Jumat, 26 Juli 2013

THE HOMELESS PREACHER

 
THE HOMELESS PREACHER - A Classic!
-Author Unknown

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless
person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be
introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around
his soon-to-be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people
for service....only 3 people out of the 7 - 10,000 people said
hello to him.

He asked people for change to buy food... NO ONE in the church
gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the
front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please
sit in the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares
and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church
announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders
went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the
church to the congregation...... "We would like to introduce to
you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"... The congregation looked around
clapping with joy and anticipation... The homeless man sitting in
the back stood up... and started walking down the aisle... the
clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him... he walked up the altar
and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this)
and paused for a moment... then he recited-

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are
blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me some-
thing to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed
clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will
answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The
King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told
them all what he had experienced that morning... many began to
cry and many heads were bowed in shame.... he then said....
Today I see a gathering of people.... not a church of Jesus Christ.
The world has enough people, but not enough disciples... when
will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service
until next week... Being a Christian is more than something you
claim. I'ts something you live by and share with others...

-PLEASE COMMENT on this article at the following website-

http://www.revivalschool.com/

Kamis, 25 Juli 2013

NO More SPINELESS CHRISTIANITY!!

NO More SPINELESS CHRISTIANITY!!
by J. Lee Grady

The apostle Paul not only confronted sin but named specific sins
when he preached. Why can´t we?

People often complain about angry preachers. I don´t like them
either, and I agree that if a person mixes a sermon with hateful
language (or if he believes God has called him to picket other
churches), he´s in the wrong profession. Yet today we´ve jumped
to the opposite extreme. Now we are afraid to confront sin.

We can´t preach about materialism because we might offend rich
people in the audience-as well as the poor people who buy Lotto
tickets every week. We can´t preach about fornication because
there are people in the church who are living together. We can´t
preach about domestic violence because there are deacons who
sometimes hit their wives. We can´t preach about homosexuality
because our culture says it´s hateful to call that a sin.

And the list goes on. In fact, some preachers are avoiding the
word sin altogether because it´s too negative. And we all know
that the latest polls show people want a positive message.

This temptation to dilute the gospel has produced a new recipe
for a trendy sermon. We start with some great motivational
speaking ("Your past does not define your future!"), add a few
quarts of cheap grace ("Don´t focus on your sin!"), pour in some
prosperity gospel ("Run to this altar and grab your financial
breakthrough!"), flavor it with some trendy pop psychology ("It´s all
about you!") and voila!-you end up with a goopy mess of pabulum
that not even a baby Christian could survive on.

I´ve often wondered how the apostle Paul would view our "positive"
American gospel. Just before he was martyred, Paul gave his
spiritual son Timothy clear instructions on how to keep his
message on track. He said, "Preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience
and instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2, NASB).

We´ve rewritten Paul´s words today. Our rule is, "Preach what the
people want to hear! Avoid controversy! Stroke, soothe and pacify
the people so they will come back next week!" Is it any wonder
that this low-protein spiritual diet has produced an anemic church?

Paul´s preaching in the first century was unquestionably confront-
ational. He didn´t hold back from addressing sin, nor was he afraid
to call sin what it is. Paul knew that a spineless Christianity would
produce spineless Christians. He told Timothy that biblical
preaching would require three brave verbs:

Reprove. The Greek word here, elegcho, means "to convict,
admonish or expose" or "to show one his fault." The word can
also mean "to scold" or "to reprimand." Anyone who has ever been
on the receiving end of a mother´s discipline knows that reproof
can be the purest form of love.

Rebuke. The word epitimao means "to admonish strongly" or "to
charge strictly." The English definition means "to express sharp,
stern disapproval." And the origin of the word means "to beat or
strike." I´m not talking here about a preacher who beats people
with the Bible. Screaming at people is not biblical rebuke. But
when was the last time you felt the Holy Spirit strike you in your
conscience during a sermon?

Exhort. This is the gentlest of the three words. Parakaleo can be
used to mean "to comfort" or "to call alongside." It´s the same root
word used to describe the Holy Spirit, who is our Comforter. True
biblical preaching not only exposes sin and warns us of its
consequences, but it calls us to reach out to God for help to
overcome our weakness. When we challenge sin we must provide
a means of grace for deliverance and healing.

Paul was also not afraid to name sins. I recently did a survey of
all of Paul´s epistles to see how he addressed sexual immorality.
I discovered that he confronted sexual sin head-on in 10 of his 13
epistles. He boldly called out adultery, fornication, sensuality and
homosexuality in a culture that was saturated in hedonism.

