10 Ways to Have a Fantastic Worship Experience

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October 27, 2020

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

If you are an avid worshiper of Christ and attend church on a regular basis, you probably already know what a fantastic worship experience is to you, right? Or, maybe you don’t attend church as often as you might because your past worship experiences never hit the mark. Having been to church more than many, I see the gamut and know that even when one person is soaring in their version of a worship service, another may be unaffected. There are many factors that contribute to why there is so much disparity, but I think I found 10 reasons that will aid you in your experience of worship. I hope these help you!

1. Foster good relationships

Nothing sours a worship experience more than when a worshiper has unresolved conflict as they arrive at church—especially so if with a brother or sister in Christ! Jesus said to “leave the altar” and make it right with that brother or sister for a reason. Our horizontal relationships when healthy allow us to be free to worship.

2. Learn the routine

If your church service always starts five minutes late and you keep coming way early, you might be disappointed at why people show up late. Acquire the culture and embrace it! If you were to go to a Brazilian BBQ and complain that they are rude to vegans you miss the point! (No offense to vegans, by the way.)

3. Don’t keep score

One Sunday the message blew you away. Unfortunately, the next week you were not as captivated by the sermon. Keeping score is not the point of a good experience, is it? A shorter memory can then serve you well. What if you simply saw each Sunday as something new to experience rather than something to compare to what you had before?

4. Try something new

We often look at worship like our favorite breakfast cafe where we are regulars. What if you tried something new on the menu? This might mean if you never have sat on the right side of the sanctuary, you choose to sit on the right. Or, what if you stayed for the refreshment time and met a new person? The opportunities to try something “new” abound!

5. Be in a pack

When we come to church “alone” we lose the power of a gathering. While it is good to be in healthy relationships, it is even better to have cohorts who actually desire to experience God in a more meaningful, deeper way. Knowing that a brother or sister is experiencing something more than you inspires you to share in that. Experiences are meant to be shared!

7 Things You Must Do TO and FOR Your Small Group Leaders

By

Mark Howell

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October 27, 2020

Can I let you in on a little corner of reality? Small group leaders are no different than the rest of us. A few of them (maybe 5 to 10 percent) are self-starters and have the internal wiring to take the right steps to grow on their own. The other 90 to 95 percent of all small group leaders need someone to develop and disciple them.

This is a very important concept to understand because whatever you want to happen in the lives of the members of your small groups must happen in the lives of your leaders first. No life-change in the leader, no life-change in the member.

Bottom line? If your leaders aren’t being developed and discipled, you cannot expect much to happen in the lives of the members of their groups.

Ready for another dose of reality? If you have coaches in place, this is what you need them do. If you don’t have coaches in place … developing and discipling your small group leaders is your job.

I’ve been saying for quite a while now that the primary role of a small group coach is to do to and for (and with) your small group leaders whatever you want your leaders to do to and for (and with) their members. What I haven’t said very specifically is what must be done to and for your leaders. See also Skill Training: Equip Your Coaches to Develop and Disciple Leaders.

Here is what I believe must be done to and for small group leaders.

Things you must do TO and FOR your small group leaders:

1. Offer encouragement and guidance, both unsolicited and upon request, from the very beginning. This is about technique and it’s what most of us would refer to as coaching. It is the tip of the iceberg, but it is where you need to begin in most cases. See also How Much of Coaching Is About Technique.

2. Get to know your leaders. Ask the right questions. Proactively listen. Lean in. It takes about three months for most leaders to learn everything they’re ever going to need to know about technique. If you want to develop and disciple them, you have to know them and they have to know you.

3. Give them a sense of family. Make getting to know them and their family a priority. Remember, a small group leader cannot give away what they have not received. If you want your groups to develop a sense of family, your leaders need to have already experienced it.

4. Pray for them. First, ask them how you can pray for them. Second, stop what you are doing and pray for them right then. Third, remember to follow up and ask them about their prayer request.

5. Help them identify their spiritual next steps. A key role that must be played by someone (whether that is you or a coach) is the same one Paul played with Timothy. The “follow me as I follow Christ” role is really played by someone who is known, not a distant role model. See also Equip Your Leaders to Help Members Plan to Grow.

6. Help them take their spiritual next steps. In order for a leader to become more than a good facilitator, they need to be able to help group members take spiritual next steps. To do that well, leaders need to have experienced genuine and loving accountability.

7. Model for them what they need to do TO and FOR their members. The right coach is really a role model for group leaders. You know you have the right men and women as coaches when they already have the habits you want your leaders to build. See also 8 Habits of a Life-Changing Small Group Leader.

You Have Authority—Bill Johnson

By

Andrew Hess

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October 27, 2020

Eric Geiger: The Downsides of Social Media (& How to Minimize Them)

By

Eric Geiger

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October 27, 2020

When making a choice between two possibilities, it is wise to evaluate the risk and the reward, the upside and the downside of each possible direction. Thus, when you decide you can work hard to minimize the downsides of your decision because you made the decision with awareness of the potential pitfalls of the decision. To use social media or to not use social media. It is not a small choice as recent research is showing there are significant downsides to being on social media: less exposure to other viewpoints, more anger, your brain being trained to read in short bursts rather than deep reading, increased anxiety, and the list continues. We have to recognize that those are a lot of downsides. Yes, there are upsides: the ability to connect with others quickly, self-expression, learning, etc. But for those of us who use social media are wise to have plans to minimize the downsides. If we have decided that the reward is greater than the risk, let’s have plans to minimize the risks as we engage on social media.

