Haiti WIN! Special Webinar for Haiti Relief Done Right

From Chalmers' Center email newsletter here

Special Edition Webinar for Haiti Relief
from the authors of 'When Helping Hurts'

As you know, a massive wave of aid has already been directed at survivors of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 10, 2010. But the aid given must be the right kind of aid to make a difference.

A Webinar Series to Help You Help Haiti
To help churches, relief agencies, and individuals respond appropriately to the crisis in Haiti—helping the Haitian people to take ownership of the rebuilding process—the Chalmers Center will host a three-part, webinar lecture series.

The webinars are scheduled for February 17th, February 24th, and March 3rd, from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (US). They will be presented by Steve Corbett and Dr. Brian Fikkert, authors of “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself,” a paradigm-shifting book about the causes and solutions to the problem of poverty. The book is in its fifth printing since it was published in July 2009 (www.whenhelpinghurts.org).

Help Without Hurting
This webinar series is intended for all those responding to the needs of the Haitian people, including churches, missions boards, missionaries, ministries, Christian relief and development organizations, NGOs, individuals, volunteers, donors, and short-term missions teams.

For the rest of the article, click here.

Haiti FAIL Now #1 Story on MSNBC and Yahoo! News

When Helping HURTS gets worse.

Now MSNBC reports here that some groups are urging a complete moratorium on adoptions in Haiti. The exact opposite effect of what well-intentioned FAILed heroes from Idaho had hoped.

Here Yahoo! News also lists this FAILed expedition as their #1 story. Quoting the Prime Minister of Haiti stating that these people knew they were doing WRONG. But wait, they say they were trying 'to do the right thing.' Now a judge will have to decide.

'Trying' and 'meaning well' are not good enough. Even in their captivity, the rich Americans take from the poor and devasted.

Children will suffer more, over-taxed police are not out helping their countrymen, a devastated court system will waste time and money trying them, valuable food and medical supplies keeping the 10 fed and well get spent on people who have homes - in Idaho.

Aren't I Being a Little Harsh? Yes I am.
Why? More people will suffer because these people did not think.

The Yahoo report mentions that the 10 are being kept by police in a concrete room with no air conditioning. Good for them.

When Helping Hurts: Heroic Fail in Haiti

Well-Intentioned Christian 'Heroes' in Haiti FAIL

A friend of mine knows the folks arrested in Haiti for snatching 33 children. Here is part of our dialogue on the Haiti situation, slightly edited for anonymity:

“So the big international hoopla ("Ten Americans Arrested in Haiti...") is folks from our [city]. Three of them are friends, and one of them is barely 18...

“My most visceral reaction was frustration and even anger, that they could have gone in with such a cock-a-mamie plan. They literally planned to find a bus in the DR to charter, drive across the border, fill with the first 100 children they could find, and return across the border to house them in an old motel in the DR.

“The intent was honorable and loving, but the logistics were completely of the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants variety. Central Valley… financed it to the tune of [a significant amount of money], with the intent of similar funding on a monthly basis. They partnered with another church in Eastern Idaho, which had a dream of building a future orphanage, but without feet on the ground in Haiti [WHAT!], or, apparently even a clue about the correct process, rather than working with an existing mission.

“Apparently none of the leadership thought that planning to be questionable--and even now defend it.

“Now the opportunity is lost, 33 frightened children are displaced once again, innocent (if naive and well-meaning) people are in jail awaiting trial resulting in unknown extra costs, and all of that money was wasted.

“Some of that money had been promised to [a local mission in ID], but then rescinded when the emergency trip idea hatched. I am … dismayed at the poor stewardship and lost potential here, and I find myself, uncomfortably annoyed with people who are sitting in a Haitian jail, while I sit at my computer. It does not all add up ... and I wonder at my smug contempt.”

Helping Hurt! Helping unwisely, from the perspective of the ‘all-knowing missionary’ hurt so many people. And who knows the full extent of the damage.

Again, I strongly recommend that we as comparably wealthy Western Christians LOOK HARD at the affects of our well-intentioned mission work. Not all of it will be so disastrous as this episode. But what is 'doing the right thing?'

We (church leaders) have to ask - before we dash to disasters - 'What makes the church response Christ-like or biblical compared any other non-government agency or relief work?'

Answer: Incarnation and long-term development.

The people and nation of Haiti will be no different in the long run without the gospel of Christ preached and lived out - in both relief and development.

Again I recommend When Helping Hurts:How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett. I also recommend their online courses on the same subject. Worth the time and effort.

The Shack is Shaky

This article about The Shack by Tim Keller brings up some really important points about this highly influential book.

Hearing that so many are helped by this narrative but recognizing the shaky view of God, my question is still, 'Should I recommend this book?'

Click here to go the Gospel Coalition website.

When Helping Can Hurt: Haiti Edition

It is all over the news. Helping disasters victims who have calamity suddenly thrust on them overseas. My next door neighbors are Haitians. It is terrible. Destruction of biblical proportion. 'Close to hell' some say. It makes me want to go and help - sort of.

I'm torn. We're involved with disaster victims who have calamity slowly thrust upon them here locally (the poor). Who should get my time, resources and attention?

Part of the answer is this: who is my neighbor? Who can I help? In one disaster everyone in the world gets motivated to raise money and go? And the other local poverty disaster gets overlooked and uncared for?

Part of the answer is that we all want to be heroes. It's sexy and cool to be on the first wave of help while the cameras are rolling and everyone's talking about it. It was the same way with Katrina, right?

God save the poor from help like that!
I have been restrained from trying show up and 'help' by reading an excellent book (and MSNBC article linked below) on the issue. When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Dr. Corbett and Fikkert.

In the past, I've only wanted to help the poor with RELIEF because it made ME feel better. This book and further study with the authors at the Chalmers Institute, have made me realize I should be helping alleviate poverty holistically with DEVELOPMENT rather than using the poor as a way to help me feel better in the short run.

I used to think poverty was something 'out there' and that I wasn't poor. Identifying with Christ has shown me that I am poor and poverty is close by. In me.

So by all means, let's help! Help the Haitians - but let's do so in a wise way. Let's help as the Lord Jesus helped. Not from above with all the answers (though He was from above and He did have the answers) but by humbling ourselves as He did (Philippians 2:5ff).

Let's help the poor in our own cities. It is a multi-year commitment with no cameras rolling. But helping does help. If done wisely.

PS. Yesterday I was surprised to see this article online. Guess the word is getting around.

Purposely Un-Hip Pastor?

I'm going on record today. I'm starting the 'un-hip' trend for pastors. You heard it here first. In fact I'm so un-hip I'm going to resist the urge to start a blog called 'Stuff Formerly-Hip Pastors Like'

I used to be cool. Wore odd clothes, weird hair, toured with a band, used all the 'rad' lingo. I was the bomb. Now I'm the punchline of my own jokes.

Yeah, laugh now you young hipster pastor-types with your made-up job titles (HT to Driscoll). Punks. I was sipping espresso when you thought a strong drink meant 'Jolt' cola.

As usual, I'm way out front on this trend. I sport a boring hairstyle. My music is now labeled 'classic' rock. I drive a sensible car. Students automatically call me sir. I actually have a plan to pay off my mortgage.

I'm old school by choice. I fought it for a while. But face the facts, I started in ministry before email and managed to keep up. My first church office phone had a cord, plugged into the wall. Voice mail was an upgrade. Cutting edge worship music was printed on overheads.

I'm experienced enough to know that all the twitter, blogging, Facebook followers, new music, awesome graphics, tattoos and louder, cleaner audio won't make you a better pastor. Nor will it make your church any more biblical. Been there. Done that. Got the drawer full of T-shirts.

Be Un-Hip My Brothers
We are doubly responsible for how we live and what we teach. Love God, read His Word, obey Him, pray. Ask Him to break your heart over the lost and the least. Keep your word. Be consistent. Repent frequently.

Keep your eyes on your wife and no other woman. Grow old in honor. Aim to be married in 40 years to the same woman and for your kids to love Jesus and raise godly grandchildren. Take Sabbath rest every week. Be honest and accountable. Be the real deal to your children because when they become teenagers, they'll know if this hip cool thing is fake.

And most important: Do the simple things that Christ did when He was here. Pray. Be physically present with people on their turf. Pour your life into leaders who will pour their lives into other leaders. Be Biblically-driven. Be humble. Revel in your relationship with Our Father.

The Goal isn't how cool you can be or how many hip people you reach. The goal is this: to make Jesus Christ more famous, more valuable, more weighty in the hearts of the people God gives us to pastor.

And if we get a 'Well done! good and faithful servant' from the One who deserves all the glory, it's way better than we deserve.

Does Brokenness Ever Get Better?

'Broken Pastor' has implications. Some think it is a downer or a bummer, like they should be sorry for me. Like brokenness is permanently bad.

Oh, it was bad, but it is good now. SO GOOD!

A wild horse, a rebellious son and a stubborn pastor all need to be broken to be made whole. Blood must be sacrificed for restoration. The gospel requires brokenness.

I am more sinful than I ever dared consider. I'm am not that good. Nor am I better than anyone else.

But I'm loved. More loved than I've ever dared imagine.

That makes the brokenness so worth it. The love of God has been proven by the brokenness of Christ.

Now I'm ruined for anything other than what My King Jesus wants of me. He broke me out of kindness. And I'm grateful. Yes it hurt - but oh, the glory of the restoration is better!

As my friends at Fractured Saints say, I'm never beyond mending.

The mending process has been great. It's the beginning of the second half of my life and I'm thrilled to be a Broken Pastor

Ir@n at a Crossroads?

In today's Opinion page on Yahoo, by an experienced Iran-watcher.

This is not a simple moment[in Iran], and it would be a terrible tragedy not to grasp it with intelligence and nuance. For this could mean the beginnings of a real turnaround in the entire Middle East. This could signal the rise of the modernized Turkeys and the beginnings of the ends to the revolutionary "Islamic republics" and to Islamic terrorism.

This well-written article is intriguing. But it only tells part of the story.

What makes this more intriguing?
Conservative data and reports that indicate in the last 2-3 years over 1 million people in Iran have given up on Islam and its false promises in exchange for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church is experiencing its harshest persecution since 1980 as well as its most explosive growth ever. (sources protected)

Should Persecution Matter to Us

Thanks to advanced technology I've been able to talk to some friends of mine behind the Muslim curtain.

It's not easy on them. Some have been jailed, others harassed. They worship with the awareness that they could be beaten or jailed.

But the surprising thing to me, as an American whose biggest discomfort is self-imposed exercise, is that they don't think persecution is abnormal for the Christian life.

Suffering is normal to these former-Muslim believers.

I'm beginning to wonder if our lack of suffering weakens our faith in Christ.

I'm starting to think that my prized convenient, efficient life may actually be killing my spirituality, stifling evangelism and creating idol dependency in the US.

I'm wondering if our lack of persecution should matter more.

Especially when I hear conservative estimates are that over one million people have converted to Christ in Ir@n in the last three years.

Reproducing Churches Video

We're part of a regional network that starts churches. Lots of churches and hundreds of people helped us get started. Couldn't have done it without all the help. As one friend pointed out to me, 'Jim, you're just not that good.'

So we're very deeply honored to continued to help others start churches, like Jose Mateo at Emmanuel, Hector Guzman at Encuentro, Walter Henegar at Atlanta Westside and Matthew Armstrong at East Atlanta Village.

This 4-minute video here captures some of the dynamic of reproducing churches. It was shot by Perimeter (our mother church) for Exponential '08 last April.

Thanks to all our supporters!

I Wrote My Congressman about Health Care Reform

This health care debate needs our attention NOW. I am not a Republican. Nor am I a Democrat. I'm a well-educated Independent voter who isn't telling you how to vote. I'm telling you to communicate to your representatives!

And I am for health care reform, but I think the current plan is a RUSH job.
So I asked my congressman (whom I have met and even prayed with in his Smyrna office) to SLOW DOWN the process.

I urge you to email your congressional rep to do the same thing. If you don't know who your congressman is, this link below will tell you and even send the email.

Click on this link https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml or type it in, follow the directions.

Write your own letter or use mine as a template. It will take you five minutes or less.

Dear

I'm writing to express my concern over the mishandling of the current health care bill in both procedural issues and content issues.

Procedural:
I am strongly against rushing into any decision that does not provide adequate time for voters and leaders to actually read, understand and forecast the effects of such legislation.

President Obama promised that we the people would be able to view legislation on the internet prior to our representatives voting on it. This is not happening.

Such sweeping changes need to be studied carefully!

Please note, I am in favor of health care reform, but this appears to be a rushed decision on rushed legislation while there is a Democratic majority.

I urge you to do everything you can to SLOW DOWN the process.

I STRONGLY disagree with this procedure. I will not support you or any member of congress who rushes this legislation through.

Content:
Secondly, due to the rush, we are in the dark about the actual content of the legislation. Based on my convictions as a Christian:

I will not support a bill that funds abortion. (Exodus 20:13)
I will not support a bill that adds another government agency. Our Federal government is too large already. The government's role is to protect and punish criminals (Romans 13:1-7) not engage in daily management of individuals lives. The church and the private sector are supposed to take care of health related issues.
I will not support a bill that increases the tax burden or would likely increase the already enormous deficit and indebtedness to other nations. ("The borrower is slave to the lender." - Proverbs 22:7).

Please speak out to your Democratic leaders and slow down this discussion so we can enter into a wise dialogue.

Honestly, I cannot in good conscience support yours or anyone's re-election if you vote for a bill rushed into unexamined and with any of these unbiblical provisions.

It is an honor to pray for you and our nation's leaders. You are in my prayers.

Christians believe in citizenship! Our ultimate citizenship is in heaven, but many of us have the duty to participate in the USA's political process.

Gospel Friendship Video

I love telling people about Jesus. His good news or 'gospel' is the best. Nothing is more fun than meeting people, asking questions and striking up a conversation about Christ. Click here to watch the video.

A few years ago I met Jeff at a local speaker shop. Both being former rock musicians and with a common 'audio guy' view of things, we hit it off and ended up forming a pretty cool friendship.

Over the course of the next year, Jeff really understood the gospel for the first time. I guess some would say he 'got saved' or became a Christian. I'm not big on walking the aisle and don't put a lot of stock in decisionism, but Jeff has been transformed.

And now he's telling his friends. It's pretty cool.

So About the Video
We don't have a big money video department, but by God's grace, some friends of Jeff's put his story into a 25-minute video. It's totally pro. It's called A Song of Thanksgiving.

I think it serves too as a good illustration of the process all Christians should follow to make 'gospel friendships' or what some might call the process of evangelism and discipleship.

So thanks to Kevin and the guys for making it happen. My prayer is that 1000s more people make a gospel friendship this year and 1000s more hear and receive the good news of Jesus. Click here to watch it on our church website. It's in three smaller parts.

Christian Vocabulary Taken Out of Dictionaries

I typed 'Reformation Day' into Tweet Deck and it gave me that squiggly red line under 'Reformation'. So I retyped. Still there. This is odd.

Evidently it isn't an accident. Quick help from my buddy Steven F uncovered this article in the Telegraph.

It seems to some that not enough people who speak English go to church. So Oxford University Press took unnecessary Christian words out of dictionaries for children to make room for more important words, like 'MP3 player' and 'blog' (and 'multi-culturalism'?).

Other word categories got canned - mostly rural plants and animals kids in the city seldom see. The head of Oxford's childrens' dictionary section states:

Nowadays, the environment has changed. We are also much more multicultural. People don't go to Church as often as before. Our understanding of religion is within multiculturalism, which is why some words such as "Pentecost" or "Whitsun" would have been in 20 years ago but not now.

What Christian words got the axe?

abbey, aisle, altar, bishop, chapel, christen, disciple, minister, monastery, monk, nun, nunnery, parish, pew, psalm, pulpit, saint, sin, devil, vicar

Not sure what to say here... seems my profession, my mortal enemy, my place of work, my vocational objective and my personal human rebellion have been taken out!

What a relief I can still blog.

How to Find a Trustworthy Pastor (and Church)

Finding a church is hard. Finding a reliable teacher of God's Word is vital!

I meet a lot of people who say they are looking for the right church. (And no, I don't try to persuade every one of them to join Crosspoint.) Finding a faithful preacher of God's Word is the key to finding a good church. Brilliant music, krankin' kid's programs and a great facility won't cut it if your heart isn't fed God's Word.

This strikes home often as I read one of my favorite blogs - I'm Speaking Truth- written and moderated by my good friend (who must blog anonymously so as not to suffer threats to his life and family). He exposes false teachers. He tries to get people to leave what he calls "pulpit pimps" and the "clubs" for the sake of saving their souls. He takes on the false prophets. He names names and says things only a man who was 'come off the plantation' could say. He's one of my heroes.

Highly recommended reading, especially for my evangelical Anglo brothers and sisters who don't get out of their theological circles much.

Two Resources for Finding a (True) Church and a (Reliable) Pastor
The topic of finding a church comes up frequently on IST. Chances are slim in our transient modern era that an adult Christian will never have to search for a church. So how should one go about finding a true church and a faithful pastor? You shouldn't just follow the crowd or take your friend's advice. Listen discerningly to sermons and examine church government (and accountability).

One resource for what to listen for is here in this article by a classmate of mine from grad school. It's a list of qualifying questions and description of what to look for in a biblical preacher or teacher. Solid stuff about sermon content and personal character.

"The Bible makes it clear that there are many unreliable carriers of so-called truth. Satan masquerades as an angel of light seeking to deceive. So we need a lot of biblical discernment here. Just because a teacher or preacher comes in Jesus’ name with a Bible under his arm doesn’t automatically mean he is reliable.

"Thankfully both the Bible and church history give us some direction here. So I want to provide you with a brief list of five questions (based on the five sola’s of the Reformation) that can help you discern the reliability of a particular teacher or preacher."

The second resource is part of a reply I made to a recent post on IST. It has to do with the importance of church government and pastoral accountability in finding a pastor. Here is an edited version:
_____________________
Many of the concerns you all bring up about specific pastors can be addressed and answered by good pastoral peer-level accountability.

1.God ordains church authority (all authority in fact - see Romans 13:1).

Church government is like the engine and transmission that runs a church. You don't see how the power train works, but it's there. You had better check under the hood before you invest!

Many of the posts and comments on this blog (I'm Speaking Truth) have been leveled at so-called pastors who have NO peer-level accountability. They are the sole authority in their church. In some cases they personally OWN the church property purchased with offerings! They are self-authorized. They have usurped church ‘authority’ by only being authorized by another false teacher. That engine is bound to be a lemon.

Biblical church government is important.

What is Church Government?
Church government refers to a)how authority is applied b) how decisions are made and c)how discipline is carried out.

How Authority is Applied
In reference to finding a pastor, ask, "Is he under the authority and accountability of a biblically sound authorizing group?"

Some authorizing bodies are a sham. Some people get their pastoral credentials over the internet in 10 minutes, some from institutions of suspect quality. And yet other authorizing bodies require a pastor to be a trained professional with preference to graduates from accredited theological institutions. In my denomination, a pastor is required to pass rigorous exams similar to what a lawyer or accountant must pass in order to practice.

How Decisions are Made
A personal illustration. I wanted to plant a church after going to seminary. I had been ordained and served on staff at a biblically sound but independent church (yes there are a some, but they are rare). If I planted a church associated with this independent church, I would be independent in all decisions and only accountable to the level that I desired to be accountable.

I didn’t trust my sin-sick heart to lead an independent church.

I don't trust myself to make wise, biblically sound decisions all the time - all by myself. I don't think anyone should be put in that position of power and authority. Even if you can go faster with a church leadership structure like that, you are just asking for transmission failure while you're going 70mph!
So I sought and found a denomination that has not only high training standards but also high accountability for pastors and requires shared decision-making. I am not the ONLY person with a vote - and that is a good thing for me and for the people of our church!

How Discipline is Carried Out
What happens when someone sins so significantly that they should no longer lead a church? Does anything happen?

Actual, functional grace-driven church discipline must remove people from office, lead them to repentance, seek to reconcile them and restore them. If it is to be biblical.