After exhorting the Thessalonians to practice abstinence, he
rebuked them sternly by saying that anyone who opposes God´s
laws about sex "is not rejecting man but the God who gives His
Holy Spirit to you" (1 Thess. 4:8). Those are strong words. They
need to be repeated in our pulpits today.

Paul wasn´t trying to win any popularity contests, and his
comments about sex would get him blacklisted today if he tried
to buy airtime. Yet when he penned those tough words, he was
speaking from God´s heart-with love-under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit to all of us.

It´s time for us to grow a backbone. Let´s get rid of weak Christianity,
spineless preachers and jellyfish morals. Let´s preach the message
of the Bible instead of a neutered version. Let´s not only point out
sin but also point people to the only hope they have of overcoming
it-our strong Savior, whose death on the cross was the ultimate
confrontation of sin.

-Original source-

http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/17871

Jumat, 12 Juli 2013

WHEN GOD NO LONGER SPEAKS

WHEN GOD No LONGER SPEAKS
by David Wilkerson

Isaiah faithfully prophesied to Israel that the "ears of them that hear"
would one day be opened. But, sadly, his listeners had shut their
ears to God's voice. They wanted to hold on to their sins!

"When I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear;
but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I
delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my
servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants
shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall
rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed. Behold, my servants shall sing
for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl
for vexation of spirit" (Isaiah 65:12-14).

How tragic it is to refuse to hear the loving warnings of the Holy
Spirit. Whenever we shut our ears to God's command to mortify
the sins of our flesh, we are doomed to experience every kind of
sorrow and pain.

Please understand, I'm not talking about a servant of God who is
overtaken by a sin he hates. Nor am I referring to the believer who
won't allow himself any rest until the Holy Ghost sets him free.
Rather, I'm talking about the believer who has learned to love his
sin, who has laid his head in the lap of a Delilah. Such a person
has a calloused conscience.

The servant who continues his sinful ways will hear voices but
none of them will be God's. Instead, that person will be given over
to delusion: "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their
fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when
I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes,
and chose that in which I delighted not" (Isaiah 66:4).

What an awful thing it is when God no longer speaks! But how
encouraging to know that the Holy Spirit will lovingly caution us
and keep us from sin.

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/23530

Selasa, 09 Juli 2013

HEALED VIA YOUTUBE

"HEALED VIA YOUTUBE!" - Pass This Video On!

If you know anyone who is sick, please pass the video below on
to them. We all know it is Jesus Christ that heals, not any man.
But praise God, His healing power is flowing through Torben in
a mighty way. Read this testimony from one of my readers-

Tammy wrote-
"I was thrilled you posted his video, this led me to more of his
videos on Youtube and I found one called, "I will Pray for you on
TV."  Well, he prayed and my knee pain that I had for years went
away immediately and has not come back! Hallelujah! I was
shocked! It actually took me a few minutes to sink it all in.

"(My knees have been in so much pain. It hurt to sit down, go up
and down stairs, they even hurt at night when I sleep. NOT ANY
MORE!!! The Lord INSTANTLY healed them for me tonight... I ran
up and down the stairs several times, sat down, got back up,
bent them in all kinds of ways and I have zero pain!!!)

"I have said for years, I do not need to go to the doctor, the Lord
is going to heal my knees... What an awesome ministry and
what an awesome God we serve!"

PLEASE FORWARD this Video to any sick people that you
know. I can personally vouch for Torben's ministry. Here is the
link to this video called "I WILL PRAY FOR YOU"-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDOrrKxPepA


Special blessings to all.

-Andrew Strom,

Rabu, 03 Juli 2013

SAD REACTION to WALMART HEALINGS

SAD REACTION to WALMART HEALINGS
by Andrew Strom

Last week we published a video of an old friend of mine, Torben
Sondergaard, as he prayed for the sick on the streets and in the
supermarkets of America. The deaf were healed and the lame
walked - right on camera. But some people who saw the video
reacted quite badly. Maybe it was the fact that the video started
with "legs growing out" instead of the more impressive healings -
I don't know. But it seems there is a lot of cynicism out there.

I have actually known Torben personally for 5 or 6 years. I have
stayed in his home and spent time with his family. I know his
writings and his preaching. To me, he is one of the few preachers
in Denmark who fully represents the gospel as it should be
preached. He stands for repentance, holiness and reformation
in a way that made us "click" together like old friends right away.
So it really upsets me to hear all the accusations people are
making - who don't know the first thing about him.

