My hilarious (and varied) life

Yesterday, I was speaking to 200 men and my youngest son at a snow retreat in Wisconsin.

Got to the Memphis airport a handful of hours after my last talk, and heard a voice behind my ear: "Sir, may we serve you your beverages now?" It was my Congressman (and former regular guest host of my radio show) who was playfully getting my attention. We talked in the terminal then sat in the plane together and swapped perspectives over the next couple of hours.

After the radio show this morning, my wife called and said, "Come home, Michael is here!" It was my dear friend who had received Christ in prison and had just got out after four years. He was sitting in my den so grateful to be out and walking with Jesus.

Tonight I was again out at the detention center with students in tow singing, praying, preaching and studying the Word together.

What a hilarious life God has blessed me with.

In less than 24 hours...snow retreat, fellowshipping with a congressman-friend, radio broadcasting, enjoying the freedom of my newly released-from-prison friend, prison ministry, discipling. And that's to say nothing of my family, church, seminary duties, etc.

God has given me an abundant life. I am not worthy.

Author: Abby Johnson, UnPlanned

On effective outreach to the women while out at the clinics:

Just being to provide support...that's huge. We have a lot of turnarounds and a lot of successes in the sidewalk counseling that I'm a part of just because we're there.

On reaching out to clinic workers:

It think it's just trying to build a relationship with them. Not trying to be controversial or challenging.

Anytime they may want to leave and find another job that you have a plan and you're ready.

A lot of people who work in the abortion industry feel trapped in their work.

Struggles abortion victims will go through:

If we're able to say "take all of your mistakes and all of your failures and lay them at the feet of Christ". If you can say "use them to glorify your kingdom in some way", He'll be able to do that.

On her church while at PlannedParenthood:

I am critical of that church because there is no outreach for ministry.

Pastor's Circle - Jim Garlow on Loving Those Who Disagree

Dr. Jim Garlow is Pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego, California

Chairman of Renewing American Leadership

Author of the new book Encountering Heaven and the Afterlife

On spiritual growth @Skyline Church:

We're interested in high standards. We're trying to give people a model to shoot for in terms of righteous living, in terms of good choices in life.

Let's try to find a way to become, what the Old Testament calls, repair for the broken walls.

High standards?

I think there are plenty who want the truth of God words....who want to be taught to live like that.

Matt: Dr. Garlow talked about loving those you disagree with. He shared the story of being on a national television interview where the advocate of homosexual rights kept calling him a "liar." Garlow challenged him personally on that after the program and then gave him his card and phone number and asked that they stay in touch.

Later, Garlow decided to get together with him in his office while Jim was in that city. He listened to the man tell his story for 90 minutes.

Garlow said that the hope of the world is our relating to those who don't agree with us on the issues of Scripture. How else, he asks, will they ever come to the truth?

I was reminded that Donald McGavran once penned a book called The Bridges of God. In it he made the strong case that the bridge between God and lost man was the Christian willing to relate with both God and that person. The one with the audacity willing to do that is "the bridge of God."

What is the least I can believe in and still be a Christian?

Just saw an article titled "Whats the least you can believe and still be a Christian?" Hmm. Interesting question. And for whatever it is worth, I won't try to answer it in full.

But let me say this.

For all those seriously asking that question concerning themselves, or the related question of 'What is the least I can do and still go to heaven?' I think I can say with confidence - you are not a follower of Jesus.

Followers of Jesus have recognized Christ's penchant for the word "all." As in "all of your heart, all of your soul, all you mind, all your strength." There are not minimalist Christians headed to heaven. People of the Jesus faith are those who have bought in, sold out, embraced the "all" of the faith and have bet their entire lives on God.

They say there are no stupid questions. Can we say, at least, that there are inappropriate questions?

Confession: the biggest barrier to my ministering

I had just finished up preaching out at the prison and something dawned on me. I had noticed it plenty of times before but this was the first time I had ever actually admitted it to someone.

I told a fellow prison preacher (who was also a seminary student of mine) that "when I preach, I feel His pleasure." We both thought back to the movie 'Chariots of Fire' when I said that. It was a line in the movie Eric Liddell had uttered to his sister.

But then I said to the friend, "before I preach, getting ready to leave the house and come out to this place, I don't feel his pleasure."

We both laughed. He admitted the same feelings just the hour before coming out with us to the facility.

Getting ready to go and minister in difficult places is not very fun. The actual act of ministry is great. Now...why is that? Is it our selfish self that has yet to bend to the beauty of reaching out to the disenfranchised and won't feel good about it until the time for grumbling has dissolved away at last?