When it comes to using social media, here is how I am minimizing the downside (and am open to more ways to minimize the downside).

1. Wait as long as possible before giving phones to our kids.

When are daughters were 9 and 7, some of their friends were getting phones, and they started to ask when they would get a phone. We sat them down and told them they would be frustrated with us more each year, but here was our decision. They were not getting phones until they turned 14. Among other things, we did not want them to learn to live for likes and favorites.

2. Ask my girls before I post any picture of them or of something we have done.

I want them to know that not every moment in our lives needs to be shared with the world. Often times I don’t ask if something can be posted because we don’t think of it or because I remind myself that not everything we do needs to be posted. I don’t want to start living and doing things so that we have something to post. Why do I post at all? I am proud of my family. And I do want to share our lives with the people I love and serve. I don’t want to only be the guy on a platform or the guy leading a meeting.

3. Actively read outside of the social ecosystem instead of passively reading within it.

Read articles from different perspectives outside of the social media ecosystem. You have likely already heard this. But you are being tracked on social media. There are algorithms that have learned what articles you respond to, which ones you share, and which ones make you happy or angry. If you only read what social media serves up to you, you are only crystalizing what you already think and are learning to be angry at others who don’t think the same way. If it is true for you, it is true for me too. So, I actively search for articles online from different yet thoughtful viewpoints as opposed to passively reading whatever is served to me.

4. Read more books.

In her book iGen, Jean Twenge shows research that reading of books and long-form articles is dropping significantly as people are merely consuming snippets on social media. My friend and former colleague Jennifer Lyell used to say something like, “we need weighty content that is developed and designed for more than consumption at a stop light.” It is so true. If we get all our reading via social media, we will develop shorter attention spans, become less disciplined, and become more foolish.

5. Where there is more anger, engage less.

I loved Twitter. It was for me. Words, pithy statements, links to weighty articles. For a long time, it was the only social media platform I used. Then it got angrier and pricklier, and I have spent less and less time there. I still engage but not nearly as frequently as I once did. Although I did accurately call the NBA Finals on Twitter 6 weeks and 3 rounds before the Finals began. Yes, I am bragging.

6. Don’t engage on all platforms.

It is too much to keep up with and would take too much time away from more important things in your life. Truly engaging on all platforms would be a full-time job. I don’t engage on Facebook. I engage less on Twitter. My assistant helps me with both email and Instagram messages from people at our church.

7. Don’t have your phone by your bed and don’t grab it first thing in the morning.

It is a bad habit. A book by the bed and my Bible in the morning is a far better investment of my time than grabbing my phone.

8. It is not an animal that needs to be fed.

Sometimes I have fun with Instagram stories. But then I may go several days before posting a new one. When I have time and it is fun, I will do it. But I am currently resisting the thinking that “it is an animal that I have to keep feeding.” I don’t have to feed it.

9. Constantly remind yourself (and your team) that Twitter is not the real world.

It is not. You can be led astray by the echo chamber, especially if you are a leader in ministry. But the conversations occurring on Twitter are rarely the conversations that are occurring in the lives of the people the Lord has called me to serve.

10. It is OK to mute (or even block) someone.

If someone constantly agitates you, steals time from you, or sends you articles that are clearly making a point contrary to how they perceive you to be (as if you are too dumb to know that viewpoint exists), it is not mean or hateful to mute them or block them. View muting as caring for your own soul so that you will be able to respond graciously and lovingly to them in the real world.

11. Imagine that anything I post is posted on the screens at the church I serve.

This is not only true for a pastor; this has become true for employees and leaders in all types of fields and industries. You never stop representing the company or ministry where you have aligned yourself. If I would not post something on the screens at church, I should not post on the screens of my own social media.

I am still in the camp that believes that the upside of social media (for me) is greater than the downside, but I know I must actively manage against the downside in my own life and leadership.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Police in Wales Stop Church Service After Members Ignore Lockdown

By

Jessica Lea

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October 27, 2020

Police broke up a service being held at a church in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday evening because members were meeting in defiance of new lockdown measures that had been implemented two days prior. Congregant Naomi McLennan took a Facebook Live video of the incident, showing what happened when police officers disbanded the New Hope Community Church service.

“It’s a strange season,” wrote the church when it reposted the video on its Facebook page. “If someone would have said a year ago that gathering to worship your God and praying together would be interrupted and disbanded by the police, no one should have believed it. But here we are. 2020. Wales. Uk. It is an illigal [sic] thing to gather. To sing. See for yourselves. Daniel 6:10.”