Another personal observation.
Prior to joining this church association, I heard stories and later met people who have been disciplined. And they were grateful, humble after being led through the process of church discipline. I am impressed. Matthew 18 can be done. Pastors can be protected, shepherded and disciplined if needed. Wow. I wish I could say more. But I can't because we don't gossip about discipline situations.

All that to say, you should look at each pastor's accountability (not just the names of their schools and associations on a website) and church government. Ask the following:
- Where did he get his or her credentials?
- To whom is he accountable in the church and above the church?
- Who gets a real vote on church decisions?
- Are godly people supervising the pastors? Do they have actual, hands-on biblical authority to address the problems you may see and comment on in a blog?

Here is a hard fact.
No one who looks on from a distance or sits in the pews of a church can (or should) exercise direct authority over any pastor. Properly done, biblical authority comes from God, to a governing/authorizing ecclesiastical body, to a pastor for a local church. This is God's design to promote His glory and lead His people.

Church folk are called by God to submit to authority (Romans 13:1) even if authority is a Roman emperor or a pastor you don’t particularly care for after you get to know him.

Some church members have the privilege of voting on some church decisions. If you just attend, all you can do is pray and comment appropriately (There is a difference between confronting sin and gossiping. 2 Corinthians 12:20-21).

YOU are responsible to God and your family for the one under whom you place yourself. Actual church authorities have to enforce accountability.

My reaction to one sermon can't be the end of my homework.
Part of searching for a good, solid church is to check out whether the church government above the church is trustworthy too. Look under the hood before you enter into a covenant relationship with a church and its pastor.

I'm working and praying for the day when biblically-oriented folk join in with churches that have biblical authority and biblical discipline in addition to biblical doctrine in the pastors' sermons. Then the wolves in sheep's clothing will have much fewer sheep to deceive!

Jerious Norwood and Stonewall Jackson theology

This guy can RUN!

And does Atlanta Falcons running back and return specialist have some good theology in this interview too?

Yes. He's taking risks. Risks that make you cringe a little.

Generally, Americans want life safe. Really safe. It shows in the 'avoid-pain-at-all-costs' mentality. I don't even want to be inconvenienced is a corollary. The core motivation of the health care debate is fear of what may happen - and we better avoid it!

But Norwood implies that he plays professional football without fear of what could or might happen.

And he plays football at risk of another concussion - which would be his fifth. Risky? Yes, but wow, do I like the way he plays. He is full out, leave it all on the field and if I get hurt, it is what the Lord had planned for me.

We should, like Stonewall Jackson, put our bodies and schedules and money at risk for our mighty King.

Any Christian who desires to be stronger than soggy bread, has to aspire to and admire a warrior mentality. A fight's attitude that his cause is worth it.

If your life has no cringe-factor, are you living by faith to please God? Or are you living by sight to please yourself?

Whatever you think of the Civil War (and I have a LOT of mixed thoughts on that one - my great grandfather from Tennessee was a corporal in the Union Army) General Stonewall Jackson has to get your attention too.

His faith in God's providence (God's control over every detail of life) was strong. His faith was in God's ability.

He went into every battle secure in the knowledge that he could not die from a 'stray' bullet or an 'unlucky' shot. He was sure that he could leave it all on the field. So when bullets were flying, he stayed on his horse, fighting. Risky? Sure.

Oh, LORD, raise up an army of men and women who will risk, get uncomfortable, cringe, sacrifice. And start with this broken pastor who needs to believe you are in control and that I can lead men and women into spiritual battle confident in You.

Prepared for Persecution in Ir#n

I do not know these women, but I met some very much like them in my travels to the Near East a while ago. Pray for them as the Lord leads you.

Prepare Your Children. And then tonight over dinner share their story. Prepare your children and/or grandchildren for a day when they may be faced with this sort of situation.

Maryam Rustampoor, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh, 30, were arrested and sent to Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran. The two women did not rob a bank, kill a man or beat up someone.

Their crime? Loving Jesus. And it is for this reason alone they are still imprisoned.

In August during a court hearing, the two were questioned repeatedly about their faith. They were told to return to Islam.
"We love Jesus," was their reply. Prosecutors asked the women, who had already spent five months in prison, if they regretted being Christians.

"We have no regrets," they said. "We will not deny our faith." The judge sent them back to Evin Prison - notorious for its brutality - to "think about" their decision.
"We have already done our thinking," they told him.

Maryam and Marzieh are among dozens of Iranian Christians arrested, detained or interrogated in Iran in recent months. The harassment is the radical Islamic government's response to an Iranian revival that has thousands of Iranians coming to Christ each month.

from Voice of the Martyrs

Power for Gospel-Centered Ministry

Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry by K. Edward Copeland.Excellent sermon. Give a listen broken pastors and people who 'do' ministry. The Gospel is the Power. Ministers are the Reporters.

Great application in light of the high number of false teachers and itchy-eared religionists.

Atlanta Flood Funny

The Flood of 2009 will be remembered for more than one reason.

Reformed Pastors Dialoguing with Secular News Reporters

Reasoned dialogue between Reformed Christians with news reporters about the distinctions between Reformed evangelical views and practices compared to broad evangelicalism. No Rush Limbaugh, no Glenn Beck, no James Dobson.

These are my tribe. I love it.
(Please pardon the sizing problem. I don't know how to correct it.)


from Desiring God one of my favorite resources on the web.

Fined $10K for Anger

Has Serena been reading my journal? Taking lessons for the Jim Moon School of Anger Mismanagement?

"I used to have a real temper, and I've gotten a lot better," Williams said later. "So I know you don't believe me, but I used to be worse. Yes, yes, indeed."

Her profanity laden tirade cost her $10,000 at the U.S. Open. My outbursts cost at least that much. Mine are not captured and replayed on national TV, but my wife and kids feel just as threatened. And I pay consequences - door repairs, replacement shovels, rebuilding trust and public embarrassment. (Did you notice the guy's face in the middle of the picture? sort of funny. sort of)

But Someone has already paid my fines and taken all the punishment. Priceless.

Am I saying that Christ's death, burial and resurrection doesn't pay the penalty for my sin? No. He did pay for my guilt.

But sin still costs consequences (cue replay of King David's sin, forgiveness and consequences). And I'll gladly endure the LORD's kind discipline. He's making me better. Free to confess. Free to be free!

Pray for My Persecuted Friends (Keep on Praying)

This time last year a friend of mine from I**n, the son of a martyr, was unjustly arrested and detained for some time. News has been slow reaching me, but R was released months ago.

This is good news for him to be reunited with his family and for the Kingdom of Christ to expand through his network of house churches.

But suffering continues outside the cell.

Imprisonment has left deep emotional (and perhaps physical) scars. He is withdrawn and will not talk to his family about what happened during the ordeal.

I can not imagine what he suffered at the hands of the Islamic terrorists - his own countrymen - who likely tortured him.

I can not imagine what he must keep secret. How he must feel cut off and isolated even outside the cell.

I can not imagine how this effects his marriage, his family, his church ministry or his own soul. But it makes me mad!

And I groan and ache for my friend.

Pray for R, his wife, his children, his mother and extended family. The churches under his care.

Am I Saying God Will Give Me All Things?

A friend asked me a really good question today on Facebook.

I had Tweeted this verse (yes, I joined the dark side this week - follow me @brokenpastor and yes the verse is my own translation):

The One who didn't spare his only son, but gave him up for us all - won't he also grace us with all things? Romans 8:32

So here was the good question: "So you are saying God will give you everything there is? Where's it say this?"

I love good questions. I think they deserve as good an answer as I can give. Here's my answer to my FB friend.

You asked two questions. Good ones. And Margie spoke well for me [another comment]. But my answer looked ridiculously long on my wall... I wasn't fishing to preach or hit anyone with my faith. You can delete this if you don't want to hear it. But its really cool to me and means a lot to me. That's why I posted the one verse.

To answer your question C___y, Yes, God will give me (and all believers) everything there is - but in the future. Not now. Not even here on earth. And certainly not by anything I've done to deserve it. I deserve damnation. (and evidently some bacon if that little girls poster is right) [FB reference to friends wall post]

Based on the context of that passage (see Romans chapter 8 verse 18 and following) 'all things' refers to the surpassing value of inheriting Christ's eternal life in a new heaven and new earth. I will share in Christ's inheritance - again not bc I earned it. He's giving me rights to it. Crazy I know.

Verse 18 says '...our present sufferings [now] are not worth comparing with glory that will be revealed in us.' Verses 19-31 then posit this: Both Christians and creation wait and groan in this life. It's bad and broken here and now. But God's powerful to work everything out for the ultimate good.

I'm getting all things in the future through Christ and not because I'm good or deserve it. I'm an ass. But for some crazy reason God is giving this to me (and anyone who will receive it). It's only by faith in what Jesus accomplished through his death, burial and being raised from the dead. Really worth reading.

Thanks for the good question. How's that for an answer?

Mondays are for Fighting: A Gospel Reader

Repent, Believe and FIGHT!
What do I read and study to learn how to fight? Found a great starter list.

My friend Matt Adair from Christ Community in Watkinsville posted a great set of links to articles and sermons that shape who we are and what we do. Some of the authors are profs I had in grad school, pastors I respect, scholars I study and folks I hadn't heard of until I read their stuff here.

These 24 resources provide a good foundation for personal reading, small group discussion or understanding Crosspoint's mission and my personal vision. Issues we all face. Click here to find the live links.

1. Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents
2. The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration
3. Together for the Gospel Statement (PDF)
4. The Centrality of the Gospel by Tim Keller (PDF)
5. The Biblical Gospel by D.A. Carson (PDF)
6. Gospel-Driven Sanctification by Jerry Bridges (PDF)
7. The Transforming Power of the Gospel – Steve Childers (PDF)
8. The Gospel and the Poor by Tim Keller (PDF)
9. Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan Dodson (PDF)
10. The Gospel Centered Life by Bob Thune (study)
11. Gospel-Centered Ministry by Tim Keller (PDF)
12. How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself by David Fairchild (Sermon MSS)
13. The Gospel: Key to Change by Tim Keller (PDF)
14. God Strengthens Us by the Gospel by John Piper
15. Advancing the Gospel in the 21st Century Part 2 by Tim Keller
16. Gospel-Centered Preaching by Steve Childers (not online)
17. Gospel Christianity (1.0) (2.0) (3.0) by Tim Keller (studies)
18. The Gospel in Its Many Forms by Tim Keller
19. How Does the Gospel Save Believers? (Part 2) (Part 3) by John Piper
20. Gospel-Centered by Joe Thorn
21. Being the Church in Our Culture by Tim Keller (PDF)
22. Preach the Gospel to Yourself by Tim Challies
23. What Do I Mean by a Gospel-Driven Life? (Part 2 | Part 3) by John Fonville
24. The Gospel-Driven Life by Harry Reeder III

Broken Accounting for What I Cannot Earn

I think I'm really good with counting. I consistently save up my goodness in accounts in my head. I add the matching funds from affirmations from others I respect. I gladly throw in the profit I see from my plans. All in hopes that I'm in for a comfy retirement on my own merits.

And God continually messes up my counting!

God gives. He doesn't pay back. God gives me opportunity to trust in Him. He won't let me earn what Jesus Christ has already paid for and grants to me by faith alone. That is the good part of brokenness. Not so good for counting my own righteousness.

So I'm hoping in Jesus' rich, glorious inheritance that is already bought and paid for - and already in me. His accounting is far better than what I can ask or imagine.

Today I'm going to count like God counts (one excerpt below). And see if God doesn't just heal up some of this brokenness.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which [God] has called you [Broken Pastor], the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints [including you], 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power [that is already in you] is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms... Ephesians 1:18-20

My Hope-er Broke

Over two cups of coffee this morning I was talking to my friend Chanders about how my heart has been unsettled lately. Trying to talk it out. Trying to preach the gospel to each other. I think my hope-er is broke and I need it repaired.

Some of my restlessness is coming down off the mountain top of a great mission trip to Pearlington MS for Katrina rebuilding. Partly I'm scattered, covered and smothered because I have an important job that requires a lot out of me. Part of the struggle is that this world is very broken.

But mostly I think its from putting my hope in things other than the LORD.

Things I put my (breakable) hope in:
-raising godly children
-preaching good sermons
-getting all the way out of debt
-leading this awesome church to my definition of 'significant in the Kingdom'
-helping people solve their problems
-being friendly and accepted by everyone
-keeping comfortable
-leading my friends to Christ
-having enough time for myself
-developing 'Restore Life' mercy ministry
-one day getting a PhD
-never messing up beyond what I can clean up myself
-not offending anyone so they will a)join our church or b)not leave
-loving my wife and keeping her happy

My Dashboard for Performance
Yeah, I didn't have to think about that list. It's all right there - right on the dashboard of my life. Telling me how well I'm keeping up expectations, how well I'm doing, how significant I am.

All good things. But none of them are the LORD Himself. I need to hope in the LORD alone. Why?

Because HE is worth all my trust (Psalm 131). He is my only deliverer. (Exodus 15) And partly I not business thinking more highly (or lowly) of myself than the LORD thinks!

Good things that I trust in
are just good things (Romans 1:18ff). But an idol is an idol. Putting my hope in even good things will hammer me if I worship and serve them.

Maybe I'm going to trust Him. He's a better God than all those gods. Maybe I will put my hope in Him alone. Yeah, that'd be good, er the best.

The More I'm Broken the More I'm Doing the Gospel

Early on I was mostly talk and no do.

I didn't have much of a heart for the poor or those who didn't have their act together. Frankly I was judgmental, contemptuous. Deep in my heart afraid that if I took time to care about someone who couldn't pay me back somehow, it would cut into my plans to be secure, important and respectable.

See, I wanted to be better than 'those' people. Then God keeps on breaking me.
And keeps on proving to me that I am no better than anyone else.

Now I'm doing more that matters. And I find that when I go pray for a sick person, or help build or restore a house or teach an alien to speak English I'm glad. The Kingdom of heaven comes here as it is in heaven.

Heaven is for the broken, the sick, the weak and the alien.

What We Should Do for Ir*n

A 4th of July note from a pastor friend in country to me and our church.

Hi Jim
I hope this mail finds you doing well.

Congregation, I hope we will have the same day (4th July) in our country in the future. I appreciate your understanding and helping me & my people in the most difficult time of our lives. My desire is to know the Lord and His will and serve Him as the Holy Spirit directs me. I am confident that you will continue to pray for me & my country. Many thanks in advance and best wishes for whatever you do in the name of Our Lord, and for the strengthening of His Church.
Yours in the Master’s service,
R**n

Most Difficult Time
This from a man who was recently jailed for no reason other than his faith and whose own father was martyred by the Isl@mic Republic.

He is a broken pastor. He asks for prayer? We pray.
Prayer is the highest and best thing we can do.

Why We Shouldn't Mess with Ir*n (or Cuba either)

With the recent unrest after the presidential election in Iran making news in the US, I thought a comment in order.

We American Christians have an odd approach to government participation. Compared to most of the rest of our Christian brothers and sisters alive today, WE think (or I feel) we should engage and argue and even boycott governments for the sake of the gospel. We think activism is good. Political liberty = spiritual liberty.

Christians in Ir*n and Cuba that I have met approach things differently. (I guess the same is true in China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations, though I've never spoken to believers there personally.) They tell me "Inactivism" is better. Political oppression = spiritual liberty.

Why?
The Holy Spirit uses the persecution and pressure against the Church to spread the gospel to thousands, even millions AND proves to the people the inadequacy of inferior types of political governance. It's not dissimilar to the Ancient Near East in the biblical era.

So I say, Do NOT write our government to try to muster support from the USA for change in these nations. If you work in our US government, work for justice and freedom. But the rest of us (me) should not meddle in the affairs of the King of kings except in prayer.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to convert and disciple SO MANY people in these persecuted nations that political change happens from within - as a result of the hand of the LORD at work.

Marxism - A Prickly Difficult Word

The following exchange was posted on my old friend Mike S's wall on Facebook. I know its startling that a thread is worth blogging. At least I think it is anyway.

Mike posted this thought:
Mike is confused about the current love fest for Marxism and the misbelief that it is a compassionate approach to poverty. Everywhere I have been it has left a sad record of universal poverty (except for the politicians), a lack of initiative and personal responsibility, and corruption. Productivity is not criminal behavior.

To which a friend also named Michael asked, 'How many Marxists do you know?'

Mike responses are good and prickly and wise.

"Back in the olden days we senior citizens (I think Mike is 55?) had to take classes on Marxism, Capitalism and Socialism, etc. I have been to the former Soviet Union, Afghanistan (a Soviet satellite, Ethiopia (communist until '91) and have heard people speak who are involved in trying to rebuild their cultures in Eastern Europe in the aftermath of Marxism.

"I have spoken to people who witnessed the overthrow of the Afghan government in '73. The students there were saying many of the same things that spring from Marxist ideology and sound frightening similar to presuppositions blindly accepted as true in post-modern American culture.

"Labels [like Marxist] are not popular today, making it easy to propose ideas without anyone evaluating the source or the people who said the exact same things in the past and the fruit of what they said.

"I am deeply concerned about the way emotions are being played to lead people to conclusions that are Marxist--without themselves knowing what it is they are adhering to.

"I didn't answer your question Michael. I can't say that I know any Marxists personally, but I do have a limited understanding of Marxist ideas (as far as my IQ will take it). When I hear those ideas proposed by politicians, newscasters, theologians, and "20 something's" in the church, they would not accept the label--but if they walk like a duck, sound like a duck . . ."

Another comment by David mentions that 'pure Marxism' is like 'true Christianity'.

Mike replies spot on. "David, I'm afraid I can't follow either of your assessments. Pure Marxism is an oxymoron in the truest sense. There is nothing pure about an ideology built on a structure of lies. Just a few off the top of my head:

"1. Atheism. "The fool has said in his heart there is no God." Since it is a philosophy life dependent on the non-existence of God, it s... Read More nothing more than the ideas of a fool.

"2. No absolutes--"the end justifies the means." The is Marxism at its purest, and explains the corruption that permeates every Marxist system. The Law of God is written on all our hearts, there is absolute right and wrong. To believe otherwise is to believe a lie.

"3. Peace--absence of resistance to socialism. This explains why all Marxist governments outlaw freedom of speech, and only tolerate "correct" speech.

"4. Redistribution of wealth. This idea was tried by the early settlers of North America. They nearly starved to death trying "communalism." Forced redistribution of wealth punishes responsibility.

"David, I have seen pure Christianity--it is everywhere. People who admit their guilt before a holy God, and trust in Jesus alone as the one who took God's wrath for our guilt upon Himself and valuing Him above anyone or anything else cleanses the heart and begins a life-long process of transformation.

"This transformation reveals itself in an individual as he/she loves God and loves others and grows in that ability. Religious institutions come and go, but Jesus who is alive continues to call people to Himself in loving relationship--I have met thousands on that journey. It is a narrow door--so it is no surprise that few find it. If you look carefully, pure Christianity is alive and well."

Well said Mike S. I'm glad God put you in my life in 1977 (when I was 11 and Mike was 22) for all those out there trying to guess how old is 'old'

What do you think? Is Marxism real? Is Mike S a crazy old man?

Are you a Marxist and don't know it?

Busyness is from Hell

In our series through Exodus, we are beginning to uncover a major theme - rest. Rest and celebration as a product of God's Great Deliverance from Slavery.

Slaves never get to rest. I'm thinking we don't rest because we are functionally slaves. For slaves, busyness is hell.

Paul Tripp is a very wise man to whom we should listen in this problem of busyness.
Enjoy. And slow down. And Rest!

From an interview with Paul Tripp on Desiring God blog

"I read a book on stress a few years back, and the author made a side comment that I thought was so insightful. He said that the highest value of materialistic western culture is not possessing. It's actually acquiring.

"If you're a go-getter you never stop. And so the guy who is lavishly successful doesn't quit, because there are greater levels of success. "My house could be bigger, I could drive better cars, I could have more power, I could have more money."

"And so we've bought an unbiblical definition of the good life of success. Our kids have to be skilled at three sports and play four musical instruments, and our house has to be lavish by whatever standard. And all of that stuff is eating time, eating energy, eating money. And it doesn't promote community.