CYNICISM is NOT DISCERNMENT

Since the Todd Bentley debacle and other waves of "Charis-
mania" in recent times, it is very easy to become cynical about
healings and miracles, etc. I can understand that. But I have
always been very clear that true healings, prophecies, dreams,
visions and miracles should be absolutely EXPECTED as a
totally normal part of everyday Christian life. In fact, without them
it is very doubtful that we have true "Bible" Christianity at all. So
it deeply grieves me to see people getting so cynical that they
"nitpick" every instance of the supernatural or the gifts of the
Holy Spirit to death. It has got to the point where I can hardly
post any of these things on my website without rafts of cynical
comments that try to pick apart every aspect of them.

My friends, that is not discernment. It is the spirit of "writing off
everything." It is unwarranted accusation and nit-picking. It is the
"other ditch" on the far side of the road. Some fall into the ditch
of "hyper-grace" and 'hyper-charismania'. Others fall into the
opposite ditch of Legalism and "cynicism of anything supernatural".
Both of these ditches are equally dangerous. It is just as deadly
to become the type that "accuses first" and asks questions later.
A very dangerous cynicism takes hold at that point. Just like the
Pharisees. I think a lot of people need to repent.

We cannot just be focused on what is "wrong". At some point
we have to be about establishing what is 'right'. We have to go
forward into the "True" thing. Not just be exposing the False.
And the time has come to start in that direction.

I believe Torben has been shown a number of things that are
truly "revolutionary" - but also very simple - about getting back
to New Testament Christianity. Literally "what to do" to get
back there. That is why he and I agree on so many things. But
Torben is actually seeing it work IN PRACTICE. It is actually
happening. New Testament Christianity - right before your eyes.
So I am going to be featuring a lot more of Torben's stuff on here.

Let me give you an example. Torben believes in taking new
Christians out on the street very quickly to pray for the sick and
share the gospel. He believes this is a vital part of true "disciple-
ship". Just like Jesus did with his own disciples. On my website
I have just posted a brief video where Torben discusses the
amazing things that happen when this is done.

Please take a look. You will be glad you did. Here is the link-

http://www.revivalschool.com/


God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

America’s Change of Mind on Same-Sex Marriage and LGBTQ Rights

America’s Change of Mind on Same-Sex Marriage and LGBTQ Rights

July 3, 2013 - In March, TIME magazine featured a cover story with the headline, “Gay Marriage Already Won.” But this was a full three months before the Supreme Court’s official rulings in favor of same-sex marriage.
It was only last week when the Supreme Court struck down sections of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), declaring key components unconstitutional, and essentially lifting California’s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage by leaving it without legal defense.
Yet TIME’s March cover wasn’t a chronological error; rather, it was picking up clear cultural signals: the Supreme Court may have prolonged their decision on same-sex marriage, but in the court of public opinion there was a sense the choice had already been made.
Social shifts as monumental as this one don’t happen overnight—they grow over time, slowly building in momentum. So if America is changing its mind on same-sex marriage, what is underneath this shifting perspective? Who, exactly, are the citizens changing their views? How different are their views today than 10 years ago? And what is happening with regard to Christians and their perspectives on same-sex issues?
Barna Group has tracked public opinion of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community since 2003 to provide insight into these very questions. On June 27-30, the newest Barna poll conducted after the Supreme Court’s decision, demonstrates the population segments who are trending toward support of LGBTQ rights. The Supreme Court’s rulings last week are merely a legal expression of a profound social shift that has already taken place, and is backed by growing, but still hesitant moral acceptance of same-sex sexual relationships.
America’s Change of Mind on LGBTQ Rights
In the wake of the Supreme Court rulings, public response was overwhelmingly supportive—photos of embracing same-sex couples filled the news, Twitter was flooded with celebratory reactions, and Google even changed its search bar to rainbow hues for anyone who typed in “gay” as a keyword. Of course, others received the rulings with concern, viewing these legal shifts as a building threat to their definition of marriage as one man and one woman.
Overall, the Barna data shows 53% of American adults favor changing laws to accommodate more freedoms for the LGBTQ community. This opinion has become a majority view since 10 years ago, when 42% of adults took such a stance.
In 2003, however, only atheists and agnostics among key religious segments were in firm support of increasing LGBTQ rights. Currently, in addition to religious skeptics, practicing Catholics and those who have faiths other than Christianity are also more likely than not to favor increasing LGBTQ rights. Only practicing Protestants remain opposed to changing laws that enable more freedoms for the LGBTQ community.