Or is it - can we say it? - the devil.

I am not apt to blame the Evil One for much, to be honest, although I do think he exists and thwarts much good. I didn't grow up in a theological tradition that pondered much about Satan.

But in the case of my ministering to the 'least of these' I have to wonder.

Ministry is enjoyable. I actually love it, particularly the preaching and teaching aspects of it. The preliminaries are not so pleasureable, for whatever reason. The painful thought for me is wondering how much life-changing ministry I missed out on because of the supposed discomfort of those preliminaries...getting out of the easy chair, tying the shoes on, traveling to the location, flashing the badge to get by the guards, the slight anxiety of what might go wrong, etc.

But the actual communicating for changed lives? Priceless.

Pastor's Circle - Father Albert Haase on "Mission"

Father Haase's new book is This Sacred Moment: Becoming Holy Right Where You Are. He is a Franciscan priest, author and radio talk show host.

On good works and mission

We tend to forget that we were sent on a mission. That each one of us has a special mission that only we can perform in life.

A Christian without a sense of mission is a stunted Christian

How to find your mission

It's only in prayer and spending time every day reflecting on my life.

Where is God calling me in the normal, nitty gritty of my life?

You don't have to go to the other side of the world to go on a mission. But in reality the harder place is often in your home.

Using our gifts for us

We spend too much time looking in the mirror. What the gospel challenges us to do is look out the window.

How can we be more holy today

See somebody sad, give them a smile. See someone begging on the street, stop and talk with them, give them some change.

Simply look around you...'cause that's how the Kingdom is built.

Pastor's Circle - Chris Lohrstorfer on the "Fad of Evangelism"

On the "fad" of evangelism:

Part of the evangelistic fad is that we try to systematize it and make it really easy.

I'm not sure we know what it means to be saved. Part of the fad was, here's this fact of Jesus...you need to accept that. I'm not sure if that's what it is.

I think the evangelistic fad missed discipleship. I think we got the idea that the Great Commission is casting forth seed with no end result in mind.

What does it mean to become a disciple:

The life of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the message of Jesus - all of that has to become part of who you are.

Who is good at evangelism:

The 10% (of people who have the gift of evangelism) are salesman. Beyond that, a nurturer is what you need - someone who can nurture in the way of Grace.

The postmodern world in America isn't all that relational, but they want relationships....they're not great at it, but they want it. That's what the church finally is- it's a relational body.

Evangelism must be tied to the church. It's not just "Come to Jesus" it's "Come to the body of Jesus."

If someone wants to say yes to Jesus, but not to the Church:

Evangelism has to turn to the Church.

They cannot be a disciple of Jesus outside the church.

The key to revival?

Todd Hudnall, from Radiant Church in Colorado Springs, said on the radio show the other day that the key to revival was...desperation. "Are we desperate for God? Do we want Him that bad?" Good question...desperation might include what exactly? A dictionary might help, but it has to be spiritually edited:

1. dangerous because of despair or urgency. (Reckless for God?)

2. having an need, desire, etc.: desperate for attention. (from God?)

3. leaving or not very serious or (if we try to do things without Him?)

4. extreme or making a final, ultimate effort. (because we know the Ultimate awaits?)

The unnerving thing about 'Sanctity of Life Sunday'

On the one hand, I am very appreciative about pastors (and the congregations that support them) who preach on the topic of abortion and the necessary loyal opposition to that abhorrent but legalized practice in this country.

But...we are nearing 60 millions lives taken since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973. Preaching and listening to God's Word is great. But somewhere between zero and 60 million - well, shouldn't we be motivated to do something other than preach, listen and vote?

I suspect there are some churches that take some degree of pride in preaching on the modern culture of death that is the bane of our existence. It proves somehow that we are a people who care about the evil around us.

Forgive us Lord, for that pride. And may many more of us rise up and DO something.

Vote pro-life? Yes, of course, yes. But let us also fund the pro-life efforts as if a million-plus children were dying every year. Let's go and stand outside of those clinics and pray. Let's support our crisis pregnancy centers with our efforts.

Let's ACT like there is a vicious, decades long murderous atrocity going on in our community and that God is expecting us to be salt...light...the priesthood of believers.

I read a piece by the late Carl Henry years ago talking about the scariest word in the New Testament. It was 'paradidomai." You see it three times, Henry said, in the first chapter of Romans. It is rendered: "I give you up."

Henry wondered in his article whether or not God hadn't already done that with America in light of our abortive practices (among other things). Scary thought. But scary enough to move us to action?