"I think often that even the programs of a local church are too sectored and too busy. As if we're trying to program godliness. And so the family is actually never together because they're all in demographic groupings. Where do we have time where we are pursuing relationships with one another, living with one another, praying with one another, talking with one another?

"I've talked to a lot of families who literally think it's a victory to have 3 or 4 meals all together with one another in a week, because they're so busy. Well, if in that family unit they're not experiencing community, there's no hope of them experiencing it outside of that family unit.

"We have families that will show up at our church on Sunday morning with the boys dressed in their little league outfits, and I know what's going to happen. They're going to leave the service early. Now what a value message to that little boy! Do I think little league is bad? I don't think it's bad at all. I think it's great. But they're telling him what's important as they do that.

"You can't fit God's dream (if I can use that language) for his church inside of the American dream and have it work. It's a radically different lifestyle. It just won't squeeze into the available spaces of the time and energy that's left over.

"And I'm as much seduced by that as anybody. We have sold our four-bedroom house because our kids are gone, and we've bought a loft in Chinatown, Philadelphia. And we're amazed at how simple our life has become. We're grieving over how we let our life get so complicated.

"Last year, for example, I put almost $2,500 worth of gas in my car. This year, I've put $159 in the first quarter. It's because we're walking places, and that slows our life down, and we're near the people in our church because we're within walking distance of the church. And we've had so many natural encounters with people because of that.

"We're living in a much smaller place. We got rid of most of our stuff. As we went through it, we laughed about how we just collected stuff. All that stuff has to be maintained. It grabs your heart, it grabs your schedule, it grabs your time. It becomes a source of worry and concern and need to pay.

"So we've just been confronted with how all of those things that aren't evil in themselves become the complications of life that keep us away from the kind of community that we need in order to hold on to our identity."
__________________________
To actually rest in Christ is to experience the in-breaking of heaven on earth. I believe LORD, help my unbelief!

What are We (Supposed to be) Doing Here?

I'm a big picture thinker. An iNtuitive on the Myers-Briggs. This causes me to drive my wife and teenagers crazy and probably some of you too.

Some would say I have too many deep thoughts or that I need to take up drinking. I'm never ever satisfied. I'm working and thinking almost all the time. Some people listen to music as background noise, I multi-task on big questions like:

Why are we here?
What are we supposed to be doing?
What does God want from us?
Where are we as a church going?
How are we going to reach more people with this awesome good news about Jesus?
Where is the Church going? What is happening to America?
How are we to live productive lives in this culture?
Shouldn't we be doing more for the rest of the world?

And sometimes I get over-whelmed by it all. So much is SO BROKEN!

In the last three weeks I sat with someone who broke off a 3-4 year engagement, another who turned in a family member for child abuse, heard confessions of adultery, crumbling marriages, crushed finances and failed health.

And as a broken pastor, I am almost always frustrated that I'm broken and can't fix or address or solve any of these questions.

So I needed to be reminded of this:

[God] is committed with all His infinite and eternal might to display [His] glory and to preserve the honor of His name... He remains faithful.

So would you pray that I will pray and wait for the Holy Spirit to empower me/us with whatever He wants FOR HIS NAME?

I'm pretty sure that He is able and faithful to lead for His glory.

Maybe I'm just trying to lead for my glory not His?

SEX and the Bible

Yes! God created sex to be awesome within marriage. John Piper posted a good one about sexual intimacy and the rights over a spouses body. Worth a read.

Predestination - A Concept We Misuse

I had a big piece of leftover sermon I didn't get to yesterday in week eight of our Exodus series. Thought I'd post it here.

According to Scripture, God predestines. Let that get under your skin for a minute. Don't like it do you? In some ways I don't either but in some ways it's a favorite teaching. Let me take a minute to lay out some of what I've learned from wrestling with this issue for 30+ years and in my study last week.

Arguments Against Predestination
- Argument One goes something like this: "God only foreknew what is/was going to happen - people have an inviolate freewill - and God doesn't decide what happens to people until we chose." Tried that on for years. Sort of cut into God's being all-knowing and all-powerful. Major problem.

- Argument Two says, "Since God predestines everything, I don't have to chose anything (especially things like getting a job, being responsible or all that messy evangelism and missions stuff)." Tried this for a while. It cuts into God's commandments to 'Go into all the world and make disciples...' and makes God seem pretty passive. Major excuse for doing whatever I want.

- Argument Three says, "This whole God thing is bull. I can't believe in any God that would damn innocent people to hell without giving them a chance." A very popular viewpoint. Tried it on with some friends, but by disdaining and dismissing God as an option, fails to engage in a worthwhile dialogue.
Sort of like telling your parents or spouse, 'I disagree with you so I'm cutting you off completely.' Do we really want a god or a spouse or a friend to never disagree with us? Not going to have many friends. Not that I haven't done that before.

Questions Worth Discussing
Do you hope there is a reasonable, plausible option that answers those objections? I think there are a few.

- Would a God whose worthy of following not have a plan that's a LOT bigger and more mysterious than many people want to admit? Do you want to follow a weak or a Strong God?
It helped me to learn that my mental luggage is just too small to put God inside. So it is good that I have some things sticking out the sides. Predestination is one piece that I can't cram in or completely figure out.

- Wouldn't it be a good thing for me (and others who disagree) to get bigger mental luggage? Thinking and reading about it really helped. And I'm talking hard, old books. Long conversations with fellow truth-seekers in my church and with folks who don't follow Christ. Both helped immensely. The best remedy? The preached Word of God (1 Corinthians 1:21). Predestination is one teaching that fits into a whole body of gospel teaching.
Podcasts, blogs, one sermon or two are too limited. It's like getting all your news from talk radio or the Most Popular listing on Yahoo News. Come on, you can dig in.

- Ask, 'What, if any, part of predestination can I experience or control? It helped me get a plausible answer to this conundrum when I recognized that predestination is something we can NOT experience. We can only anticipate predestination.
We can argue about it theoretically all day and night. We can 'What if' till we fall over. We can make fun of it, yell and curse and scream. But I can't experience predestination in this life.

Fact: We are time-bound. We do not know who or what is predestined. From our perspective, every decision is 100% free, human choice. (I am not arguing against the thorough effects of sin in each person - I am describing human experience.)

Fact: Only the God of the Bible knows His decrees. From His view, everything is running 100% according to plan. Even when Christ was on earth, he said he didn't know the time or season of his return (Acts 1:7).

Fallacy: You can't or shouldn't say, 'Well I know I'm predestined to salvation. Or she's so bad, I'm sure she's predestined to damnation.' Really? Isn't that is a statement reserved for a being with total access to God's mind? Careful about overreaching with your theology.

Fallacy: Predestination isn't in the Bible. Scripture says God chooses, predestines. Can't get around that. Quick sample of the top of my head.

'For he [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world...in love he predestined us...'Ephesians 1:4-5. See also Romans 9-10.

I preached yesterday from Exodus 11, where Scripture says, 'the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart' and he wouldn't let the Israelites go. Seems pretty harsh to damn a whole nation when God hardened Pharaoh's heart! But there it is. Talk about uncomfortable and politically incorrect. Whew!

Two So Whats?
1 - You have to choose. All of us. All the time. If you feel convicted or guilty or angry, you have to choose how to act. If you or a friend is prompted or convinced to turn their life around or believe in Christ, you have to choose to turn and believe.
NB: I'd even argue that Pharaoh wasn't aware that God hardened his heart. His experience was to chose to harden his heart 100%.

2 - If you believe in Christ and what Scripture teaches, predestination should make you both fearless and humble about your own salvation and telling EVERYONE else about the gospel. Why? Because the gospel tells you that you aren't any better than anyone else. God chose you because He loved you, not because you deserved to be chosen. NOBODY deserves to be chosen. If you believe in Christ, it is an utter miracle and you should be very grateful, very humble.

And very bold. We don't know who is predestined to what eternal state. (Consider a guy named Saul in Acts 6-9 - now that was a surprise to alot of believers.) We have been given power and authority from Christ to take this good news to Smyrna, metro Atlanta/Southeast and the ends of the world (Acts 1:8). Let's do it!

What to read?
Martin Luther: The Bondage of the Will
John Calvin: The Bondage and Liberation of the Will
These are books, not blogs. If you want a read-along discussion, we can do that if you are in Smyrna.
What to listen to? A faithful preacher of God's Word in the community of a local church.

Should I Judge or Not?

'Don't judge me!' 'You are just looking down on me - who are you to judge?' Thorny issues. What to do?

There are at least two ways folks, like a strict soccer ref, pull out the 'you are judging' card.

Public Speaking
I speak in public for a living. I study and tell people what God says in His Word. At least I am supposed to speak for God. But every time I speak, my personality, opinions and values show too. Its the nature of the task.

I find it worth listening to my critics and checking my motivation, no matter how mad they may make me. Often they are right! MY judgment and personal bias counter to God's Word is showing like my pants are hemmed too high. For this I do need to repent.

But if the judging card gets leveled against the content of God's Word of Truth - then who I am to try to change God's Word?

Lots of times people are so upset by God's Truth (me too!) that they lash out at the one who is saying it out loud. This is one of the lumps you take as God's servant.

Personal interaction
Often times when someone accuses me of being judgmental, they are right here too. I am guilty of judging when it is the Lord's place to do so. I AM NO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE - a lesson I need to learn over and over.

When I am wronged He promises that He will judge and set everything straight but many times I want Him to judge NOW! This shows me my need of continual mercy! O me of an arrogant and judgmental heart! Lord have mercy on me!

So if the interpersonal matter is not urgent (i.e. no one's physical life is in danger) as a spiritual discipline I am learning to withhold my immediate judgment and let the Lord season it with His loving kindness.

Most Dynamic Way Anyone has Ever Spoken to Me
Then opportunities to speak the truth in love open up. This is what I'm aiming for as a broken pastor. The truth in love has been the most dynamic way anyone has ever gotten through to me.

Doesn't always happen. Lots of time there isn't a prior trust built up. So out of deference to others I am learning to not defend myself and let the Lord defend me if He wants.

Maybe that will build trust and lead to personal transformation. Mine and anyone to whom I have the honor to speak.

One last lesson learned
As a thinking, broken pastor who seeks to have significant influence in the marketplace of our culture, I just don't use the word 'judge' very much. It has been kidnapped and infused with meaning that confuses the the biblical context.

I more often tell people that we should seek to 'discern' - which connotes the similar idea, but takes some of the edge off such a loaded word in modern culture.

Am I kowtowing to our culture by altering my language? Should I be more bold and brash? I'd be interested in your reply.

Mexico on the Verge of Anarchy?

This isn't what you'd hear on the news. While news outlets report some kidnappings, murders and such in Arizona and Texas due to the 'spillover' violence from the drug wars, what is really going on?

One former executive of a major Atlanta-based delivery company that promotes one specific color asked this question of our elders yesterday. He recounted only one horrific story that neither the US nor the Mexican governments wants publicized.

A truck full of computers travels under highest security then disappears while in the custody of Mexican border patrol. The driver shows up naked 4 days later in the middle of nowhere. This is repeated over and over. Quite a delivery route!

So let's add that to what gets reported: President Calderon sends thousands of troops to border town to quell the violence, but it only intensifies.

A decade ago 1000 pesos was so worthless, the federal government just produced new money with less zeroes on it.

Is Mexico coming unhinged?
Some think so. I fear FOR our neighbors to the South. Some of my best friends are Mexicans. I had no problem with them moving to the States to become part of our nation and now I know more. Plus I think it is foolish to be hostile to aliens seeking asylum among us (seeing as what Scripture has to say about such matters.)

Can you blame them when their government can not protect them?

What is the Christian response? to such horrible news and the threat of the instability of a neighboring nation?

I received a support request letter from an Anglo family seeking to get back to Juarez - one of the most violent cities in North America - to help train Mexicans to live and preach the gospel.

Line up to go joyfully and preach the good news to Mexicans so THEY can influence their country at the deepest roots! Risk all for the kingdom to come!

Welcome people who are HERE! Help them assimilate into our church and culture. Help them come in legally - instead of making our laws punitive to those who seek to move here! Help them learn the love of God that will compel them back home in the name of Christ Jesus.

And pray for the church in Mexico!
The word I hear from my Mexican friends is hard. Pastors are quitting their calling, church members disillusioned, seminaries shrinking. God's people are there, so let's pray for courage in the brokenness, persecution and hardships.

What is Wrong with Education These Days?

Here's a Book Review that pretty much sums it up.

Why Keep On Preaching if You Aren't a Mega-Church Pastor?

Why am I preaching when there are SO many better preachers on the internet? Can you name the one pictured here? If you go to his mega-church, how is he as a pastor?

I'm in Atlanta, land of 100 mega-churches. Why DON'T we all just give up and download Andy? Or go to a satellite location? (Or any one of the other 99 mega-pastors?) Why should I keep on preaching?

Here's Why:
I think Andy is wrong and a young pastor friend is right on.

My buddy out preaches most preachers. But has a problem Andy doesn't. He's bright, insightful, great connection with his people. He started a church about 15 months ago and now has 'too many people.'

Why would ANY preacher say THAT?!
Because he believes that a preacher is supposed to actually pastor and evangelize, care for and train up the people to whom he preaches.

He doesn't want to be a mega-pastor. He wants to reach all the people in his parish in Atlanta - and plant more churches with real actual pastors who preach, evangelize, care for and train their flock until the whole city is filled up with local pastors locally ministering locally training and living with people until everyone loves Jesus.

I'm with this guy. You can keep your two-dimensional relationship with a screen.

I want to be one of 1000s of pastors who preach and love the people into the Kingdom of Christ - all over Atlanta - face-to-face until JESUS is the most famous preacher in Atlanta.

- 10 churches of 100 people will reach more people with the gospel than one church of 1000.

Angry Protester 'Death to What?'

Angry people who can't spell crack me up.

Can you just imagine the conversation between him and the guy behind him?

OBVIOUSLY, I do NOT agree with the sentiments of either his intended message or what he actually says on his placard. I am quite fond of both!

Where Are the Bright Christian Leaders in the Middle of this Crisis?

So is it better to:

a) limit a corporation's ability to attract talent or

b) keep businesses from using government bailout money to pay executives?

I read this article about President Obama's decision to limit pay to executives in companies who take loans from the government with mixed thoughts.

On the one hand I'm against corporate executives taking government money and cashing in big salaries.

On the other hand I'm against hamstringing freedoms to attract the smartest people to solve the problems of a big corporation and pay them what they are worth.

So I'm thinking there has to be another solution, right?
O yeah, it's called 'free market economy' where companies that stink go out of business and others who can do a better job take their place. Yes, people lose their jobs and pensions. It's terrible. I must be a heartless har dass to want people to loose their jobs!

Who will help them out then? Nobody - but the government. Or will the Church step up?

What is worse, for a man to lose his job or his soul? What is more terrible than joblessness is this: people are putting their faith in jobs and government to give them life. And it won't work.

Where is the church in the middle of this? What do we have to offer people? What am I doing to alleviate the suffering of those who do not trust in God but in the plans of man? I'm praying. And teaching our men how to lead their family and their coworkers to faith in Christ. I need some laser sharp men to take the lead here. Only a community of men and women applying Scripture and wisdom is going to lead this nation out of its depression - both economic and spiritual.

Where are our bright, educated Christian leaders to lead this nation to repentance and a solid economy? Believers should be leaders in the midst of this crisis! We are all created in the image of God to transform the world in which we live!

Get off you asses Christians and let's get to work transforming this mess!

a momentary epiphany of profundity

Is this what I am aiming for? A moment of profundity? My 15 minutes in the spotlight? In many ways, I'm afraid so. Deep in my heart I am shallow.

I read this line 'a momentary epiphany of profundity' in a posted review of Lauryn Hill's 'Miseducation' on Reformed Blacks of America and the poignancy of the phrase struck home.

See I had been subtly been shaking my head at this young woman's deconstructionist patchwork of ideologies and personalities when it struck me that I do the same thing. I try to cobble together the cool and appealing ideas and positions along with my version of Christianity to make up my persona. I am wooed by our cultural tide even as I try to fight it. Like a boogie board alone in the surf, I lurch and jump when I am loosed.

YET God's law and the Holy Spirit are good and right to point out my sin so clearly. I am so judgmental. I think I know it all. Then I want justification so I speak and write and blog mostly so just maybe at some point someone will think I'm profound. At least just for a minute. I try to get my life from what people think - EVEN though He's convinced me that He is my Rock.

I sell out my Rock and my Deliverer for a patch of gravel on the sand. And then wonder why it hurts when I land on reality beach.

Thank You Lord for your mercy and long suffering with me. Thank you for revealing Your Word to my broken yet prideful heart. You are my Rock and my Deliverer and my Only Comfort in life. In You will I trust.

Holy Hip Hop Help

A godly man discussing godly music. Originally posted on John Piper's Desiring God blog.



I'm old school and out of touch musically, but I hear high commendation for these artists from Troy Coons and the staff at Impact Movement. People I respect. And you know, if the Lord is in it, He'll bring on this revival!

Prosperity Idol Worship

Found this on I Speak the Truth and it brings tears to my eyes. Tears of anger and deep sadness. This is bondage and slavery to which hundreds of thousands are enslaved in our nation and around the world.


And this sort of teaching is the most visible face of Christianity to a lost and dying world. Is it wrong to pray imprecatory prayers against this shit?

Oh wait, I am no better. I want money and ease more than I want You oh Lord! Who do I think I am? Just because I seek money in more 'appropriate' ways, am I better when I worship an idol? Oh Lord My God Have Mercy on Us!

I Have a Sword Because I am in the Killing Business

Yeah, that's right. Swords are for killing. That's why I have a real battle-ready sword just like this one. And I almost always have a knife or a blade within reach as a reminder that we are in a dangerous business. Church is a life and death business. Don't be fooled.

John Piper wrote a great short article about swords and dying here. He says stuff so much better than I do.

Here's to the King who's killing my sinful desires with the Truth of His Blade!

Dangers of Bling

Well you never know when or how the effects of wealth will turn sour.

Now you know.

Blessed Brokenness in 2008

Thanks be to God for His mercy and generosity. I am deeply honored and humbled that the God of all gods would chose a wretched rebel like me to be His servant. I am shocked that He would make me His son and heir through His Only Faithful Son Jesus Christ.

Thanks for reading my blog in 2008. Many broken blessings to you and yours in 2009.

Dog Lovers Feast?

Some people must love dogs more than I do or that is a bad sticker placement.

Do You Think about Jeremiah Wright?

I confess. I am susceptible to media influence. I don't have (or take) time to investigate. How about you?

Like, when you hear the name Jeremiah Wright, do you immediately form an opinion? Or do you have a more informed opinion?

As a pastor it ticked me off that a soundbite of any pastor's sermon would be taken out of context and used for political purposes. I listened to the context of Rev. Wright's 'Damn America' sound bites. I challenge you to do the same. You may find to your shock that you agree with the point he was making too.

Reformed Blacks of America posted a good article that challenged my thinking in several directions. Then I took the 45 minutes to watch a more developed media interview with Rev. Wright and Bill Moyer on his 'Journal' show and I'm wiser for it.

I Agree with Jeremiah Wright
about a lot of things. I probably disagree with him about significant issues. But I'm not above learning from anyone. And I repent of my instant arrogance and judgmentalism.

I'm an arrogant fool, but God humbles me so I'll still learn about culture, diversity, theology and His Kingdom.

The Kiss of Deaf

A new danger to teach your teenagers! More fodder for the birds and bees talk! One more reason to run from temp-TA-tion young PEEP-le! I am here to testify!

Imagine me on the youth speaker tour? "It wasn't years of runnin' sound for demonic back-beating Rock and Roll bands. (Turn it up to 11!) It had nothin' to do with getting blindsided in the head by a softball during intramurals. (Although that does explain some other issues.) This is why I am deaf in one ear. (Where's my Josh Harris dating book now?)

I admit it. The secret is out. It's all over the internet. I'm addicted to kissing. SHOCKING?! I've been kissing my wife since we were dating and I'm paying the price now. As our gang of rebellious suburbanites called it back in the dark days of the early 80s, there's been too much 'sucking face'."