How America Understands the Goals of the LGBTQ Community
When a social shift of this significance occurs, one of the biggest questions is why. And while this answer has room for additional discovery, perhaps one factor may be the growing understanding of the LGBTQ community in the past 10 years. A decade ago, two-fifths of Americans were unable to identify any particular goals of the LGBTQ community. Today, that percentage has dropped to just one-quarter of Americans. This suggests Americans have become significantly more aware of the kinds of social changes the LGBTQ community is aiming for.
In the recent Barna poll, Americans were more likely than in 2003 to identify goals such as achieving equal benefits as heterosexuals (increasing from 10% in 2003 to 32%), equal employment opportunities (from 9% to 15%), and same-sex marriage (from 23% to 33%). Other goals that also increased in perceived awareness include allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt and provide foster care (from 5% in 2003 to 17%) and protection from discrimination (from 5% to 11%).

How Americans Define Marriage
Americans’ change of perspective on the LGBTQ community doesn’t simply affect the LGBTQ community—it also brings changes to the definition of marriage Americans embrace, though the data suggests this change has been less substantial in the last year compared with attitudes about gay and lesbian rights.
In 2003, a slim majority of Americans (52%) believed marriage is defined as the union between one man and one woman. Yet in 2013, the majority opinion effectively flipped. Today, 48% of all Americans believe marriage is between one man and one woman, signaling a historic shift as the nation’s new minority opinion.
Most practicing Protestants (70%) are still committed to this traditional perspective, dropping just five percentage points in the past 10 years (from 75%). Practicing Catholics have seen a steep decline, from 64% to 50% today. Other faith groups have declined five points, but started much lower than Christian segments (from 45% to 40%). Atheists and agnostics have declined from 26% to 18% in support of a conventional view of marriage.
Other social views related to the LGBTQ community have also undergone change in the past 10 years. The research shows Americans’ willingness to support adoption for same-sex couples has increased from 46% to 57% since 2003. Practicing Catholics are now nearly twice as likely as practicing Protestants to embrace this perspective (60% versus 36%).

A Changing Moral Compass on Relationships
Despite the significant social acceptance the LGBTQ community has achieved in recent years, the Barna study reveals the gap between what Americans are willing to allow legally and what they believe is morally acceptable. Overall, 37% of Americans say same-sex relationships are morally appropriate. This represents an increase from 30% of Americans who embraced this view a decade ago.
Yet even with a surge of legal changes for the LGBTQ community, nearly six out of 10 Americans today do not view same-sex relationships as moral. While most measures of support for the LGBTQ community have reached majority status, a minority of Americans is willing to condone such relationships from an ethical standpoint.
Practicing Catholics are some of the most likely to have changed views on this question. Their support for the moral acceptability of same-sex relationships has nearly doubled in the past decade. Atheists and agnostics and those who embrace a faith other than Christianity have grown, too, in supporting the moral legitimacy of same-sex relationships. For their part, practicing Protestants have moved so little (from 12% to 15%) that it is within the range of sampling error.