Adventures out at the abortion clinic

A friend named Dana stopped a young couple walking out of the abortion clinic. He was carrying a sonogram picture of the woman's baby. Dana said, "Ooohh, let me see a picture of your baby." That started a heart to heart talk that lasted a few minutes.

After a while, it looked like Dana might need some fortification. I moved in, asked them if I could hold their hands and pray and they looked open to that. I grabbed their hands and lifted up their situation to Jesus.

Then she said, was carrying "He is standing with me in this, and he ain't the one who got me pregnant." I looked up at him, grabbed his arm (pastorally, of course!) and said, "YOU are a MAN. This is what MEN do!"

Unwed births in Mississippi are around 54% of all births right now. Above 80% amongst African-Americans. Men are having sex and running away from responsibility. Here was a guy running into responsibility.

May "his tribe increase.

History of religion in 90 seconds. Sweet.

The history of religion in...90 seconds.

Oh, my.

Pastor's Circle - Scott Wilson

Scott Wilson, pastor of The Oaks Fellowship.

"The book of Acts - what we see going on there - should be normal stuff for those who follow Him."

"When we're with Jesus, when we're full of his Spirit, when we're connected to him, we should expect to see great things."

"Should we be taking our cues based on what normal is, what we see around us, or should we base normal on the radical example of Jesus?"

"I was helping people everyday (as a pastor), but it wasn't what God had (for me), He wanted me to follow closer."

"I can't get them (my congregation) to do something at the level God wants them to do. It's God's job to do that."

"Ministry has to be a Spirit-led thing, not a pastor-led thing."

What I shared out at the prison last night...

I love sharing out of Acts 8 at the prison. Much of the insight below comes from an Israel tour guide and scholar named Jim Fleming.

Philip went up to the chariot of the eunuch reading (then, Scripture was always read outloud…learning comes by hearing) a scroll (worth about $20,000). The Ethiopian was a wealthy character…the chief treasurer, a trusted official. He was reading the Isaiah scroll.

• In those days, a eunuch had both testicles and penis removed…which means he could not have been circumcised (which might explain Deuteronomy 23:1). So at the temple, he could only proceed as far as the Court of the Gentiles (which had a railing that said “No Gentiles may go beyond this line, if you do you will be responsible for your death which will ensue”).

• The eunuch wants some help from Philip concerning Is. 53. They began there.

• Perhaps they made it as far as 56: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths who choose the things that please me and hold fast to my covenant – to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.”

• No wonder the eunuch got enthused!
  

I asked the guys in that prison pod whether they ever felt "cut off" - from hope, or their family, or a fair trial, or even a visit from a lawyer who cares. They admitted that yes, they felt very cut off. I asked them to kneel so I could pray with them...that God would give them, by His grace, an everlasting name in heaven that would never be...cut off.

By the way, this is what Dr. Ben Witherington says about what might have happened with that Ethiopian's influence in days ahead...

“It can be pointed out that while there is no first-century evidence of the church in Ethiopia, nevertheless several early church fathers attribute to the eunuch the evangelizing of the region (cf. e.g., Irenaeus, Against heresies 3.12.8-10). We can only say, it may be so, and in any case the eunuch can be seen as a fulfillment of the psalmist’s words: “let Ethiopia hasten to stretch out its hand to God” (Ps. 68:31). (Ben Witherington, The Acts of the Apostles, 301)

Why Doctrine (activated) is so important

Rodney Stark (who has been featured on The Matt Friedeman Show) describes why early Christianity grew so phenomenally:

“Let me state my thesis: Central doctrines of Christianity prompted and sustained attractive, liberating, and effective social relations and organizations. I believe that it was the religion’s particular doctrines that permitted Christianity to be among the most sweeping and successful revitalization movements in history. And it was the way these doctrines took on actual flesh, the way they directed organizational actions and individual behavior, that led to the rise of Christianity.” (Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity)

This is good. Good theology is not only orthodox in nature, but lived. And that living carries forth to loving one another and establishing organizations and movements that do the same. Get those words - "...doctrines took on actual flesh...led to the rise of Christianity." Stark is right. Let us learn more, and deeply. And let us activate.

When do we have the form without the power?

Interesting question, here. And these are some perspectives. Others you might share?

When do we have the form without the power of religion?

· When we develop church growth strategies that target the middle class instead of the poor and marginalized, then we have the form without the power.

· When we spend more of our resources on constructing and maintaining Church buildings and property than we do on feeding the hungry, then we have the form without the power.

· When we spend more on pastor’s salaries, benefits, and pensions, than we do on clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless, then we have the form without the power.