Be warned! Too much kissy kiss can be dangerous!
(Thanks AW for the find)

Free iPod Touch is Crazy

A friend of mine came by the house the other day because he said the Lord told him to tell me that He (God) really loves me and that He (God) wanted me to know that He loves me. To experience it, deeply and with joy. And then the friend gave me an iPod Touch and said it was from God.

Yeah, that is crazy. My kids were shocked. Most people I tell this story are shocked not that God told someone to give me an iPod Touch, but that someone would actually do it.

I was shocked that God loves me and sent someone to tell me
See I have a real hard time accepting love that I didn't deserve. I'm more comfortable with working hard to make people like me and keeping them liking me. Well, I shouldn't say 'comfortable' because it is slavishly painful, but it is certainly more familiar.

And as a pastor, my feelings constantly associate being abandoned by people leaving the church. I'd rather them fight with me, get angry or something - but leaving is the worst. I'd actually rather perform so well that everyone stays and serves alongside me.

The fear of being left or rejected again presses on - even in the middle of great things happening in the church. But I didn't earn it. So I'm not happy in God's love.

Pretty pitiful. Thank God He has compassion on the broken
O God, help me receive Your love that is more than enough for rebellious hearts that want to earn and prove and fight You for the right to merit everything. Mercy!

LORD You are SO good and faithful. Thank You for your mercy and grace!

Thanks for My Father-in-law!!

CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE
I'm so thankful for God's protection and salvation! Here Elizabeth, my wife, explains our gratitude!

In 1962, my dad was navigating for this helicopter, when the pilot ran into some wires. When my dad looked up and saw what was happening, he called upon the name of the Lord and was saved.
The blades came into the cockpit and scratched his legs and dented the cigarette lighter in his boot, but he and the pilot were fine. He told this story of God's goodness with tears in his eyes at Thanksgiving dinner. I would not be here if he had not survived.

At the time of this picture, John Edward Kreiner was an Army helicopter pilot with a wife Regina and twin daughters Kim and Karen. My wife was not yet born. She would not be here except for God's saving mercy. Neither would my children, Jake, Erica and Elysia, whom I love!

And I would not be the man I am had God not saved my father-in-law - this time and several others during his entire career as a MASH helicopter pilot in Korea and Vietnam.
Thanks be to God!

With Obushama, the Rich Get Bailouts and the Poor Get Poorer

Obushama! Is something wrong with the picture? Its the same thing. Obama and Bush Obushama are doing the same thing!

The old and new administrations are essentially the same. They are both trying to bail our way out of an economic downturn by giving more money to the rich and powerful. Today I hear it's going to be another $800 billion in bailouts? Is that 1.5 trillion now - to the rich, to try to keep companies afloat so people can keep their jobs and keep consuming stuff on credit. Great. Thanks Obushama! That is really going to help the poor!

And according to Time online not one dollar will get to the rising number of people living in poverty.

Granted, poverty in America isn't poverty in Haiti, but the injustice of it all irks me. Where is all the change?

Are Lunatics Running the Asylum Obushama? Where is all the change?
Now Obushama tells us he is going to cut 'wasteful' government programs. Yeah right, wait until those special interest groups start complaining! How does that help the poor learn job skills and character that will enable them to work with dignity? It won't.

The churches and welfare agencies are going to see HUGE increases in people needing help with finding jobs and feeding themselves and Obushama wants to start massive infrastructure projects building roads and bridges. Guess who is going to get awarded those contracts? Not the poor!

How is that a change?
Real Change would be to help the churches help the poor learn character. Learn SPECIFICALLY NOT to go into debt! Instead, there are 10 million more poor people now than in 2007 and Citi Bank - who hands out credit cards to people like a drug dealer trying to hook new users - they get a bailout!

The poor have dignity and are created by God to work. Government programs that increase availability of credit aren't going to help the poor!

Okay, I need to breathe. Sorry, I get so worked up when I see solutions offered by our government that make the situation worse.

Is This Where the Emergent Church is Headed?

Is this where the church is headed?
This is just so wrong. On so many levels.
For so many reasons.

(WARNING: This video involves people disrobing in church and may cause seriously disturbing thoughts to go through your head.)

Content with Less

I preached on being content recently and it startled me - into more contentment in Christ. Since August, when I went down for foot surgery, I have had less internal stress and more joy (and contentment) in Christ's work for me.

It's nice to have a season of rest, even with the whole world apparently headed into a recession. Amazingly I'm not worried very much. I hope I hold up this well when more poo hits the fan.

If you have been praying for me, thanks!

(by the way, that is not a picture of my hands and stomach...)

Next President Will Change the World?

One of the many revelers who spontaneously flocked to the White House after Obama's win, chanting, screaming and waving signs like, "Why Wait? Evict Bush Now," summed it up.
"I came down here to make a prayer ... that we'll be able to change the nation and the world,"

So ends one of the many hundreds of articles about President-Elect Obama's mandate to change the US and the world. I can't help but wonder how people have such high expectations?

I think we are in for some serious heartache and disappointment.

After 30+ years of trying to change myself and a few people, only the route of brokenness in Christ has changed me at all. And even then I have so far to go...

Congratulations President Elect Obama

Now broken Christians and fractured saints, let's pray.

For God to protect Obama from idiots and fools.
Who would seek to steer him into sin.
Who would seek to increase arrogance in our nation.
Who would fight God's purpose of humbling and saving His elect.
Who might think we have elected a king.

And especially protect him from fools who would seek to do him harm out of prejudice, racism and hate.

I'm a broken pastor asking broken people to be praying for another broken leader.

And remembering that God is the King over all the earth!

I want Peace after this Election

This Monday morning between 8:30 and 9:30 I've already had five phone calls from live campaigners. I usually take it slow on Monday morning. But everyone wants my vote!

I want peace.
I want peace (and quiet) at home. No more phone ringing, attack ads on TV and my mailbox bulging with junk.

I want peace on the streets too. I was a kid living in a small town in the 70s. I only saw riots on TV news. But I live in ATL now. There's a part of me that worries that some folks will get so mad about the outcome of this presidential race, that they will fight. Am I being dramatic? We'll have to wait 36 hours to see.

I want peace in the church. Our church has both Democrats and Republicans (shocking?) and I told everyone to vote their conscience and then obey God and pray for whoever wins, live a quiet life, pay your taxes and remember who governs you supremely is not Obama or McCain, but Christ Jesus.

Don't get all on your high horse about this political season. It is small potatoes (or more accurately a drop in the bucket according to the prophet Isaiah).

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Romans 13:1-7

Christ Jesus is our King! The next president of the United States is His servant.

Let's keep this all in perspective. And let's all keep the peace.

Love Your Kids? Kill Your TV?

According to a study by the journal Pediatrics young children who watch TV have a 28% higher chance of developing ADHD when they are in early elementary school.

We found that early exposure to television was associated with subsequent attentional problems

our findings suggest that preventive action can be taken with respect to attentional problems in children. Limiting young children’s exposure to television as a medium during formative years of brain development consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations may reduce children’s subsequent risk of developing ADHD

And do we need all that mindless crap going through our minds? Man am I guilty of just using TV to numb my brain. I guess it is cheaper and more legal than other addictions, but really, should we as decent human beings aim higher than television?

I do like to watch my Falcons and movies are fun. But I find myself and my kids flipping channels or watching stupid brainless shows. And why?

An ancient writer says, 'whatever is true, noble, pure, right, excellent - think on these things." Wouldn't we all be better served to follow this wisdom?

Back When I Had A Spine
We kept our TV in a closet until our kids were 8, 6 and 3 and got it out only for videos and stuff. I think the only reason it stays out now is that we're all addicted to LOST and The Office (and I'm too lazy to put it away and get it out.)

I watch most of the programs my daughters watch (not all because I'm a great fan) so I can relate to them about it. We talk back to the screen, point out the stupid and wrong things purported in shows and commercials (and debates and SNL Weekend Update) but I wonder if we'd be better off just killing the whole thing....

Is it un-American to kill your TV?

Stupidity Happens Up North, But No Redneck Jokes Yet

This is terrible news. An 8 year-old boy accidentally shot himself with an Uzi while under adult supervision at a gun show. Absolutely a tragic day for that family and anyone who remotely appreciates the constitutional right and to bear arms responsibly.

But the adults at that event were STUPID to let an 8 year-old hold a loaded machine gun, much less fire it.

And you know what I'm curious to see? How does the rest of the media (yes, I am technically a member of the media now that I have a blog) handle the news and commentary?

If this had happened in one of my beloved home states in the South, every comedian (except maybe Jeff Foxworthy) would make redneck jokes about it and comment on how people in rural America cling to their guns and religion - oh wait, that was a presidential candidate who said that... sorry, I'm mad and rambling.

This little boy died at a gun show an hour from Boston Massachusetts because his parents were stupid. People do stupid things everywhere and people loose their lives.

Why? Because actions have consequences. That is the moral order of the universe.

THINK! Ideas and actions have consequences! Say "NO" when kids ask to hold or shoot loaded machine guns! Say "NO" when it is the right thing to say but isn't popular!

He's OUT OF JAIL!

Yeah, sometimes I am shocked! God hears and answers our prayers! My friend and our brother in Christ Jesus is OUT of JAIL and home with his family! Wow! I don't know anymore details than that, but it is not a joke and has been confirmed. So I'm partying!

If you wanted to get caught up, I wrote about the likelihood of him being hanged like his father here and his initial imprisonment here on 9/11.

Check Kiting Weakness

Does anybody remember 'check kiting' and how it worked?

I think it is actually illegal. So don't do this! But I have friends who told me back before banks were so automated, it took about 3-4 days for a check you wrote to clear the bank and the money to actually be taken out of your account. So even if you had $2 in you account on Friday, you *could* write a check to pay for groceries on Friday, get paid on Monday and take the deposit to the bank before the check came through. The money floated over the weekend, hence the term 'kiting.'

I am a 'prayer kiter.'

At the foundation of my life, I am weak. I minister and preach and lead my live, my family and this church (pretty much do everything) expecting that the deposit of Christ's power is going to get there even when I am empty and before I hit the ground.

I live off of the anticipated generous prayers of God's people like I used to kite a check.

Please pray for me today. Pray not that I externally conform to some set of rules or have some mysterious feeling, but that I love my heavenly Father and don't fall for the temptation to live like an orphan, but rather fall like a beloved son into the arms of the Most High God.

Hanged for Being a Christian

How long before Christians in America face this reality?

OUR FAMILY is being systematically and illegally persecuted, tortured and murdered.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ!

Pictured - father, hanged in 1980 and son Ramtin, currently arrested and awaiting judicial outcome. From the Telegraph article

This is the first and only article in the mainstream media in the US or Europe about the national movement in Iran to execute Christians. From the Telegraph in the UK.

Excerpts from the article Saturday:

Hanged for being a Christian in Iran
Eighteen years ago, Rashin Soodmand's father was hanged in Iran for converting to Christianity. Now her brother is in a Mashad jail, and expects to be executed under new religious laws brought in this summer. Alasdair Palmer reports.

Last Updated: 8:55PM BST 11 Oct 2008
Rashin Soodmand, whose father was hanged in Iran for converting to Christianity
Life for Rashin Soodmand, her siblings and her mother became extremely difficult after her father was executed in Iran for the 'crime' of abandoning his religion Photo: PAUL GROVER
Hossein Soodmand, Rashin's father, was hanged in Iran after converting to Christianity. Her brother Mashad is now in death row awaiting the same fate
Hossein Soodmand (left), Rashin's father, was the last man to be executed in Iran for apostasy. Her brother Mashad is now in death row awaiting the same fate

A month ago, the Iranian parliament voted in favour of a draft bill, entitled "Islamic Penal Code", which would codify the death penalty for any male Iranian who leaves his Islamic faith. Women would get life imprisonment. The majority in favour of the new law was overwhelming: 196 votes for, with just seven against.

Imposing the death penalty for changing religion blatantly violates one of the most fundamental of all human rights. The right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in the European Convention of Human Rights. It is even enshrined as Article 23 of Iran's own constitution, which states that no one may be molested simply for his beliefs.

And yet few politicians or clerics in Iran see any contradiction between a law mandating the death penalty for changing religion and Iran's constitution. There has been no public protest in Iran against it.

David Miliband, Britain's Foreign Secretary, stands out as one of the few politicians from any Western country who has put on record his opposition to making apostasy a crime punishable by death. The protest from the EU has been distinctly muted; meanwhile, Germany, Iran's largest foreign trading partner, has just increased its business deals with Iran by more than half. Characteristically, the United Nations has said nothing.

It is a sign of how little interest there is in Iran's intention to launch a campaign of religious persecution that its parliamentary vote has still not been reported in the mainstream media.

For one woman living in London, however, the Iranian parliamentary vote cannot be brushed aside. Rashin Soodmand is a 29-year-old Iranian Christian. Her father, Hossein Soodmand, was the last man to be executed in Iran for apostasy, the "crime" of abandoning one's religion. He had converted from Islam to Christianity in 1960, when he was 13 years old. Thirty years later, he was hanged by the Iranian authorities for that decision.

Today, Rashin's brother, Ramtin, is also held in a prison cell in Mashad, Iran's holiest city. He was arrested on August 21. He has not been charged but he is a Christian. And Rashin fears that, just as her father was the last man to be executed for apostasy in Iran, her brother may become one of the first to be killed under Iran's new law.

Not surprisingly, Rashin is desperately worried. "I am terribly anxious about him," she explains. "Even though my brother is not an apostate, because he has never been a Muslim – my father raised us all as Christians – I don't think he is safe. They assume that if you are Iranian, you must be Muslim."

Her brother's situation has ominous echoes of her father's fate. Rashin was 14 when her father was arrested. "He was held in prison for one month," she remembers. "Then the religious police released him without explanation and without apology. We were overjoyed. We thought his ordeal was over."

But six months later, the police came back and took her father away again. This time, they offered him a choice: he could denounce his Christian faith, and the church in which he was a pastor – or he would be killed. "Of course, my father refused to give up his faith," Rashid recalls proudly. "He could not renounce his God. His belief in Christ was his life – it was his deepest conviction." So two weeks later, Hossein Soodmand was taken by guards to the prison gallows and hanged.

Life for Rashin, her siblings and her mother became extremely difficult. Some Muslims are extremely hostile to people of any other religion, never mind to those who they consider apostates: Ayatollah Khomeini declared that "non-Muslims are impure", insisting that for Muslims to wash the clothes of non-Muslims, or to eat food with non-Muslims, or even to use utensils touched by non-Muslims, would spoil their purity.

The family was supported with financial and other help from a Christian church based in Iran. That support became even more critical as Rashin's mother began to lose her sight. Rashin herself was eventually able to leave Iran. She now lives in London, married to a fellow Christian from Iran who successfully applied for asylum in Germany.

It took years for Rashin to understand how her father could have been legally executed simply for becoming a Christian. In 1990, there was no parliamentary law mandating the death for apostates. What, then, was the legal basis for Hossein Soodmand's execution?

On one subject, however, sharia law is unequivocal: men who change their religion from Islam must be punished with death. So when the judge heard the case of Rashid's father, he could refer to sharia and reach a straightforward decision: the death penalty. There was no procedure for appeal.

Nevertheless, in the 18 years since Hossein Soodmand's execution, there have been no judicially sanctioned killings of apostates in Iran, although there have been many reports of disappearances and even murders. "As the number of converts from Islam grows," notes Ms Papadouris, "apostasy has again become a serious concern for the Iranian government." In addition to 10,000 Christian converts living in Iran, there are several hundred thousand Baha'is who are deemed apostates.

There is another factor: President Ahmadinejad. "The President didn't initiate the law mandating the death penalty for apostates," says Papadouris, "but he has been lobbying for it. It is an effective form of playing populist politics. The Iranian economy is doing very badly, and the country is in a mess: Ahmadinejad may be calculating that he can gain support, and deflect attention from Iran's problems, by persecuting apostates."

The new law is not yet in force in Iran: it requires another vote in parliament, and then the signature of the Ayatollah. But that could happen within a matter of weeks. "Or," says Papadouris, "it could conceivably be allowed to drop, were there a powerful enough international outcry".

Time may be running out for Rashin's brother. She believes that the new law will be applied in an arbitrary fashion, with individuals selected for death being chosen to frighten others into submission. That is why she fears for her brother. "We just don't know what will happen to him. We only know that if they want to kill him, they will."

This is 'sharing in the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Are you ready?

Your Vote Does Not Count - And I'm Glad

Shocking isn't it?!

Yeah, I've been out of town celebrating my wife's birthday, but I have not lost my touch for saying things that tick people off... It's good to be home.

Here's the truth about the Presidential election. In all the fuss over who we are going to vote for (or not vote for) I actually read the US constitution the other day and it still provides absolutely no basis for a general election of the president of the USA. (Article II, Section 1)

So electing our next president is out of your hands in two ways.

One Way Your Vote Doesn't Count
If you failed to pay attention in 8th grade social studies class, here's the deal. The 50 States through the electoral college elect the President. No matter what it looks like on the ballot you fill out, you and I have no ‘official’ vote - our states commission a group of people who vote for president and they could all go crazy and cast their votes as they want - and there is no legal basis to undo the work of the electoral college. (Remember the 2000 presidential election?)

Second Way Your Vote Doesn't Count
Both our major party presidents sound like they are running for the office of 'King.'

They are making promises that they can’t keep. The President is limited by the constitution from doing MOST of the things they promise to do. The legislative branch is limited too. It’s crazy talk. Don't be fooled by either.

By the way, Christ is already King - and He didn’t need or ask for our vote.

Why I'm Glad Your Vote Doesn't Count
If you know Christ Jesus is King and in total control, then it puts this election in perspective and gives us so peace. It reminds us who believe in Christ that we are here to serve as His ambassadors. He'll take care of the political issues.

He always has and He always will.

Jesus left us with a question that puts this election in perspective: Will He find you and me faithfully serving Him?

Or are we wasting our time and energy obsessing over such a small matter as the president of the USA for the next four years?

Thanks to Our Heroes Training for the Front Lines

I never knew how much it takes to make a church healthy, or even how to develop a healthy organization. We are making significant strides in many key areas. We have a LOT to celebrate!

We don't take for granted that the worship is going to be well planned, that the music will both rock and encourage you. We appreciate the team that makes that happen.

We don't just expect that your kids' ministry will be awesome, we are grateful that it is awesome. We appreciate the team that makes that happen.

We appreciate how much work it takes to put together a Christ-centered, biblically accurate, hermeneutically sound, interesting, personal challenging sermon that isn't too long (too often). We appreciate the team that makes that happen.

We may not know who opens the church and locks it up on Sunday. who organizes, trains and then makes the bulletins, cleans the facility, cares for the babies and toddlers and everything else. But we appreciate the team that makes that happen.

Heroes. Volunteer ministers. Servants of the Most High God. For them I thank my Lord Jesus!

Five Years Ago
Five years ago, we started Crosspoint with a band of 15 volunteers on the ground and over 120 people supporting us financially and 300 praying regularly.

Now
Now we have over 100 members, 35 plus volunteer ministers leading a dedicated core of 80 people in small groups, kids' ministry, a church plant in Powder Springs, a Hispanic ministry every Sunday at 2pm, Restoration ministry, youth ministry, admin, elders, deacons, missions and Sunday worship. And let me tell you it feels great to be surrounded by such a dedicated team - a family of humble servants.

I was laid up for almost two months with limited range of motion, but SEVEN people professed faith in that time. Amazing.

Five Years from Now
It will be a truly God-sized impact Crosspoint is making in Smyrna, Atlanta and around the world. Hold on to your hats. Invite your friends, your family and your dog, it is going to be awesome.

Thanks
I want to thanks just some of the people who are joyfully suffering to serve. It is not easy to minister and train and lead and love your family. These folks are doing it well. We are blessed to have them on our team.

Anthony Brogan - a most loyal man. A fellow fighter stretching to lead kids and youth ministry
Jim Payne - one of the best worship leaders and musicians in our denom - because he wants to be here bad enough to raise support
Hector and Cecilia Guzman - three years ago they lived in Mexico City - now they are helping lead three Hispanic ministries in metro Atlanta, including our 'Encuentro' ministry 2pm Sundays. All by faith that God will provide.
Jose Mateo - our bi-vocational church planter at our daughter church making it happen, faithfully leading, enduring the pressures and struggles of the battle. A brother from a different mother.

