... Christ died for us!"  Don't you think that we need to let some stories die? Christmas is a story of redemption.  I time of gift giving even when we don't deserve it.  It's a time of - even giving the "bastards" an opportunity of mercy .  SO, please give us ALL a gift "Find The Good and Praise it" instead of telling us all how bad you feel about what you "father did or did not do for you or how disappointed you are with him."  Joseph was a "Great Man" to have believed that God could do anything - including incarnate himself in his future wife." Now that takes great faith!

Has Church Entertainment Become A Substitute For The Holy Spirit?

Modern contemporary churches across the world are using gimmicks, pop psychology, and entertainment complete with lights, smoke, big screens, pop music to attract 94% of the people already attending church somewhere else. Then we have leadership seminars worldwide measuring church success by numbers, cash, and assets and if your church doesn't measure up to this definition of success you're a failure. Well if this is so great then why are top mega pastors, marriages coming unglued, having multiple affairs, and committing suicide? Why are over 1000 pastors a month leaving the ministry? Something is wrong here. 

After 35 years of working in this field I've learned a few things, maybe it's not much, however here goes: (1) Entertainment is a cheap substitute for the Holy Spirit! It's what a dead church has to resort to when it has nothing else to offer. Take away the show- lose the the crowd! Worship and entertainment are not the same thing. (2). Consumerism feeds the self life. People looking to get fed instead of winning others to Christ, discipling them and teaching them to feed themselves are consumers - takers who want it all to be about them. We don't go to church to get fed. We feed ourselves at home reading and studying God's word, praying and worshipping daily long before we gather together as the church. We don't go to church- we are the church wherever we are. (3) Being a follower of Jesus, being a disciple of Him, is a lifestyle not an event. Just saying cause I'm concerned that too many people are not followers of Jesus. They've become groupies of the latest Dove award winners. Billboard charts has become the new goal and measure of effectiveness for worship leaders and teams. 

John Wimber once wrote, "I'm concerned the Church has become more of a theatre experience, rather than a meeting place for people to encounter & interact with God. People don't need more entertainment; they need to encounter the King."

Too often, even in the liturgical traditions worship has been been described as theatre. I've been around this mess for a long time. I've opted out because a dead church has nothing more to offer than entertainment... And it's evidence is coming out little by little all across the world. It's time to get back to the simplicity of Gods Word and to call for the restoration of an authentic New Testament church - filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit and attentive to building a biblical mindset. (Not ashamed of "speaking in tongues" and exercising all the gifts of the Holy Spirit either). 98% of GenY has never heard the Gospel. 88 % of GenX Has never encountered the power of God. Something's wrong with this picture and I'm called to help those who have not heard and so are you. Matthew 28:18-20. I'll leave the entertainment business up to the entrainment business and concentrate helping the church be the church Jesus imagined without the smoke and mirrors. Hey guys... Wake up ISIS is coming to a city near you and your smoke and mirrors are going to get unplugged when the electrical grid goes down. Time to win the world to Christ!