Where Evangelicals Fit
Barna Group defines a specific group of Christians as evangelicals based upon their statements to various religious and theological questions, such as belief in the authority of the Bible, their rejection of salvation through good works, and their focus on talking about their faith in Jesus with others. (This segment is not defined by self-labeling or denomination; additional details are shown below.) By this measure, evangelicals represent about 8% of the U.S. public. Most evangelicals are practicing Protestants, who altogether represent about one-quarter of Americans.
Among the Barna-defined evangelical segment, most of their attitudes on LGBTQ issues have not changed much since 2003—in fact, they are the one group that has become more resistant toward LGBTQ concerns on several fronts. This includes:
  • Evangelicals remain very unlikely to favor changing laws to support LGBTQ lifestyles (declining from 12% in 2003 to 5%).
  • They continue to be extremely supportive of defining marriage as one man and one woman (inching up from 90% to 93%).
  • And they roundly reject the moral acceptability of same-sex marriage (up from 95% to 98%).
The only area in which evangelicals have become more willing to support LGBTQ causes in the last decade has been their slight increase in favoring adoption by same-sex couples (from 12% to 18%).
The Generational Divide
A striking difference emerged in this survey both in 2003 and 2013: Both among the national average and the Christian population, views on same-sex relationships vary significantly by age. Across the board, twenty- and thirty-something Americans are more likely than Americans 40 and over to support legal changes favoring the LGBTQ community (65% compared to 46%), to view same-sex relationships as morally acceptable (47% compared to 30%), and disagree that marriage is defined as one man and one woman (61% compared to 46%).
Within the Christian community, this generational trend remains the same, though the gap is smaller. Younger practicing Christians are statistically more supportive of the LGBTQ movement than their parents’ generation. Nearly half of of practicing Protestants under 40 today support changing laws to enable more freedoms for the LGBTQ community, while just one-third of their parents’ and grandparents’ generation feel the same.
The ways younger practicing Christians understand the goals of the LGBTQ community also differ significantly than their predecessors’ perceptions. Twenty- and thirty-something practicing Christians today are twice as likely as practicing Christians over 40 to identify protection from violence and discrimination (11% compared to 6%) and sexual freedom (13% compared to 6%) as goals of the LGBTQ community. Younger Christians (19%) are also nearly three times as likely as older Christians (7%) to understand adoption as a desire within the LGBTQ community.
What the Research Means
David Kinnaman, the president of Barna Group, directed the research study. He comments, “Clearly, social and legal acceptance of the LGBTQ community has passed the tipping point in the U.S. At the same time, millions of Americans continue to hold very divergent, often highly contentious viewpoints on the subject of LGBTQ rights and morality. Younger Americans are driving much of this social change, but a big part of the story of the last decade has been the perception change that has occurred among those age 40-plus.
“Among Christians, the Barna study shows that Catholics have far outpaced Protestants in terms of embracing LGBTQ points of advocacy, yet many active Protestants have also shifted their views in recent years. And while non-evangelical Protestants have changed somewhat on these matters, evangelicals have essentially maintained their perception through the past decade. Some will say this demonstrates evangelicals’ principled behavior; others will claim this proves their repressive social views. Either way, the data shows that evangelicals remain countercultural against a rising tide of public opinion. If the sands have shifted under evangelicals’ feet in the last 10 years, we at Barna predict it will seem the ground has completely opened beneath them during the next 10. In part, that’s because the very belief that same-sex relationships are morally wrong is deemed by many to be discriminatory and bigoted.
Kinnaman is the co-author of the book unChristian (2007), which revealed the significant negative perceptions that Christians were anti-homosexual. In light of this as well as the implications of the current research, Kinnaman concludes, “In unChristian, the anti-homosexual perception was the ‘big’ one; the perception that overshadowed all else. This new study confirms how the Christian community responds to the LGBTQ community is, in many ways, the defining social and moral issue of the day. Many churches and Christian leaders are going to rise or fall based on how they address it.
“Facing these matters must include, but not be limited to, questions of marriage, the role of the state in sanctioning marriage, a theology of the body, the ethics of sexuality and friendship, sin and brokenness, human flourishing, and so on. The Christian response to these issues has to be rooted in a deeply relational ethic—that sexuality is a relational and interconnected aspect of our humanity. That relationships matter, including those between people who disagree. Our research on younger Christians shows many leave the church over questions on these complex issues. And unless they are given a robust and compelling vision for why they need to hold to those views—and how to embrace them in a humble-yet-livable way—we expect even more disaffection between young adults and the Church in the years come.”
Twitter: @davidkinnaman | @barnagroup
Facebook: Barna Group


About the Research
This report is based on two OmniPollSM studies conducted by telephone with adults ages 18 or older in the continental United States. The 2013 study included 1,005 interviews with landlines and cellphone users from June 25 to June 30, 2013. The second study included telephone interviews with 1,029 landline users from September 15 to September 24, 2003. The maximum margin of sampling error for each of the studies is estimated to be within plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Based upon U.S. Census data sources, regional and ethnic quotas were designed to ensure that the final group of adults interviewed reflected the distribution of adults nationwide. Statistical weighting was used to calibrate the sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables.
"Evangelicals" are respondents who say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. They also meet seven other conditions. Those include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church attended. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as "evangelical."
"Practicing Christians" include self-identified Christians/Catholics who have attended a church service at least once in the last month and who agree strongly with the statement “your religious faith is very important in your life today.”
About Barna Group
Barna Group (which includes its research division, the Barna Research Group) is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.
If you would like to receive free e-mail notification of the release of each update on the latest research findings from Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna website (www.barna.org). Additional research-based resources are also available through this website.
© Barna Group, 2013.