Amazing people - because of Obedience to Christ
They do this service because God has called them and because the love Crosspoint.
Tell them you love them. Give them a small gift this October. Write them a note of appreciation for what they do.

Thanks for generously giving and passionately following us as we follow Jesus. We appreciate it.

Palin in the Pulpit?

This blog entry by 'I'm Speaking Truth' has a video worth watching and it's just so good in so many ways.

I don't agree with everything that IST says in every blog (like not voting for president) but I appreciate his candor and his willingness to tackle hard issues straight on.

It's a video of Dr. Voddie Baucham answering the question 'Why evangelicals support Sarah Palin, but wouldn't allow her to preach' is awesome.

Catch Dr. Baucham’s quote:

We are about the Gospel. The culture doesn’t dictate truth, the Gospel dictates truth. My job is not to be a political pundit or a political activist - my job is to be a pastor, and proclaim the truth of the Gospel as clearly as I can.

That is good stuff there!

Financial Frustrations in Perspective

I'm just mad right now.

As I think we all should be. See, we are sure going to miss all that money we have to spend bailing out banks and insurance companies...

According to this article in the Marietta Daily News by Don McKee, this financial bailout has been anticipated by many over the course of the last five years, but CONGRESS has stalled attempts to reform.

Does it make you want to know how your congressmen and senator voted?

Does it make you want to vote out the bums who waited around until it was to late to do anything?

An Article Among Many

In September 2003, President Bush recommended what even the New York Times described as "the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago."

Bush's plan called for a new oversight agency for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage industry giants that urgently needed reining in. Immediate opposition came from such groups as the homebuilders association and Democrats in Congress concerned about low-income and affordable housing.

This was how Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, then the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, put it: "These two entities - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - are not facing any kind of financial crisis. The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing."

Republicans had a majority in Congress but only by the narrowest margin in the Senate, which meant any measure opposed by the Democrats could not get through, particularly since it would take a super majority of 60 votes to overcome procedural roadblocks.

When Congress convened in January 2005, then-House majority leader Tom DeLay of Texas predicted regulatory reform would come. The House approved a reform bill that included affordable housing funding, while the Senate Banking Committee voted 11-9 in a party-line vote for a bill that did not include the housing provision.

In a Senate speech on May 25, 2006, Sen. John McCain pointed to Fannie Mae's self-serving accounting manipulations by senior management, resulting in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal that included phony earnings to trigger big payoffs for the former CEO.

McCain called for reform "without delay." As a co-sponsor of the Senate reform bill (S.190), he urged quick passage. He told the Senate:

"If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system and the economy as a whole. I urge my colleagues to support swift action on this....reform legislation."

But for the third straight year, regulatory reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac foundered, "derailed by partisan disagreements over investment portfolios and an affordable housing fund," Congressional Quarterly Weekly reported. The Senate bill never made it to the floor because of those "partisan disagreements."

In August last year when the financial system was rocked by big losses in Europe on packages of U.S. mortgage securities, Bush rejected a plan to let Fannie and Freddie go over their mortgage investment limit. First, he said, Congress should reform the agencies.

No, said Democrat Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and a presidential candidate: "There is no reason why such reform is a necessary precondition to a modification of the cap."

Now we'll see if they can put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Indeed.

Hard Calls

The NFL was all in a lather over referee Ed Hochuli’s game-deciding mistake in Denver last Sunday. He blew a fumble call that would have sealed the win for the San Diego Chargers. They ended up losing. And for some people it was the end of the world.

My bet is that the mistake was hardest on Ed Hochuli himself.

Making the Call
I was a volunteer ref in a church basketball league for kids one year. It was one of those leagues where all the coaches had to take a turn reffing other games. I blew some calls. And for some people it was the end of the world.

But you know what? I liked the job. And it wasn't the end of the world for anybody. I liked working with the kids. And the coaches. They knew how challenging it was to make the hard call.

Congress should have made some hard calls a few years ago to regulate the Macs and our financial markets. This crisis is bad, but it won't be the end of the world either.

I sat with a mother recently as she wept over her son's arrest. She can't make anymore calls for him. Where is the father? I don't know. That was more the end of the world than Ed's call or even the financial crisis. Why?

Because it is happening far more often and has far longer consequences that an NFL game or a financial downturn. His life will be ruined and will ruin others lives for generations - unless Christ intervenes.

Who has to make a lot of hard calls?
I meet with several pastors and church leaders from various denominations, theologies and backgrounds each week for prayer, encouragement, mentoring and coaching.

And every one to a person this week has expressed that this battle leading the church is really hard discouraging work. And they (we) are making the calls to unify diverse churches, expand ministries, reach communities and mobilize hundreds of people to serve our King Jesus Christ and the expansion of His holy and gracious rule over us.

We are the ones who are making the hard calls and have the best chance to lead more people away from end of the world scenarios.

We need Christ to intervene through us all!
Everyday men and women on the front lines of ministry should be making hard calls. We need not fear an Ed Hochuli hullabaloo from the church if we are all a part of working in concert with Christ's interventions!

Our King is fully in control and works everything out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

If you are in a church where you are being led by self-humbling men and women who are imitating Christ Jesus and working to spread the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, then thank God for them - and get trained by them, serve alongside them. The Church is God's only ordained institution for the redemption and restoration of the world.

Ask your pastors and leaders to teach you how to do ministry along side them. When church leaders equip and multiply volunteer ministers, we'll have an army of Christ's family making a huge difference in our city. Support and join with your pastors, elders and leaders. They will appreciate the encouragement.

I'm a lot like Ed the Referee, I'm harder on myself than anybody. Pray that thousands will answer the call to make the hard calls in life. Then millions will believe in the mercy and grace of God through Jesus Christ. Especially me of little faith.

Debt Perspective: URGENT QUESTION!

URGENT QUESTION! Should anyone with a credit card be smiling?

For a bit of perspective, six months ago if you had added up the grand total of every American citizens credit card debt was almost a trillion dollars.

According to Howard Scripps News Service, as of February 2008, the Federal Reserve reported the total revolving consumer credit debt in the United States at nearly $950 billion.

That was before the economic downturn got as severe as it is now. The 'Plan' now is to rescue an entire financial system with $700 billion dollars of taxpayers' money. Taxpayers' money. Our money.

It gives me the heebie-jeebies to think about it. What is wrong with our leaders? Are people really that greedy or gullible? Evidently.

I'm Just Saying - It Ain't Easy Being Broke
If you are one of the millions of people in America in consumer debt, you are in a very precarious position and our government is putting us all in deeper. Time for a gut check!

I was raised in a low-income household but my parents were stubborn (or smart) and wouldn't take credit from anybody. Sort of old-fashioned I know. Off and on we qualified for reduced lunch but they wouldn't take it. Always took a PB&J, fritos, an oatmeal cake and an apple. (It was hard being broke but I survived.)

My parents came from stock like my Papaw who worked every day since he finished WWII at a dry cleaners until the day they made him retire - over 45 years. They never went in debt, paid off the house way early and saved up his money. He's 83 now. He lives simply and looks like a financial genius now.

When my wife and I got married fresh out of school, her parents gave us a book called Master Your Money that outlined how to handle your money the way the Bible has taught for millenia.

It's Easier Out of Debt
It has been so hard to 'suffer' without new cars, new furniture, new clothes every season. But its sure not as hard for us now. It really works. I want you to know how you can do it too.

This article in the local Marietta paper about Dave Ramsey is on the radio 640AM 3-7pm in ATL (a real radio station, not a 'Christian' station). Every day he's helping people do what the Bible says with their money. I like that - a lot. We want to help a bunch more people get freed from the slavery of debt. Or never get in it at all.

Interested in helping? Let me know.

Need a hand? Crosspoint offers two programs each year designed to help practically. Jobs for Life teaches essential job skills to help people find earn a livable wage and Financial Peace University teaches people how to get out of debt and handle their finances the way the Bible teaches.

Financial Bailout is Serious

So after reading about our government's 'jaw dropping' financial bailout plan, I'm wondering:

1. In the Paulson/Bush plan will mortgage and credit companies continue to be allowed by the Bush (and future administrations) to practice predatory lending that got us in the this mess in the first place?
2. What penalty will individuals have to pay for signing up for loans that they could not pay? Is there going to be personal accountability or an 'I'm a victim' excuse making?

Moral Response REQUIRED
Will Americans learn their lessons or just keep on living undisciplined, unbiblical, rebellious and unwise lives?
Will churches boldly teach financial truths and train people HOW to live morally upright financial lives?

We will at Crosspoint. This is a serious matter. Jesus said, 'You either serve God or money.' (Matthew 6)

Crosspoint will be offering 'Financial Peace University' beginning in January. It has helped 50+ families and singles locally get out of debt, save, avoid making stupid decisions and live wisely in this culture that lies to us all saying 'you can have what you want now and pay for it later.'

Here's a great short piece reminding us that praying for our economy is loving our neighbors.

Listen to Dave Ramsey's radio show in ATL on 640 WGST for solid biblical teaching every afternoon 3-6pm.

My Grandfather the Famous Ray Moon

This is great for name recognition. My name is James Ray Moon, Jr. I'm named after my grandfather Ray Moon.

Bodybuilder Ray Moon (R), who is turning 80 this year, competes in the Victorian Bodybuilding Championships in Melbourne September 14, 2008. Aged almost 80, Moon has overcome polio, open-heart surgery, prostate problems and financial ruin to become an Australian body building champion. Photo taken September 14, 2008.
REUTERS/Mick Tsikas (AUSTRALIA)

This 80 year-old Body Builder Ray Moon is not my grandfather Ray Moon. He's 83, lived his whole life in Knoxville TN and could kick this guys butt.

But it gives us Moon family something to shoot for and something for Elizabeth and all the ladies to anticipate... (that is me on the far left. not really. just messing with you.)

Fear Grips Markets and Millions World Wide Panic

I popped on Yahoo and this is what I see:

Morgan Stanley in talks as fear grips financials
2 hours, 10 minutes ago
HONG KONG/LONDON (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley topped the list of major financial firms scrambling to find a buyer, while central banks rushed in $180 billion of extra liquidity to bring some calm to panicked stock and money markets...

Central banks turn on funding taps to tackle market squeeze
29 minutes ago
FRANKFURT/TOKYO (Reuters) - The world's top central banks joined forces on Thursday to throw a multi-billion dollar lifeline to global markets in a dramatic effort to free up bank-to-bank lending, frozen by the upheavals on Wall Street....

Are you getting TIRED FROM ALL THE PANICKED TYPEFACE!
The Stock Market is crashing! We are headed to another Great Depression! Unemployment is at its highest in five years! Thousands loosing their homes!

It's amazing how all this news, all this data effects us, whether it directly impacts our lives or not. As I wrote last Friday in anticipation of Hurricane Ike - I'm numb. Most of us are news numb.

But there is something else I missed in my own heart and in the hearts of people in our church as I talk to them.

A greater peace
We may be numb to this data.
But to the degree that we are secure in the Great News of our Great God, we have peace and security that can not be shaken.

Many of us have been preparing our lives for this kind of situation - like God's revealed Word has told us to prepare on earth. We are out of debt, we don't borrow money, we don't put our faith in our insurance policies. We work with excellence whether our job is teaching, sales, running our business or making art.

The lack of fear is not because I'm good, or better than the folks panicking in the financial markets. Not because I have a huge stash of gold bullion in my basement either. There are times where I feel my heart getting the jitters. Times when I can't focus.

But our hearts and minds are trained by this: our citizenship and our inheritance is in another land.

We really actually rely on Our Father who is answering the prayers of His people all over the world to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

A stock market tremor or crash is all under His divine reign.

I think there's much bigger and better news that gets reported...

Why Keep On Preaching if You Aren't a Mega-Church Pastor?

Why am I preaching when there are SO many better preachers on the internet?

I'm in Atlanta, land of 100 mega-churches. Why DON'T we all just give up and download Andy Stanley. Or go to a satellite location? Why keep on preaching?

Here's Why:
I am friends with a lot of pastors. One is a younger pastor who out preaches most guys but has a problem. He's bright, insightful, great connection with his people. He started a church about 15 months ago and now has 'too many people.'

Why would ANY preacher say THAT?!
Because he believes that a preacher is supposed to actually pastor and evangelize, care for and train up the people to whom he preaches. He doesn't want to be a mega-pastor. He wants to reach all the people in his parish in Atlanta - and plant more churches with real actual pastors who preach, evangelize, care for and train their flock until the whole city is filled up with local pastors locally ministering locally training and living with people until everyone loves Jesus.

I'm with this guy. You can keep your two-dimensional relationship with a screen.

I want to raise up 1000s of pastors who preach and love their people all over Atlanta face-to-face.

- 10 churches of 100 people will reach more people with the gospel than one church of 1000.

Obama and McCain Pirating Church

Why does the church let politics steal 'Change'?

I was reading this blog by crabb on Fractured Saints about the interaction of church and politics and it pumped me up about the actual potential of the church as a change agent, leading, again taking initiative in the broader battlegrounds of our cities, nation and the world.

The church in God's eyes isn't intended to be the arrogant antagonistic Religious Right and Moral Majority (boo!). The early church saw itself as humble, wise, courageous 'Societies of Risk Takers' who suffer for the sake of their glorious King! Who take risks no one in society is willing to take.

There is room to take God at His Word and work in concert with institutions who share a common grace goal, isn't there?

Or have we all been brainwashed by both a weak withdrawing church and slick politicians that 'Change' is the function and domain of government. Well that is bull shit!

Real Change
The only lasting change in a person, a family, an institution or A NATION happens by the power of the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Church! WE are the leaders of the revolution that should be seeking change. What could be more of a change than the answer to the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us to pray?

'YOUR Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

Our view of prayer should not be so pathetic, our belief that God is able to effect change HERE and NOW in Smyrna and Atlanta as it is in Heaven, we have our sights set all wrong when we abdicate the reign of God to small prayers about Aunt Bessie's bunions.

A Sure Sign of Hope Today
I just spent the day praying, strategizing and envisioning a world where the church does this kind of work. There were dozens of men and women, Hispanics, African Americans and Anglos together dedicating to sacrificing our lives to plant churches all around north Georgia by faith. It's time for more!

Man up! It is time to pray and work! Time to suffer and sacrifice! Time to change in Word and Deed!

Hurricane Ike Effect

It's 5:30 CST in Galveston TX and Ike is slamming. Hard. Flooding. Destroying. Right now. People are dying. Homes are being leveled. Businesses being destroyed. Families being ripped apart.

What effect will Ike have on me?

1. Gas prices will go up. But I'm numb to that now.
2. There'll be even more pleas for financial assistance hit my inbox. Numb there too.
3. I'll think about Katrina and Gulfport MS and I'll feel a little sad for a minute. Numb.

What effect? Nothing really.
Hey, I'm being honest. I don't care.

Yeah, I'll watch the news and make some remarks about Ike in church on Sunday. We'll pray general prayers for the situation. Some of us may even go down there and help out for a week like Tim, Sarah, Mark, David and 1000s of others did in 2005.

'But aren't pastors supposed to care?' you ask. Well, yeah, but I don't.
And neither do you. Do you know why?

It's news.

News Numbness
That is why I don't care. And why you don't either. Nobody REALLY cares about news. It's just data streaming by our faces faster than real life.

We care more about sports than we do news.
We're so full of news that it's lost our interest.
We 'know' more instantaneously, have more data at our fingertips, just MORE. And we're numb. We know so much data that we don't don't anything or care about anything.

I just don't care anymore. And it's killing me.

Is It Killing You?
It's getting so bad that I don't even care what happens across the street or down the hall. I don't care about my neighbor or my friend or my family - because we're all just news.

We're programmed to believe and feel only what we want to feel.
We're numb.

When I stop caring, then that starts killing you. I'm a part of your oppression, your injustice. I become the problem. And if you're like me, you are too.

The worst part?
Jesus' Good News of the Kingdom of God has become just news to me. I treat it the same way I do Ike.

I'm numb to it, indifferent, only consider it insofar as it matters to my daily living. It's an inconvenience like high gas prices. Wow. I suck.

And that is getting to me. Getting me to worry about my own soul, about OUR SOULS. Maybe I'm starting to care. Some.

Lord have mercy on me. Renew a right spirit within me. I need to hear and feel and move according to the GOOD news. Wow. We all do.

I'm drowning in my own indifference. I can't save myself.
Who will save me from this body of death? Thanks be to God for our glorious victory in Christ!

Teaching What the Bible Says about Suffering Seems Like Healing a Heart with a Tire Iron

In light of my previous 9/11 post about I=an , this is shocking, prophetic and awesome audio from John Piper. He reads and comments on the introduction to his book Spectacular Sins.

Piper's prophecy for American Christians about persecution and partnering in suffering is strong, biblical and true...

Having read 4-5 blogs confronting the health, wealth and prosperity false gospel in the American church, it makes me wonder if this is the tonic for what ails us?

When things do not go well for you, will that be a crisis of faith for you?

"Our felt needs are about to change."

"Coddled people will not be good listeners when their world collapses."

"The aim of this book is not to meet felt needs, but to awaken needs that will soon be felt, and then to save your faith and strengthen your courage when evil prevails."

"If we are to endure and bear and believe and hope, we need to see the spectacular sins of history the way God sees them. I hope this book helps."

I'll buy a copy of this book for the first three people who promise to read it with me.

9/11 Remembered: Isla+ic Government Arrests, Tortures Christians

As Americans remember the thousands who died on 9/11 seven years ago, we should not forget the millions around the world who still suffer under the oppression and slavery of Isl+m.

More news is leaking out of I+an. While most of us gripe about our economy and how we suffer, our brothers and sisters in Christ are being violated for their faith in Jesus Christ.

The secret police arrested my friend R 21 days ago. This article from Compass Direct News details his situation and shows a pattern of illegal persecution. It makes me MAD! It is WRONG!

To all the skeptics who think 'all religions are the same' show me how this Isla+ic 'Republic' is the same as Christianity!

The government (NOT the citizens) of I+an is based on Isl*m. No other country bases its government on that religion. It is worse than Nazi Germany in that these ungodly practices have been going on for 30+ years.

The 70+ million people of ancient Persia are enslaved to an unjust religion and an oppressive government!

Pray for justice and mercy!

Most Exciting Name: Barack or Sarah or Jesus?

Barack Obama was the talk of the nation until 11 days ago.

Now the obession is with 'Sarah' or 'My Sarah' or 'Our Sarah' - not Governor Palin or VP candidate Palin. Not even Mrs. Palin. Seriously false intimacy here.

The hero worship boggles my mind. There are Barbie-comparable action figures now. (And Barbie is the loser.)

In our media-driven culture, when you are known only by your first name, you have arrived. Angelina, Britney, LeBron, Barack and now Sarah. Like it or not, she's the current Elvis.

And as John Lennon once stated about the Beatles, I'm afraid both Barack and Sarah are bigger than Jesus.

Even among professing Christians like me. I do get caught up in the political debate.

Here's a quiz:
1. Is that biblical - not the gimmicks - the hero worship?
2. Does Jesus mind playing second or third string on our list of heroes or priorities?
3. Does Jesus want to be an action figure for your kids too?

For answers, see Exodus 20:1-7

(For the other candidates, action figures, Pez (Prez?) dispensers and plush pillows are available too!)


More Seriously
David, one of our elders, asked me why I'm shying away from saying much about politics. Especially in light of this article in the Washington post reporting a challenge to our Federal courts to allow pastors to endorse candidates and political parties from the pulpit.

There's only One politician to promote from the pulpit - and with your life. There's only One Name worth your dedication and loyalty. He's zealous about His Kingdom and the advance of His reign.

He does not need your vote for change.

He has mercifully rescued this sin-wrecked piece of human debris.

What else could capture a heart more?

What else could motivate grateful obedience and humble servant leadership in me?

Do we Christians anticipate the day when Jesus gets the fame due His name? Won't it be an awesome, fearful thing to see the convention hall of our Savior? Sarah and Barack and Elvis and you and me, we'll one day bow our knees and confess the Name That Is Above Every Name - Jesus Lord Most High.