· When we turn stewardship into financial campaigns for the Church, rather than sacrifice for the poor, then we have the form but not the power.

· When we blame poverty on the sloth of the poor rather than the avarice of the prosperous and the indifference of the comfortable, then we have the form but not the power.

· When we furnish our sanctuaries and social halls in such a way as to make the prosperous comfortable rather than make the indigent welcome, then we have the form but not the power…

· When we preach a grace which saves us without changing us, then we have the form but not the power. (Theodore W. Jennings, Jr. in Theology and Evangelism in the Wesleyan Heritage ed. b James C. Logan)

Spending your life in the saving of souls

John Wesley: “You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore, spend and be spent in the work.”

Spend themselves, they did!

“Of the first 737 members of the Conferences to die [up to 1847], nearly half died before they were thirty years old, [and] two-thirds died before they had been able to render twelve years of service.” Says Robert Coleman, “No insurance company would ever have given them a ‘preferred risk’ policy.” (Coleman, Nothing to Do But to Save Souls)

Interesting that I go to have a conference at work with our insurance providers. They will charge me a little more this year and hand me a page to sign. And I will sign. But what if, after the kind of Christian faithfulness that had become evident in my life this last year, they would say, "Sorry, pal, you are too much - WAY too much - of a risk.

One has to wonder how many times we eschew a life of faith for a safer life that qualifies for "preferred risk policies."

Who are our leading theologians? Good question!

Pastors need to be our leading theologians. Not professors. To which this professor says, "Amen!"

Historically, the church’s most influential theologians were churchmen—pastors, priests, and bishops. Clerics such as Athanasius, Augustine (indeed, nearly all the church Fathers), Anselm, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Edwards, and Wesley functioned as the wider theologians of their day—shaping not only the theological vision of their own parishes, but that of the wider church. In their day, the pastoral community represented the most influential, most insightful, and most articulate body of theologians.

Read the whole column. Good stuff.

Is MLK Day a Pro-life Day?

The Rev. Joseph Parker was on the radio show today. He insists that the MLK Day commemoration ought to be a celebration of the greatest civil rights movement our our era, and perhaps of any American era. And that civil rights movement is the Right-to-Life movement.

Parker is the Director of Community Outreach and Intercession with the American Family Association. He is also the pastor of two African Methodist Episcopal churches.

A friend from church was just in our house. She and her children came to the abortion clinic today to share faith, hope and love. But she noted with dismay that EVERY lady entering the abortion clinic was black. It broke her heart.

That is what Rev. Parker is getting at. Most African-Americans say they are pro-life but they get over a third of the abortions in this country while being only 13% of the population. Something is wrong with that and what better day than MLK Day to let people know about it.

By God's grace and His people stepping forward, it doesn't have to be this way.

5 Reasons Muslims Convert

A survey of 750 Muslims who converted to Christianity shows five predominant reasons they chose to follow Christ.

1. The lifestyle of Christians. Former Muslims cited the love that Christians exhibited in their relationships with non-Christians and their treatment of women as equals.
   


2. The power of God in answered prayers and healing. Experiences of God's supernatural work—especially important to folk Muslims who have a characteristic concern for power and blessings—increased after their conversions, according to the survey. Often dreams about Jesus were reported.
   


3. Dissatisfaction with the type of Islam they had experienced. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the Qur'an, emphasizing God's punishment over his love. Others cited Islamic militancy and the failure of Islamic law to transform society.
   


4. The spiritual truth in the Bible. Muslims are generally taught that the Torah, Psalms, and the Gospels are from God, but that they became corrupted. These Christian converts said, however, that the truth of God found in Scripture became compelling for them and key to their understanding of God's character.
   


5. Biblical teachings about the love of God. In the Qur'an, God's love is conditional, but God's love for all people was especially eye-opening for Muslims. These converts were moved by the love expressed through the life and teachings of Jesus. The next step for many Muslims was to become part of a fellowship of loving Christians.
   

The respondents were from 30 countries and 50 ethnic groups. The survey was prepared at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Intercultural Studies, and reported in Christianity Today.

Muslims are now 21 percent of the world population, increasing from 12 percent in the past 100 years. And the growth rate of Islam is higher than that of Christianity (1.81% per year, compared to 1.23%). Christians still outnumber Muslims, with one-third of the world population naming Christianity as their faith.

In some parts of the world, significant pockets of Muslims are turning to Christ, including North Africa, South Asia, and Indonesia.

—info from J. Dudley Woodbury, Russell G. Shubin, and G. Marks at ChristianityToday.com.