And that will be better than winning a small election in a remote corner of the Universe. The One True God measures the nations like sand on a scale.

Don't set your hope so low! This Sunday and every Sunday, pray you hear the correct endorsement in your church. Set you mind on things above...

...maybe then we would see some real change - on earth as it is in heaven?

I++nian Prisons Don't Stop Gospel Prayer!

This is follow up to my previous post (Aug 22) about my friend being arrested in I+an. He and his family who are leaders of home churches are suffering with chains, but the gospel advances!

This is an edited email of hard news smuggled out (I have to take out names of people and cities.)

Warm greetings in the matchless name of Jesus our Lord,
We want to inform you about R==in, son of martyr Ho***in S**d, who has been asked by the authorities (Islamic intelligent service) in M==d/I+an to report for an interview, and it has been already 2weeks past, but on Tuesday Sept 02.08 intelligent service called R===in`s brother to their organization to talk to him about the situation.

They tolled him that first we will find out what is his guilt then when we find something, he become guilty and he goes to the Islamic court for conviction and after that certainly for the punishment but probably this process take 6 months to 2 years. And they said again very badly to Aria that; you are making people Christian and surely we are trying to find those people that you made them Christian here!

His brother said his wife and mother are worry about him, and want to come and visit him, but unfortunately they said' NO' [ed. possible that he has been beaten and IIS doesn't want it known]

Please continue to pray for R===in S and his Family in I+an and so that the Lord protect and strengthen him. And also pray specific for his mother Mrs. Ma---b and Mi--a, R's wife because they are in bad pressure.
Please share this pray request to your churches or friends.

R is the son of one of I''n's many martyrs. He is being held unjustly until they beat or torture a 'confession' out of him. This is heinous and wrong!

So would you get indignant and angry and do as our suffering brothers are asking? Will you pray? Ask your church to pray? Prayer is what they want and need the most.

Pray especially that R does not feel abandoned, that he will not give up any names of other leaders, that the Holy Spirit strength him to joy like the apostle Paul in jail in Philippi and that his guards would be converted! God has done it before!(Acts 16) To God ALONE be the Glory!

President Savior Superman or Pastor

So who do I think is REALLY going to save me?

I saw an article this week on Yahoo entitled "A President, Not a Savior" by Gene Healy and it got me to thinking. http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080828/cm_csm/yhealy (need to learn that cool trick to build in the link to a hot word). It's worth the read.

The author's point is that both our presidential candidates (like all others I can remember) overstate and inflate the importance of the office of president and their desire to be a 'healer' or a 'champion of values' or any number of things.

"What moved Barack Obama to seek the presidency was "the basic idea of empathy" and the notion that if "we see somebody down and out ... we care for them." Republican John McCain explained that he was running "to inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than their self-interest."

Noble sentiments, to be sure, but in the original constitutional scheme, the president was neither Empath-in-Chief nor a national life coach. His role was to faithfully execute the laws, defend the country from attack, and check Congress with the veto power whenever it exceeded its constitutional bounds."

So that is a problem with both Obama and McCain and Barr. A problem with our nation.

And there's a problem here with me too.

I inflate my importance as a pastor too. Now I don't have people lining up around the country to see me or help me become the most powerful man in the world, but it's only an economy of scale, isn't it?

If I think 'it's up to me' to get this church (or city or world) where it should be...
If I think I'm the indispensable agent for salvation or spiritual growth...
Then I'm just as mixed up. No I'm worse. And church is worse off.

I really need to be broken and reminded that I am called here as a pastor solely and utterly because of God's grace, not my abilities. This job is way beyond me. We all need to be pointed to the God-man, Jesus Christ.

Our church - all churches - need a humbled broken man who follows the Pastor of His people. He is the Savior and the God-man.

Help me rememeber that next time I try to run for an office He's already won.

Why Men Hate Church

When this book came out three years ago, I saw it prominently displayed on the front table at Borders near my house. It also got some spark in both 'Christian' and regular mags, papers and even NBC news.

I'm one of those guys who reads books for free in Borders. Took about 45 minutes to get the gist.

I've been meaning to comment on its impact on me as the chief servant in my church. The research and interviews Murrow did for the book helped me clarify simple things to avoid alienating men without meaning to. I want to alienate people for the right reasons, if you know what I mean.

When you scratch plant (start with nobody in a new place) you feel this kind of desperation to keep anybody with a pulse. Any criticism causes a quick reaction. That compulsion/lack of faith led me toward making church more 'woman friendly.' A big one for me was without thinking I was using mostly 'soft' illustrations and stories that got an 'aw' rather than ones that got a grunt and a nod. Another mistake was to assume that if a woman spoke up, it represented what men think too.

A good take away is the observation that if a man doesn't feel like there is opportunity for him to make a difference, he won't stay around. Men want a piece of the action.

So I started connecting with guys directly, started asking them what they thought, talking more directly (bluntly) about life, got a guy to lead us in getting on a Habitat build and started looking for young men to hire as staff.

We aren't a 'church for men' in the sense that I don't dress in camo and ride a motorcycle in the church (like some disturbing videos I've seen), but we are applying some of this insight. And in year five now, we are seeing men very involved in leadership, training and serving. Even seeing some men show up without their wives and bringing them later.

The book is worth the read. Don't agree with all of his solutions. But he notes too many obvious mistakes to avoid.

Murrow's got a website www.churchformen.com. Some good free stuff on there. You can read some of it online at Amazon too.

If you can find it at a Borders, read it for free.

Big Toe Trouble

How important is a toe? I never really started to think about it until mine started to hurt - all the time. So I had surgery on August 1st. It's now (what day is it??) late August and I have only left the house a hand full of times. Because of a toe...

The surgeon removed a worn out knuckle in my right 'Great Toe' as podiatrists like to say. He added a titanium piece called a 'Hemi' (yeah, that's right, I got a Hemi), a $120 screw and what feels like a pound and a half of swelling. I have to keep it elevated. I can't put my right foot on the ground, can't take a shower, walk with crutches, can't get my own food, can't be out for more than an hour or so. Because of a toe...

'How can the hand say to the eye, "I don't need you, I'll get by without you."' Paraphrasing Scripture, it seems to me that the body of Christ, His Church, needs every member and every member healthy and whole.

We really need each other, even if you think you're just a toe. Why is the American church weak and ineffective? Could it be because of a toe?

Latinos: Field White for Harvest

Consider this:





The ministry at Crosspoint that is bearing the most new fruit is hidden from our view on Sunday. Two people in our 'Encuentro' (Encounter) Hispanic Ministry at 2pm each Sunday have come to faith in Christ! Pastor Hector and Cecilia and their girls have had their 3rd meeting and God is bringing in people hungry for the grace of the gospel! Two saved in 3 weeks!

Not many of us know all the ministry the Guzmans are doing:
- They continue to lead worship at our daughter church Emmanuel in Powder Springs Sunday morning 830-12noon
- They also lead worship (and Hector preaches some weeks in Espanol) at Grace Int'l, another church plant in Lawrenceville on Sunday evenings at 5pm
- Each week they volunteer at the Good Samaritan Clinic, a Christian medical/dental clinic for people without insurance.
- And Cecy volunteers in our church office two days a week bringing expertise and help in ways we need.

THE REASON I'M WRITING
The reason I'm sending this out today is that they need our prayers and/or financial support. As of today their next support check for living expenses is about 80% short for September 1. Even though their support has been fine since June, this is an urgent opportunity to help.

Their challenges are many as immigrants to the US, raising two bi-cultural girls in public schools, learning a new language in 2 years and seeking first the Kingdom of God with 3 churches and raising/living on support.

You may not realize it but they are living completely by faith that God will provide and are not permitted to work outside of ministry due to visa restrictions. They are legally only permitted to receive funds through our Hispanic Ministry and although there are under the table jobs available, they are committed to obeying our nations laws.

- If you can send or bring in a check, even a small amount each month, it will help them to pay their bills.
- Also, please email Hector and let him know if you will pray and/or give regularly to this important ministry. hectorguzmanmoreno@gmail.com. Every small regular monthly donation makes a difference for their family.
- If you want to bring a Spanish-speaking friend or could assist with picking up some folks, that would be great too. Many folks they meet don't have a car to get to church at 2pm.

Let's be bold and pray for a VERY affordable apartment in Smyrna for the Guzmans!

Arrested for Your Faith?

I'm distracted to pray for someone today and I can't tell you why, exactly. Not in the normal way we in the West ask for prayer requests. But I'm going to ask you to pray for my friend anyway. This is not a game. It is life and death. You'll have to figure it out.

Do you know what country is shaped like this? Starts with I and ends with N. You hundreds of thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ in this country in the hidden church.

I met some of these brave men and women in that country last year at a clandestine training seminar. I can't say enough how amazing it was and how deeply it struck me - turned upside down my concept of church. I felt like I was with 1st century believers. I can't tell you names because it isn't safe for them to be posted on the Internet.

Why am I distracted? This Wednesday August 20, one of the key leaders of the hidden church was ordered to report to the police. He hasn't been heard from since. He has a wife and two elementary aged children. He is the leader of a network of over 200 underground churches

It's killing me and I hope it isn't killing him. I asked him once, 'Are you prepared to be a martyr?' He looked me right in the eye and said, 'Yes. But I'm not volunteering.'

Pray for the brave men and women in the church in that country.
Then pray for us to be brave and let his chains, like Paul's persuade us to boldly speak the Word of God here (Philippians 1:12ff)

Ed. Aug 28 - News via the underground church is that R called his mother two days after his arrest and told her 'I am fine. Do not worry about me.' and was then disconnected. No word since.
The church in that country and expats are calling for prayer and fasting. I am joining with them.

Where Are All the (Reformed) Black Men?

Xavier Pickett will be joining us this Sunday (August 3rd) to preach God’s Word and stay after the service as a part of our Strategic Perspectives Q&A Luncheon series. Xavier will be commenting on “The Church, Race, and Diversity.” The Q&A time will last approximately 35 minutes. All are welcome!


Xavier Pickett is the co-founder of Reformed Blacks of America http://reformedblacksofamerica.org/, a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Pastor Jim met Xavier through our involvement with Atlanta's New Church Network that seeks to plant hundreds of churches in and around this strategic international city.

This is a great opportunity for our church - that desires to be more diverse - to wrestle with our calling to love one another as Christ loves us and to build bridges of biblical reconcilation over racial barriers.

Which is Better? Prayer for the Sick or for Missions?

Hey all
Ever wondered how praying for 'all those sick people' really mattered? We have been praying for the Caputos and Laurie and Jan Smith and all our missionaries and the new Hispanic ministry so here’s the latest:

[Ed. Note: We had prayed that God would heal Laurie Dixon. Our prayers were answered by Him taking her on home to heaven a few weeks after this posting. We are now praying for healing in the grief as the family adjusts.]

Mission
Robyn Lucas returned from ‘East Asia’ and we’ll be hearing an update from her this Sunday during our Mission Moment!
Troy and Teri Coons have finished the project in South Africa are will be making their way back over the next weeks. Pray for safe travel for them.
Héctor and Cecilia Guzmán have begun their first week of ministry here in Smyrna among Spanish speaking people. We will be hosting a Parenting Seminar with them on Sunday July 20. Pray that many folks will come and that Héctor and Cecy will be encouraged in the work of the gospel here among us!
And pray for your friends that Jesus loves and died for this week. He has come to seek and save those that are lost!

Health
Caputos are in a new place. Mostly moved in. The girls and Laurie each have a room. They have a new phone number but I don’t know it…. So they have a place for Laurie to come home now! Thanks to all 15 or 20 of you who helped move and settle them in. Keep praying for emotional strength and for patience because…
Laurie’s still at the hospital. She has an infection in her leg that they are watching. She’d due for another round of chemo soon. But more than that, she’s ready to go HOME! Pray for healing from this infection and cancer too!
Jan Smith had hip replacement surgery last week and quite an overreaction to her pain medication. I won’t spoil her telling of the story, but she did make it home this week. She’s feeling good and pain free. Pray that she can make it to church. (Also, Ron and Jan’s daughter Angel is going to have her baby any day now. Pray for a safe delivery! Pray for Angel’s salvation too)

If you are still praying or reading, here’s where mission intersects with health. People are noticing how well you are loving each other and serving each other. The stories are spreading word of mouth. Glory to God for HIS indescribable mercy and love that we can pass along to each other!

Hope to see you Sunday at 10am!

Laurie's Fight with Cancer

Hey all,
It has been a while since I blogged on. There has been a huge effort to get Mike and Julie and Laurie's girls into a new house so she can come home from the hospital. Finally they are moved in and should have everything ready tomorrow.

Laurie's condition seems to be the same. The doctors have been great, but they are still vague with her about what is going on. I don't think they have much hope. But I do.

God has reminded me over and over that He can defeat anything, including cancer in Laurie. I'm not in la-la land, but I am putting my hope in Him until He either heals her or heals her completely. Either way, she's good to go!

- So pray for Laurie's healing. Keep asking. Keep seeking, Keep KNOCKING!
- Pray too for our missionaries in North Africa (behind the Muslim Curtain) and in Durban South Africa, in London and back from East Asia.
- Pray for unity in our diverse church.
- Pray for inner-family reconciliation. Several families are just stressed. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't. We ALL need Jesus to heal us deeply and strengthen our faith in His gospel and His Kingdom!

I'm hoping Robyn L will be ready to catch us up after her trip to East Asia. She was in church on Sunday. Good to have her back!

That's it for now.
Love you all and thanks for praying!

Crosspoint Featured at Exponential 08

Hey all of you,
A couple of weeks ago, our church and I (along with Jose Mateo as our church planter) were featured in a 3-minute video about church multiplication at a national church planting conference called Exponential 08. I found out through my friend Jon that there were 2,700 people there, many of whom were young adults considering the call to church plant in the US. I hope it was an encouragement to them.

It encouraged me to rehearse God’s hand in all this over almost 10 years of preparation, calling, failing once and growth. I still need to be more humbled, but, well, it is just pretty cool to look back. We started all this planning when Jake was 8, Erica 6 and Elysia was 3 and Jake’s now 18 and in three weeks he graduates and goes off to university. Amazing.

And I hope it is an encouragement to you all too. There are over 300+ supporters and partners that gave, prayed and worked alongside me to make this exciting church a reality. You all deserve a bunch of credit – especially you Elizabeth, Jake, Erica and Elysia for sticking with me when it was hard. I want you all to know that I thank God for each of you with tears and great joy.

And I hope it clearly gives God the glory for using a knucklehead like me to start a church that will start more churches.
Please keep praying for more churches, more conversions and more ministers to this lost and dying world.
Graced
Jim

Oh, here is the link. http://www.crawfordgroup.tv/preview/exponential/trio_atlanta_V2.mov

I love you all very much….

Life or Death on the Frontlines

Lots of Action on the Front Lines

This has been a full couple of weeks.
- We've had an influx of 20 family units visit. Pray for us as we try to help them feel welcome and start growing.
- Satan is trying to kill people. Two of our youth K and D were present when their friend was shot and killed by police last week near Franklin Rd. Pray for K and D's salvation and safety and jobs!
- One father of 2 attempted to take his life last week. We are helping pick up the pieces of his family now that he has been arrested and lost his job.
- We have been working in the background for over 12 months to hire an Hispanic man to help start a Spanish service. Pray that his visa get approved and for their financial support.

There is alot going on and I appear to be doing well. Pray that I pray well and rest deeply in Christ!
Thanks for praying!

Heaven and the Drained Brain Syndrome

Yesterday I preached about Heaven and what our resurrected bodies will be like in Heaven with God. Wow, it was so good I was taking notes! 8-) (Those that know me well know I'm not really all that good...) But to study and to hear this news about being resurrected to immortality, honor and power! Wow! Check out I Corinthians 15:35-58! We have a Victory in Christ that kicks!

So why Drained Brain Syndrome today?

I don't know. Maybe I'm a wimp. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself. Maybe I'm fighting something. Wait! I am! And if you are a Christian, you're fighitng something too! I'm fighting sin, weakness, death, hell and the devil (may he go to hell) and it is a BATTLE!

Would you pray for me and for your three favorite people to repent from self-reliance, believe the gospel and fight well?
Now pray for a couple more who are struggling.
Now take a minute to just stop.

And think on whatever is good, whatever is excellent, worthy of praise (God Himself).

Make a plan to read some Scripture later today.
Graced
Jim

P.S. I'm stoked about the number of folks who signed up to read the Essential 100 Bible reading passages!

PMS: I am fighting it and I am not the only one

Let me clarify, it's Post-Ministry Syndrome and every pastor has it.
It usually hits on Monday after a Sunday when I preach, teach or have some leadership role in church, so yeah, it's pretty much every week. I also struggle with Pre-Ministry Syndrome on Saturday nights, but that is a different battle.

See, yesterday was a really good day from a ministry and family perspective. Our King Jesus showed His worth and fame to over 100 people in our first week of two services, people worshiped and served God. My family had a really good day together. I really have nothing to complain about, but I feel down anyway. Why? I'm fighting a 3-front battle with what the Scripture outlines as the world, the flesh and the devil.

The world puts big kudos on big churches and popular preachers. Why am I even talking about this? Because in my fleshly heart of hearts, I want to be famous and popular. And the devil knows it (EVERY preacher wants to be famous, don't kid yourself) so he hammers away with temptation after temptation. He puts thoughts in my head like, 'I'll never make a difference.' and 'Who am I kidding? This will never work.' See he wants me to think, and I want to think that ministry and family and health and everything is up to me. It's not.

If you are reading this and you go to my church, I hope you won't fall for the lie that it is up to me either. Who am I kidding? If you are reading this and you go to my church you are probably already more convinced than I am that it's not up to me. You know me!

So to hell with the devil. He is beaten and he isn't taking me with him. My King, The Lord Jesus has rescued me from this power of sin inside and outside me.
And to Christ goes my flesh and the world. He is able to change. Have mercy on me a sinner. Thanks be to God!

Trying Two Services

Two Services - 930 and 1105

It has come to the point where we have filled out 80% of our worship space and we're moving forward with two services starting this Sunday March 16th.

Please pray for us as we seek to welcome and relate well to more people.
Pray for the staff, the musicians, tech people, greeters and preachers as we work a little more, sacrifice a little more and extend a little more.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of 1000s here in Smyrna!
For His fame and glory,
Jim

Listen In: Audio Interviews about Crosspoint

People ask about Crosspoint all the time. So I asked a friend of mine who’s skeptical about churches in general to record our dialogue about four questions most people have about church. I hope this gives you some insight into Crosspoint and its mission:

• Introduction
• What is Crosspoint like?
• What can someone expect when they come to Crosspoint?
• What can Crosspoint offer me?
• What can I offer to Crosspoint?
• Closing: How did you record this?

When people look at a church, they often notice things like our growing children and youth ministries, our diverse people and music or the welcoming atmosphere. You may connect with our home groups, service teams (like Habitat for Humanity) or men's ministry during the week. But programs are only what you see people doing.

If you were to visit us or our new church plant, I hope you'll notice that really, the driving force for Crosspoint is our passion for what we call 'the gospel' - which means 'good news'. We have simply discovered the good news that God has graced us through Jesus Christ. We aren't better than anyone else. We are sinners and God granted us beautiful, strong purpose for living here and now. We want all the implications of God's grace worked deeply into our souls, and then worked out in our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our city.

The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us boldness and humility to be who we are and do what we were made to do. We realize we are, at the same time, worse than we thought and more loved than we had ever imagined.

We're One to Win Everyone. We want to be one - forgiven, reconciled, united together - so that everyone experiences the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We want people to believe that is a good summary. We want everyone to experience God's grace and freedom so everyone else experiences it too.

Strong Men Chellenge

The Mark D videos (on the bottom of the page) are strong.
If you watch them and you don't like them or get mad, good. Don't come to our church.

If you watch them and you are a young man who is stirred up and wants to know what to do next, contact me. We are all about making men. Strong broken men who will follow King Jesus into the teeth of the enemy.

If you watch the tour videos too, you'll see what I did from age 20-23 when I wouldn't go to church because I thought it was for girls.

What Will It Take

...for God's Kingdom to come 'on earth (or in Smyrna) as it is in heaven'?

JT, a friend of mine with a PhD in anthropology mentioned an interesting study to me. (Contrary to appearances, I do have an intellect and like to read nerdy things like anthropological studies and dissertations). He said that a few years ago an Eastern European anthropologist came to our beloved US of A to study our culture.

See, we can't really study our own culture too well because we are immersed in it. (Like a fish swims in water without thinking 'Oh, I'm swimming in water, let me analyze what I am doing.' They probably aren't really thinking about water, or thinking at all for that matter.) Painful truth is we can't be very objective inside the culture we live.

Anyway, the study revealed that the number one thing Americans value most is ... self-reliance. Yep, the exact opposite of humility. We are all about faith in me.

So if the Kingdom of Heaven is going to come here, the kingdom of Me and the kingdom of Self-Reliance is going to get overthrown...

I'm going to go ahead and sign up for some more brokenness and humble reliance on Jesus.

Putting Off Prayer

So many things are going on
in this young church, I find myself putting off an ask for prayer. Now we need prayer just as much or more!

Would you pray for our church retreat this weekend? We are going up to the Winshape Center at Berry College for a time to love God and each other. Pray for safety and developing deeper trust as we share life together for the weekend

Would you pray about our stretching to two services beginning on March 16th? We want to make room for another 60-70 people.

Would you pray that Jesus Kicks Satan’s ____ in Smyrna? The pastors group I pray with (sr. pastors from Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal churches) is planning another prayer walk or two for this Spring. Pray that the wind of the Strong Holy Spirit convicts of sin and that Satan wouldn’t snatch the seed of the gospel as we preach it.

And pray that I and the other pastors in the city would preach the gospel of the kingdom of Christ, not a false gospel. I am amazed at how kingdom and gospel minded these men are. It is a work of God!
Thanks for praying!

Broken Pastor Name

Broken Pastor

So I finally gave my blog a name, and some pictures and some videos (at the bottom of the page). Some of those are from my rock and roll days. The one with Mark Driscoll in the cemetery captures a lot of what I think it takes to plant a church. I hope you enjoy!

You All Would Not Believe

You all would not believe

all the opportunities and growth I am seeing and foreseeing. Well maybe you would. Some of you have more faith than I do.

As we enter 2008, I am excited. There is great potential for reaching more and more people with the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Last night after a Ministry Lab coaches meeting, I was talking with Héctor, a committed volunteer who recently moved with his family here from Mexico (he lives in Tucker and leads worship at our daughter church Emmanuel – in Powder Springs!) about the hunger for the grace of God in the Hispanic church.

He said, ‘Pastor, my people never hear about grace from other pastors and churches. There is much potential here for ministry!’ (Hector and family).

Pray for God to raise up workers for the field, resources for ministry and DO WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO! Save, Redeem and Revolutionize this city!

There are great signs that God is doing and going to do a great work here. Please pray for further spiritual work in these areas:

• In the last month Crosspoint people have planned, hosted and shared the gospel at three outreaches in the city – two parties and one car clinic at local apartment complexes. Pray for ongoing friendships and conversions for Chris, Tom and Troy.


• Our ‘Ministry Lab’ starts up it’s 2nd semester next week and we have another 5 people (Sean, Julian, Amanda, David and Jen) signed up to learn skills in evangelism, spiritual growth and Bible study. Pray for more skilled labors to enter the field.


• A couple of volunteer ministers from Crosspoint are hosting Financial Peace University on Sunday nights and there are 15-20 people from outside the church scheduled to attend. Pray for our leaders Powell and Jon as they help folks get out of debt and give more to the kingdom of God.


• Our Smyrna Sr. Pastors Prayer Circle is considering meeting twice a week so more pastors can connect. Pray against the enemy of our souls who seeks to destroy God’s church.
  
  And on a more personal note: We just printed our first ‘funny book’ or picture directory and I am overjoyed that of the 150 or so people pictured who call Crosspoint their home church, there are people of so many backgrounds, races, nationalities, generations, economic and educational diversities. There are business people, artists, internationals, singles, families, empty nesters, musicians, missionaries to the Muslim world.
  
  Diversity is normal around here and yet the thing that is most impressive is the UNITY among the diversity!
  Graced by God because you pray!

Big Thanks to God for His Awesome Courage...

these last many days. You all prayed and God worked in my heart and in our church!

After you all prayed, I was reminded that my doubts and fears are based on my view of human abilities and that the Lord is the One who keeps His promises!!!! This is going to make a Pentecostal out of me yet!

Sunday was a banner day for Crosspoint and the church in Smyrna.

We had a block party/Fall Festival at a nearby apartment complex and it was FABULOUS. Over 40 people from our church served and had a blast meeting residents and playing games. Sarah (and Anthony, but mostly Sarah) Brogan pulled together a motivated team. The result is that the management has given us an open door to ‘do whatever we want’ there – they will send letters, advertise in their monthly newsletter and offer the clubhouse. So we can offer Bible studies, kid’s programs, anything!
Wow! What an open door! Pray for laborers to enter that harvest field!

Also on Sunday a number of us peeled away from all the fun and joined together with about 100 other church folks from 9 or 10 churches and prayer walked throughout the city. Pastors Osbon, Auton, Greene, Goode and more brought out their prayer teams. It was AWESOME praying together in the Village Green before we left, in various parks, neighborhoods and apartment complexes! We heard that the people in the church of this city are hungry to see God MOVE!

So I think we are on the way to praying for revival, an outpouring of God’s Spirit in this city!
Make it so Lord Jesus!!
Graced
Jim

Time for Birth

Time for Birth
Just to clarify, my wife is NOT pregnant.
But our baby church Emmanuel is being born this week in Powder Springs. Their grand opening series will be through October. So we are in a 40-day season of prayer and fasting for the ministry as we seek to expand. There are 3 other churches starting this fall in Atlanta in our network of new churches! God is on the move!

I’m starting to get the picture drilled into my brain that the only thing that sticks in ministry is what God does. And that prayer is the way to ask Him to make it stick. So pray for Pastor José Mateo and his family and Héctor and Cecilia Guzmán and the rest of the launch team at Emmanuel as the open the doors to the public! Pray for our new neighbor church Atlanta Westside Presbyterian Church and Pastor Walter Henegar as they start out too. God IS on the move!

Pray for us as we pray too. Pray that we will be ‘diligent in prayer’ as we are commanded in Roman 13. Pray for all these exciting opportunities:
1. Pray for a special Sunday for Smyrna November 4th. We’re having Crosspoint’s Fall Festival at a neighboring apartment complex from 12-2 and then going on a Prayer Walk with 8-9 other churches in the city. It’s a big day for asking a big God to do big things for His glory!
2. Pray for us as we fast this season. Fasting for spiritual reasons is a new thing for many in our church. Ask the Lord to give us our daily bread in a new way.
3. On November 11th, we’ll have a special day of focused prayer for the Persecuted Church. Now that I actually have met some people who are in the persecuted church, my heart and mind are very focused on their cries for God!
4. Pray for all of us here to befriend people who aren’t believers. Help me pray for Christopher, David, Jerry and their wives. Three neighbors that I’m praying for opportunity to share Christ.

I'd Love to Say Crosspoint is Exploding

I’d love to say that Crosspoint is exploding with 100s accepting Christ every Sunday. But that isn’t true. The biggest unexpected growth in our church is in its pastor! And it’s happening in other pastors in Smyrna too. I think the growth and transformation must happen in us pastors before the Lord will loose His Spirit on the churches. Does that sound biblical?

There are 35 churches in Smyrna and for about a year now, 7-10 of the Sr. Pastors have gathered for 30-45 minutes on Mondays to pray together. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to last. It was a little weird at first. But something is going on.

God has knit our hearts together as we pray for each other and each other’s churches.

We have Methodist, Baptist, Assembly of God, independent Pentecostal and Presbyterian pastors praying for each other’s churches to grow. For the gospel of Christ to expand. For God to be made famous in our city. Every week we pray that God would so pour out His Spirit that every church is packed full three times over. Today one pastor prayed that we would all be desperate to preach the gospel! I want in on that!

And you know what? As we commiserate, we laugh and as we confess our sins, we hold each other up when we struggle and when our people struggle. We trust each other. And there is a very real love. I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking God might be doing a work of revival in our city – and he is starting with us!

Praying Together November 4th
Would you pray for the Church of Smyrna to pray? The only thing we are doing is praying. We have called for a Prayer Walk after church on November 4th for our churches to answer the call to ‘Ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest’

I long for the day when God pours out His Spirit in such power that men and women are coming to faith HOURLY! Oh God, be glorified! Be famous! We are so proud of YOU!

Would you pray for Richard, Shell, Steve, Jamie, Stuart, Fredrick, Joey and me? Pray for more pastors to pray with us.

I think God just might answer!
Graced
Jim

PS - God is growing this church and His kingdom all over the globe! As you can see from our last blog entry (http://www.crosspointsmyrna.blogspot.com) things are jumping at Crosspoint and in the Near East.
A daughter church in Powder Springs is getting started with public worship, ministries are expanding, we are developing leaders - our own Moon kids maturing. It is all a joy. But that isn’t all that God is doing! Keep praying!

Back from the Near East

I am back safe from the Middle East.
Still a bit jet lagged, but deeply and profoundly encouraged at the work that God is doing in the country we focused on.

I heard story after story after story that ‘everyone’ is sick of the religion there. They have had the law crammed down their throats and they are fed misinformation about Christ. So there are hundreds (maybe thousands) hearing the gospel through satellite programs, the underground church, radio, and even in the few legal churches still permitted. Any source you can imagine, God is using.

I met a taxi driver who hands out New Testaments and Jesus films whenever he senses an opening. People have dreams that point them to the Bible. It’s amazing. Really unbelievable to my modern American ears. One extended family passed around one NT and 14 converted to Christ. The hunger for the grace of the gospel is truly as a desert longs for water. Pray for God’s work in that country!!!

For security concerns, I can’t write much more on the internet. I’m making plans to return. I hope next time I see you that I can give a fuller picture.

Church Prayer:
- Our daughter church – Emmanuel – launches public worship in October! Pastor José reports great excitement about a new multicultural church in the Powder Springs/Paulding County area. They are using a phoning/invitation campaign that will lead up to their launch in a few weeks.
- Another new staff person has raised support to join us here as the music and mercy guy. Jim and Lisa move in this Saturday! Pray for the music team as they welcome a new servant leader.
- There seems to be a real openness right now as people are seeking to connect to smaller communities within Crosspoint. Pray for the group leaders and teachers who are cranking up for a year of ministry – both youth, adult and children! Pray especially for Dan and Drew as they facilitate getting groups up and running.
- Pray too for Julian Swann and all the volunteers as he leads our 13 week Habitat for Humanity house build! This is a great opportunity for you if you’d like to jump in for Saturday too.

Family Prayer:
- We are all well, but it’s a big year. Everyone is in school. Elizabeth starts her 2nd year teaching music part-time at Dominion, Jake is a senior and Erica is a sophomore, Elysia is in 7th grade. We are realizing (with some tears) that Jake is launching soon. He is a godly young man and we are excited for him, but we can’t believe he is so mature. Pray for us to savor our time this year amidst all the exciting action.
- We also opened our home for a semester to Ray Kim, a Korean exchange student at Dominion. He fits right in and we look forward to living and speaking the gospel in front of him these months. We’re having a room finished out in the basement for him, so pray for him as he lives in the rec room!

We are deeply grateful for your prayers. The protection and care God gives us through you is beyond words.
Graced
Jim

No Job No Car - No Car No Job

Will you pray for reliable cars and trucks for our folks who are working? Getting work and getting to work can be the razor’s edge of making it this month for many in our city and some of our members and attenders.

And will you pray for - or donate - a vehicle for a member of our church who has no wheels and is 100% dependent on public transportation. The ideal would be a small pick-up truck or sedan such as a Civic or Corolla valued at $1000 to $3000. It doesn't need to be the prettiest car in town; but it need to be reliable! We will set up an IDA (individual development account) for a ready candidate to earn the car with proceeds from their new job.

Why am I asking?
We are committed to providing both relief for the poor (food, clothes, emergency assistance) and development (job skills, financial training, etc.) so that we break the cycle of poverty.

One of the challenges of helping people out poverty is that relying on public transportation actually keeps them from getting a better job. Over and over one hears in the urban areas ‘I didn’t get the job’ and sometimes it’s not from lack of effort. It’s from an unjust bias with many companies against hiring people who depend on public transportation to get to work! So, you need a car before you can get better jobs! (Something I never thought about until I moved here!)

Anybody ready to donate such a vehicle to the church (it’s tax-deductible)? Know anyone who might? If you are, please call the church office 770.333.1775 or email my associate Anthony Brogan anthony@crosspointsmyrna.org.

Graced
Jim

PS – I am flying out tomorrow for a 10 day mission to meet persecuted former-M’s, who are now Christians. We are meeting in a neutral country for a week of teaching, worship and encouragement. Thanks to all of you who are praying and giving. Pray for me, S, Mark, Jeff and the folks traveling from the difficult zone. For safety and no hassles with their govt. and pray for persecuted Christians world-wide!!! There are so many!

www.crosspointsmyrna.org

Trip to Armenia for Leadership Conference

The Trip in August

Thanks to all of you who are praying and supporting the trip to Armenia for the ILPC. I'm at peace with God's call to send me to help train former-Mus_ms from I__n and the funds are coming in!
Graced
Jim

I've Been Hiding - Again.

Pressure!
I’ve been hiding my needs – again. I realized this morning that I’m living in ‘orphan mode’ instead of the love of an adopted son of God. I’m afraid like I’m a slave in Romans 8:14-15. Afraid I won’t do well leading the church, afraid that people will not come back or leave.
I keep hearing [lies] in my head, ‘Well things are good now, but you just never know what’s going to happen next.’ I really struggle when offerings are low and they have been the last two weeks. And I’m just weaker than I want to admit. So I hide my shame and pretend I’m fine.

Pray that I will trust deeply in the One who has this day - and what happens next - right in the palm of His hand.
Pray that I would see myself in the palm of His hand. Not that He’s going to squeeze me or hurt me, but that He’s my Father who loves me!

Further Prayers and Answers:
- The Outreach month continues to go well – Kindness Ministry, Backyard Bible Clubs, Supper Clubs, Youth Mission Trip
- There are 4 adults that have professed faith in Christ but need to be baptized. Pray that they will step forward and meet with an elder.
- We have a special guest preacher/songwriter Mo Leverett here this Sunday morning during our worship service. I’m really looking forward to his ministry with us.
- The Evangelism seminar I led in Memphis went very well. Thanks for praying!

How can I be so up and down in my faith? Who will deliver me from the body of sin!

Huge Ride in Ministry

What a HUGE ride this is turning out to be! We are getting deeper and higher at the same time!
Will you pray for:
• At least 4 couples are struggling in their marriages and/or with finances. Pray for each of them to find a trusted friend and wise counselor! It’s great that they are honest and not pretending!
• We have 4 adults that have made a profession of faith in the last few months! Pray that they will all be baptized in July.
• It’s Outreach Season. Pray for our people to serve in many ways – Backyard Bible Club in the apartments across S Cobb Drive, in neighborhoods, Kindness ministries on Saturday, helping deliver Kid’s Meals on Wheels. Pray for relationships to start, strengthen and lead people to Christ Jesus!
• A seminar I’m teaching at our General Assembly in Memphis this Wednesday. I’m teaching on evangelism in small churches – but I’m nervous and battling insecurity. Pray that I will believe the gospel and that more people will come to Jesus because of what the Spirit teaches them.
• I’m weak. I get fatigued. I’m not exercising. It’s summer. I’m going to be out of town in a hotel for 3 nights. Pray for me to be faithful and pure!

UPDATES:
Hearing good reports from our missionaries Chad and Sonia on the field in North Africa.
Our church planter José Mateo and Emmanuel Mission are gearing up for launch in the fall. They have Hiram Elementary under contract. Pray for a strong multi-cultural launch team!
New Staff guy Jim Payne is raising support to serve with us. He’s at 42%.
Praying with Smyrna Pastors about a united day of service for our city.

We’re here because you pray!
Graced
Jim

If Our Church Disappeared Would Smyrna Miss Us?

If our church disappeared…would Smyrna miss us? What a good hard question.

Nobody starts out life thinking, “My goal is to do nothing, say nothing and never make a difference.” Everyone wants to live a significant life. Same with this church – we want the Kingdom of God to come here in Smyrna ‘as it is in heaven.’ Would you pray for God to do HIS amazing work through us?

We realize that we aren’t any better than anyone else, but Crosspoint still wants to make a difference in the city. We want to fight sin-sickness. We want to overcome poverty – physical, financial, emotional and spiritual. I hope folks can see a difference in the greater-Smyrna area because we are humbly praying and faithfully working to make this city better.

We want to see individuals and families living dignified, just and righteous lives. We want to see businesses and institutions governing, educating and serving this city with honesty and without bias. We want Christ Jesus’ reputation to shine brightly in the heart of this city. And we want to celebrate the strong work He is accomplishing while we work.

We can’t do any of that without the power of the Holy Spirit. Will you pray for us?
Thanks
Jim

Play in the Reign

Play in the Reign....
Spring makes me want to go out and play! I would except the whole city is covered in nasty yellow pollen dust so thick you can watch it ‘poof’ with every step you take! OH DO WE NEED RAIN!

Would you pray that I will better learn to play in God’s reign?
And if you don’t attend Crosspoint, pray the same thing for your pastor too.

The Church will be a lot healthier if we all recognize that we are far worse off than we realize but far, FAR more loved than we dared imagine! That will lead to a party! And everybody loves a good party!
Graced
Jim

Slack about Asking for Prayer

Hey Prayer team!
Wow, I’m getting slack about sending out requests. My bad. The good news in that is that Crosspoint is beginning to intercede on its own behalf and for others. But we still need your prayers!

Pray for us to labor well in our season of prayer and fasting prior to Easter.
Pray for the lost in our city to come to faith in Christ. God is REALLY moving in Steven my soon-to-be-former-pagan friend.
I’m having lunch with Edward this week. Pray for an open door to tell him how much I need Jesus.
Pray for God to clearly call deacons to serve Crosspoint.
Pray also for wisdom about starting our first mercy ministry for the city. We are praying about starting a Jobs for Life program.
Pray for our daughter church Emmanuel and Pastor José – all the funding to be pledged.

Thanks for praying!
Graced
Jim

All-Church Retreat Highlights

After our church retreat, these words have new meaning:

Giraffe noises
Millennium
Gus and Gladys
'Marital Adjustment Session'
I Like people who like the University of Georgia!
Herd of Deer
Swan Lake
Poetry Reading
Featherbed
Bunk house heaters
Ripping phone books
Great Dalmuti
He-Man and Sweet Blossom
A whale walks into a bar

Makes me want to go back!

Retreat

We had an awesome All-Church retreat and its effect was tremendous in getting our folks connected to one another! All that luxurious time spent learning from Pastor Raymond and Donna Causey, talking, laughing and playing together helped relationships and trust go deep! And all the game playing, interactive learning and ‘No Talent’ show proves this church is a hoot! Thanks be to God!

Would you pray for these concerns:
1 – I have called the church to 40 days of Prayer and Fasting beginning next Wednesday the 28th leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Would you pray that 50% of our people would fast in some fashion and join together for united prayer each Tuesday night for an hour? Pray that we would LISTEN, LEARN, LOVE and LET GO.

2 – Pray that the Holy Spirit will put a holy thirst and hunger for His honor and glory in our hearts and in the hearts of the people of Smyrna. The Lord whispered to me in prayer (in a very biblical way) the other day that ‘Most people in Smyrna don’t see the need for Me or My church, much less a new church.’ How can God’s glory and fame grow if most people don’t feel their need of Him?

3 – Pray for me as I lead. I am slow to believe that God wants to glorify Himself. I think I can out-plan and out-strategize Him. But I really, really need God.

4 – Pray for the Senior Pastors of the Church in Smyrna. Since October, a handful of senior pastors have been praying every Monday morning for revival and the move of God’s Spirit in our city. Pray that we don’t loose heart. Pray that we will be both humbled and emboldened by the gospel! Pray for Pastors Greene, Osbon, Hatchell, Kimmel, Coady, Ekane, Caldwell, and Moon.

Thanks for praying! We couldn’t do this without your support!
Graced
Jim

Now that We are Official

Well, it’s been a few weeks since the big party and particularization and I think I’m glad I don’t have to type or explain that word again. What a great night of celebration though! Thanks for praying and giving and supporting this work.

Now begins a slightly different work of being a church. I’m going to ask you to pray for a few things that are related to that work:
- Pray for me as I lead the elders, staff, home fellowship group leaders, ministry team leaders and coach José and other church planters as they start more churches. It is a joy to train and counsel such great leaders, but I need more wisdom and patience than I realize.
- Pray for love and unity to permeate our church and the church in Smyrna. Since October 5-10 Senior Pastors of churches in Smyrna have been meeting for prayer every Monday. It is getting real and good. We’re below the surface to some tears, some heartbreak for the lost, some frustration with injustice. But we know the enemy, the world and our own sinfulness war against the Bride of Christ and our mission of grace in Christ.
- Pray for us to pray well. I’m sort of starting to believe that God is able and powerful, but I’m weak and not so smart. I’m sort of giving up on cool strategies. But I’m only bright enough to call the church to pray and fast for our city and our nation to repent and call on Christ. We’re going to do that 40 days leading up to Easter.

Maybe if GOD works in our city to bring folks to faith, we can follow Him! Sound like a plan?!
Graced
Jim

For info on Crosspoint www.crosspointsmyrna.org
For info on our daughter church Emmanuel www.emmanuelpca.org

It's Official!

It’s official!
Crosspoint has officially become a self-governing, self-funding, reproducing church! And you all are one of the hotlinks to heaven to make it happen!!!!
Glory to God!!!!

This Sunday we send Pastor Jose and Ana and Hector and Cecilia and a core group of 8 families out to plant our first daughter church 30 minutes west of here in Powder Springs/Paulding County! I am SO excited!

Last Sunday night we had over 200 people from Crosspoint and our regional church together for a special worship service where our 70+ members vowed to be a church, ordained two more elders, Powell Harrison and David Daniell, and elected me senior pastor!
It was a deeply moving time for us all. What a sacred and holy time!

I have some of our sharp tech folks working on some links where you can see pictures, hear audio and read some details about the over 500 people and 8 churches who have assisted in one way or another in making Crosspoint a reality! (Yes, that is right, over 500 people and 8 churches helped make this church happen!)

So PRAISE the LORD with us! We’ll be glowing for a while, basking in the goodness of our King!
Graced,
Jim

Organization as an Official Church

We are now days away from a very important event in the life of our church. Sunday January 14th, at 6pm, we will officially celebrate Crosspoint’s “Organization” as an official church! Since many of you, like me, are unfamiliar with or new to being Presbyterian, you need to know that this is a big deal for the regional Church of Atlanta, for Crosspoint, her new elders, Powell Harrison and David Daniell and for me. So you are officially invited. We expect seating to be limited, so activities will be provided for the younger kids. The service will be at our current rented worship facility at 4061 King Springs Rd in Smyrna.

As you may or may not know, we began the work of church planting in SmyrnaVinings 5 years ago with a dream of starting a new, Gospel-driven, and culturally-relevant church in SmyrnaVinings. We struggled and failed a lot in our first year 2002, but by God’s grace, we re-started with a new core group in our den January 6, 2003, then moved to the conference room at Whitefield Academy for our Grand Opening series March–April 2003.
In the last years, many have come to faith in Christ. Many more have returned to the Church after years away. All of us are being transformed by the grace of Gospel of Jesus Christ, perhaps most of all me.

You all have been the ‘air and ground support’ of this spiritual mission - praying and supporting the work here and I want to invite you to come celebrate our graduation from “Mission” status to official “Particular” church. It is in some ways a technical change, but in many ways it marks the maturity of Crosspoint in several keys ways. We will be self-governing, self-funding and maturing enough to launch a daughter church in Powder Springs in 2007.

So, until now, Crosspoint has been a “Mission” church. I am the “Organizing Pastor” or “Church Planter/Evangelist” and have essentially functioned as the benevolent potentate. While there are dozens of men and women who advise, oversee, lead and serve, the constitutional authority for leading and governing the church has rested with me. A new church has to start this way, but the Biblical mandate is for churches to be governed by Elders, elected by the congregation. Part of my role as Organizing Pastor has been to identify men whom God may be calling to serve in the office of Elder. Over the last 2 years, we have actively trained candidates whom we feel are called, gifted, and qualified to serve in this capacity. These men have been thoroughly examined and approved by our Presbytery to serve Crosspoint in the office of Elder.

On Sunday, January 14th, 2007 at 6:00 in the evening, we will hold our official “Organization” service. At this service, the congregation will vow to be a church, vote to elect and install their first Elders and first Senior Pastor (odds are good that it will be me J). From that point on, our church family will also be formally recognized as a congregation by the Presbyterian Church in America and be received into the fellowship of her sister churches. Many elders from other churches will participate in this service.

I can hardly believe God has brought us this far. Hope to see you at the service! Thanks for praying! (and keep it up!!)

Graced
Jim Moon
Pastor/Church Planter

Crosspoint Presbyterian Church
4061 King Springs Road
Smyrna GA 30082
O-770.333.1775
www.crosspointsmyrna.org
Snail Mail: PO Box 1956Smyrna GA 30081

Professions of Faith

I hope you are having an extremely happy Christmas! We are enjoying our time and our church and all the glory of our Lord’s birth, life, death and resurrection!
Excitement continues to build around Crosspoint as we prepare to ‘particularize’ in a few weeks – elders are elected, the pulpit committee has officially selected me as their candidate for senior pastor and in the midst of it, many of our regular attenders are officially joining the church.

What a joy for me to sit down with each one of them and hear their professions of faith! We have people from such diverse backgrounds and spiritual journeys all uniting to become a church that seeks to grow the Kingdom of God! It is awesome!
My main prayer request is for our lost friends who don’t know the joy of Christmas, especially Steven and Quan. Both are grappling with the good news of the gospel and wrestling with the issue of trusting Christ. Would you pray for their salvation!
Pray too for our church as we seek to build bridges into the lives our unbelieving friends! Pray that dozens would come to faith in 2007.
Graced
Jim

Crosspoint Presbyterian Church4061 King Springs RoadSmyrna GA 30082O-770.333.1775C-404.423.5466www.crosspointsmyrna.orgSnail Mail: PO Box 1956Smyrna GA 30081

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Crosspoint Family…

How are your Christmas check lists coming? >>> People to shop for >>> Christmas movies to watch >>> Ads to ignore >>> Family to see >>> Parties to get to

As a family ourselves I want us to pay attention to another list this week and begin talking to our Daddy about these prayer needs.

1- JEFF AND JAMIE FINCHER. Jamie wrote, “I just went for my follow up appointment after my MRI. I have one disc that is severely herniated and 2 others that are slightly bulging. The current plan of treatment is to continue physical therapy exercises and lift as little as possible (since not lifting is impossible with 2 little ones) and be very careful when lifting. If any of my symptoms change for the worse she said they would probably admit me immediately for surgery. Obviously I will be doing everything possible to avoid this so I will be following Drs. orders and get as much help with the kids as possible.”
2- MS. VALERIE. She’s in New Orleans this week due to the death of a family member. For those of you who’ve met Alice, it was her father who passed. Pray for her family in their grief.
3- STEVEN AND QUAN. These are two guys who Jim’s been meeting and talking with ab0ut trusting Jesus. Both of them are wrestling with the gospel and the claims Jesus has made on their lives. Pray they surrender.
4- TRAVELING SAFETY. Obviously, many people will be traveling this holiday season. Pray for God to grant mercy to us all.
5- GRATITUDE. I struggle to be completely thankful for what I have so I too often become bitter when my lust for more stuff isn’t satisfied. Pray that the gospel would be enough for every person at Crosspoint and our families. Pray that we would not get caught up in all that glitters nor satisfied with Christmas-toy joy. May the full, forever joy of Jesus be absolutely ENOUGH.

Merry Christmas,

anthony

Pagan Power and Housekeeping

Pagan power and housekeeping.
I was just combining the two old posts from the 'Prayer Blog' that no one added anything to for months and I just couldn't delete this blog. It is about my pagan friend Steven, who is fighting the power of God the whole way to redemption.

Pagan Power?
How do you show God’s power to a pagan or to a culture that is too busy for God? How can you convince a skeptic that God is real? Can you? I can’t.
This past month God has been hammering my thick skull with this point: ‘Jim, you can’t do My work. No matter how hard you try Jim, you are still a sin-sick, grace-filled PERSON. I am God. You aren’t.’
So I am thrust back into the proper position – I’m asking YOU to pray to God that He would show HIS power:- To Steven, my pagan friend. He has been asking good hard questions and saying, ‘I will NOT compromise my beliefs and experiences.’ But he is still (miraculously) interested in this God (‘your God of the Bible’) who sent a blood sacrifice of His own Son for me. Steven is throwing down the gauntlet to ‘my God’ to prove Himself more powerful than his pagan experiences.
How can I show him God’s power? His own sin? His need for a King and Savior? Only God can do that. Will you ask?

How can I show God's power to a culture that is addicted to self, comfort, sex, instant everything. There is a subtle pressure to preach and live like pastor’s are cultural helpers – just here to make everybody more successful.
Pray that I will and Crosspoint will be honest and winsome as we present the Truth. THEN PRAY that God will open the ears of the deaf, give sight to the spiritually blind and heal the sickness of successful people who don’t even know they are sick!
So pretty much I’m saying either the Holy Spirit shows up and transforms people (like me) or we ought to pack up and go back to the suburbs.Which God is more powerful; the God of Heaven and earth or the God of this world?
Thanks for faithfully praying for us in our mission to ‘Be One to Win Everyone’
Graced
Jim

Tactics and Countermoves

Tactics and Countermoves. Many of you have been praying for Q… as we discuss the gospel over 4 meetings. Well guess what? someone has been trying to derail things, and he is proving to be creative, if not a bit desparate.

Q and I have had 2 really good meetings. He is very hungry. He is reading John and asking good questions. Last Friday, we were supposed to meet at Zucca’s for lunch. He never showed, so I thought he got caught at the sandwich shop and couldn’t make it. Turns out he was catching a ride from a friend from the store to the restaurant and the Smyrna PD pulled his friend over doing a little, as he put it, ‘racial profiling and drug prevention.’ His friend had no liscense on him, and neither Q, so they spent the whole afternoon at the station trying to clear things up…. Can you believe it?

Either way, Q and I are on for lunch this Friday. And he asked me to pick him up this time.

If you have a minute, please pray for Quan again and
- Our baby church - Crosspoint’s first church plant, Emmanuel Church, in East Paulding/Powder Springs is in full fund-raising and prayer support-raising mode. Our Co-Pastor, José Mateo and his launch team will be starting public worship in March 2007 pending pledges for $180k over the next 4 years. Click on the link below for more info or to sign up to pray.
- The working poor – Several of our families and hundreds more in our city are struggling financially. Pray for God’s provision and mercy and warm clothes and meals for all the needy. Pray that God would lead us as we take action!
- Electing first elders – This Sunday December 10th Crosspoint will elect its first elder candidates! It is a monumental day for us as we take more steps to becoming an official church.
- Spiritual growth – We are 6 weeks into a series on Romans and it is very challenging! Pray for all of us to grow in faith and the grace of God’s gospel!

Thanks for praying for us! The Moon’s are doing very well. I hope to catch a good picture for you over Christmas!
Grace and Love,
Jim

Link to Emmanuel Church’s Prayer Email – emmanuelpca@comcast.net
Link to Crosspoint’s Prayer Blog - http://crosspointsmyrna.blogspot.com
Link to Crosspoint’s Website – www.crosspointsmyrna.org

Pray Please

Hey all!
I don’t have a coherent story or illustration that weaves all these requests together, so would you mind praying these random prayers?!

- Pray for Pastor José as he begins raising prayer and financial support for Emmanuel Church, our church plant that will be ready to roll out in 2007. They need 260 more prayer partners! (see below for link)
- Pray for one family that needs reliable transportation. The wife is disabled after 30 years as an LPN, and the husband is way under-employed. They could use a newer car, and a better job for him! And just some encouragement in the trial!
- Sunday ministries are expanding:
- Ask God for English to Spanish translators. We have cool equipment and need more volunteers.
- Our Video is, well, stuck in the 1990s. Pray for upgraded equipment and a skilled volunteer leader.
- Thank God for our 20-25 2nd hour teachers and helpers! This Sunday they have a Training Day. Pray that they are encouraged and see the fruit of their labors with kids and youth.
- Pray for generous donations to local food bank for Thanksgiving and generous donations for ‘Operation Christmas Child’ shoeboxes used for overseas evangelism!
- Pray for me next week when I speak and coach at the PCA Evangelism Convocation in Boca Raton.
- LAST BUT MOST important, pray for POWER in the preaching at Crosspoint. We are starting a series entitled “God’s Gospel Changes Everything” a study through Romans! We need Jesus’ power through His Word!

Thanks for praying! You all are making a difference in me and in this church!
Graced,
Jim

Link to Emmanuel Church Prayer Email – emmanuelpca@comcast.net
Link to Crosspoint’s Prayer Blog - http://crosspointsmyrna.blogspot.com
Link to Crosspoint’s Website – www.crosspointsmyrna.org

Almost 5 Years of Prayer Support

Prayer Team,
It’s been almost 5 years since we first started this prayer email list.

Hundreds of you have prayed for God to establish a church here in SmyrnaVinings. Months of labor, spiritual battles, rejection, conversions, spiritual growth and prayers and God is FAITHFUL. We are making plans to graduate to ‘official church’ status in our denomination. I can’t believe it.

Last night we reached a key mark. David Daniell and Powell Harrison, our two elder candidates, were examined and accepted by the commissioners of our regional church presbytery! This is big news!!
That means January 14th, 2007 6pm, we will have our official Organizing Service and Graduation Party to follow!

So we still need you to pray.
Pray for David and Powell to keep growing into this co-shepherding role with me.
Pray for our Church Planter in Residence, José Mateo, whom we will send out in January to start a new church in Paulding County/Powder Springs area.
Pray for continued growth and protection from attack.
And pray that I will rest well in the strong arms of Jesus!
Graced
Jim

A Peculiar Church?

A Peculiar Church?

Dear Prayer Team
We are reaching a significant mile-marker on our journey to expand God’s kingdom around the world. This month we are requesting permission to organize this mission church as an official church! There are several key examinations yet to be passed, but we are making the plans.

So, does this mean we don’t need a prayer team anymore? HA! NO WAY! I am desperate for prayer! I am the weakest link in this whole church! And the stakes get higher now too. The enemies without (satan and the world) and the enemy within (my own rebellious sin-sick heart) have an even BIGGER target to aim for. Keep praying please!

- Our potential officers will be examined this month. Pray for Powell and Anne Harrison and David and Karen Daniell. Pray for wisdom and protection as they assume the role of elders and elder’s wives. This is a big demanding shepherding task!
- Pray for the teachers and leaders of our new 2nd hour Christian growth ministries for kids, students and adults. These are the KEY new leaders in our young church! We have about 45 adults and 35 kids involved. I’m helping out in the 3-4th grade class and we are teaching 80% of the kids their first ever Bible lessons (like most didn’t know where to find Genesis in the Bible!)
- Pray too for our small groups to be unified, to learn and care well for each other. We have 10 groups including 2 Crown financial groups and a new men’s group on Saturday mornings.

Thanks for praying! It spreads God’s grace to many!
Jim

Cars Gifted to Ministry

Dear Crosspoint Prayer Family,
Remember about 5 weeks ago we asked for prayer for two families that had urgent need for cars?
We had several people generously provide loaners and great price deals and now within one week’s time we have had TWO vehicles gifted to the ministry for both of the families who needed them!

God is so generous and so are his people! And He listens to your prayers!

The single grandmother now has a nice late model mini-van to haul all the kids she is raising, and our assistant pastor Anthony and his wife Sarah have a late model Toyota to replace the car that was totaled!

Thank you for praying!
Really, we wouldn’t be here without you! Keep praying for more conversions and more workers for this harvest field too!
Graced
Jim

Both My Families

Would you pray for both my families?

Crosspoint is moving along toward ‘particularization’ or becoming an official church in our denomination. It is a really big deal, sort of akin to a graduation and a marriage at the same time – we are completing the early part of a story, but we are just starting our life together as a family.

This makes us a bigger target on the enemy’s radar. Pray for unity and love between us!

And my literal Moon family is getting into an exciting time. Elizabeth just started teaching music part-time at DCHS (2 classes a day), so she is being stretched as a first year teacher. Her health is doing well. And we have now 3 teenagers – my own youth group – which is a joy and a challenge. Pray for Jake (Jr. at Dominion Christian High), Erica (Fr. at Dominion) and Elysia (6th at Covenant Christian). They are maturing as people, students and as believers. It is a challenging time for them, even in great Christian schools and a more stable church situation.

But, this makes us a bigger target on the enemy’s radar. Pray for unity and love between us!

So, same prayer – both families! Couldn’t do this without you all!
Graced,
Jim

Slack Asking for Prayer

Hey all you Prayer folks
I have been slack on asking for prayer! Why is it that when things are going well, I don’t ask for prayer? I honestly think (wrongly) that we don’t need it! What a thick skull I have.

We have had some really great ministry happening in and through Crosspoint. Let me tell you just one quick one. We sent 8 folks to First Pres Gulfport MS for a week of Katrina home repair/outreach. I was amazed at what a job our crews did! And wow, did we share the gospel while we worked! The one couple was quite a trip – he is a non-practicing Muslim, she is an semi-agnostic from the Czech Republic! She kept asking out loud, ‘Why do you do this? Give up a week’s vacation to come build my kitchen? I would never do this!’ We told her about Jesus – a lot. Pray for Karim and Eva Amin to come to faith in Jesus!

We are starting a 2nd hour of Christian Ed this month, cranking up another year of small groups, offering two Crown ministries and prepping for our ‘graduation’ to official church. It is great to have more new folks joining us and seeing the full house is encouraging! But we are still at a tender place. Sort a bigger target for the enemy now. Please Pray for Protection and effective ministry within our church and outside it.

But WE ARE STILL IN NEED! We are getting close to selecting elders. The pastor(s) are STILL IN NEED of faith in Jesus! Whereas I have struggled with doubt, now I’m struggling with self-sufficiency and human security! Pray that God would give me and the other leaders a continual sense of dependence and joy in Jesus only.

You all rock! Thanks for praying!
Graced
Jim

Chris Professed Faith in Christ!

Hey Prayer Team!
Great news! The guy Chris who has been praying has com to the DaVinci Code discussions all three weeks – and he has professed his faith in Christ! Isn’t that awesome! So KEEP ON PRAYING FOR Chris and his family and for more CONVERSIONS!

Our outreaches are going well – both Backyard Bible Clubs were well attended (over 20 kids each with lots of parents hanging around), our concert ministry is growing step by step (www.rootshows.com) and the ‘Kindness is Contagious’ Ministry served 192 hot dogs to a baseball league party at Milford Park!

Would you pray for….
- Growth for Chris and his family. Pray that his wife and son trust Christ too. She has more Bible belt baggage to sort through. This is a very tender time for them! And quite a change in Chris!
- Pray for Pastor Anthony’s neighbor Jerry, a former liberal pastor turned atheist. They are in dialogue about the DaVinci Code. Only God can change a heart and make a blind man see, right? PRAY for Jerry!
- Pray for the process of selecting elders and deacons for Crosspoint. In about 6-9 months we should have officers trained and ready. We have a time of prayer and discussion coming up in July.
- Pray for the growth and maturity of our members and regualr attenders. We have many children and many small groups which can be a challenge. Pray that we rest our leaders well this summer and that we make and train disciples well!

Graced
Jim

Pastor/Church Planter
Crosspoint Presbyterian Church
4061 King Springs Rd
Smyrna GA 30082
www.crosspointsmyrna.org
jim@crosspointsmyrna.org
o - 770.333.1775
c - 404.423.5466http://crosspointsmyrna.org/templates/header.tem