New Hope Community Church Pushes Back

The Welsh government recently imposed a “firebreak lockdown” that runs from Oct. 23 to Nov. 9. The term “firebreak” refers to the fact that the lockdown is intended to be a brief, focused strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19. On its website, the government explained why it was implementing this lockdown, saying, “The fortnight-long action is needed to save lives and prevent the NHS [National Health Service] from being overwhelmed. Cases of coronavirus have been rising sharply in Wales as the virus has woken up for winter.” According to the site,

Between October 9 and 15, there were 4,127 new confirmed cases of coronavirus recorded by Public Health Wales, based on positive test results but the real level of infections will be much higher. The number of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus symptoms is growing daily and sadly so too are the number of people dying with coronavirus.

The lockdown restrictions require people to stay home “except for very limited purposes” and ban them from meeting with others from outside of their households. About 30 people with New Hope Community Church met for Sunday worship anyway, although the church took attendees’ temperatures and it appears from the video that most were wearing masks.

“So we’re at church right now, and the police just showed up,” said Naomi McLennan near the beginning of the video. “And so they’ve knocked on all the windows and all the doors, they’ve shined flashlights, so please pray for us right now. Yep, so I’m just letting you know that that’s what’s happening. This is in Cardiff. We’re not even in a third-world country right now. This is in Cardiff.”

One of the police officers explained the regulations to the pastor and congregants and said police had received phone calls from concerned people who had seen the church members entering the building. The officer said the congregants needed to leave and worship at home while they wait for the lockdown to “blow over.”

Pastor McLennan responded, “This is really strange and, I say it respectfully, we love you guys as police officers, and we are not law-breaking people. Please hear me. But when they say to us that it is illegal to come and worship our God, this is the West, forgive me, this isn’t a nation somewhere far off somewhere else.”

The officer countered that no one is saying it is illegal for New Hope Community Church to worship God, but rather the government is saying not to gather indoors within certain parameters. The pastor disagreed, and there was some more back and forth between the two of them, after which Pastor McLennan acquiesced. One woman said, “You’ll be asking us not to believe next.” The officer told her, “As a Christian myself, I am not going to do that. I have a Christian family. My own mother is finding other ways to pray.”

More discussion and debate then ensued among the police officers, the pastor, and the church members. The officer then said he and his colleagues would leave and give the church members a few minutes to pray and gather their belongings. At one point one church member said, “I cannot believe they are making church illegal. This is not communist China.”

After the police stepped out, Pastor McLennan said he wanted church members to understand that they are not against the police officers, who are simply having to enforce a law they did not pass. He told everyone that they are a “law-abiding people,” as evidenced by the fact that they are not “stealing stuff and hurting people, destroying things.”

45 Children Rescued in Ohio; Traffickers Are Targeting Christian Girls, Ministry Says

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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October 27, 2020

On Monday October 26, 2020, an operation called “Autumn Hope” rescued 45 children from human trafficking. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, over 175 individuals connected to human trafficking have been arrested in Ohio during the month of October. Over 100 human trafficking survivors have been rescued during the operations; 45 of those were missing children.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost explained the difference between prostitution and human trafficking, or “modern day slavery,” as he referred to it.

The difference between simple prostitution and human trafficking is the difference between two and three. Prostitution is simply a John and usually a woman, the person who is selling sex. Human trafficking involves a third person, who is typically taking a cut of the money. And that’s what elevates the simple prostitution into the evil of modern day slavery.

In a CBN News report, former Army Ranger Jeff Tiegs who leads All Things Possible Ministries, provided a startling discovery regarding who traffickers are targeting. Tiegs, whose ministry helps law enforcement identify traffickers, said, “There are particular traffickers that will target Christian girls,” all for an ego boost. The former Army Ranger continued, “To get the girl that comes from a broken, abusive relationship, that didn’t stroke his ego. But for him to be able to pluck a pretty young woman from a Christian family in the suburbs and turn her out to sell her body for sex through him, to be trafficked, that was an ego boost for him.”

Tiegs encourages parents to talk to their children about what is out there. “Parents have to talk to their daughters very candidly about what’s out there,” Tiegs said, “especially in this Christian bubble that we live in we don’t fully appreciate the evil that’s out there and the evil that’s trying to work its way into our lives.”

This isn’t the only rescue that has happened this year. In August a bust called “Operation Not Forgotten” that covered 20 counties in the Atlanta area saw 9 suspects arrested and 39 children rescued.

Respected former NFL athlete Tim Tebow and his wife Demi-Leigh fight human trafficking through the Tim Tebow Foundation. This year in honor of his 33rd birthday, his foundation launched a public initiative called “Rescue Her” for the sake of building awareness in hopes of it resulting in building an army of people who will fight against human trafficking.

Tebow says, “Every person on this earth is created in the image of God—uniquely, beautifully, and perfectly. Their value is priceless, and they are not for sale.”

Sean Feucht’s ‘Finale’ Worship Protest on the National Mall Included More Politics Than Usual

By

Jack Jenkins

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October 27, 2020

Sean Feucht worship — Christian musician Sean Feucht of California have a prays along with Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., left, during a rally at the National Mall in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Christian musician Sean Feucht held a politically charged concert in front of thousands on the National Mall Sunday night (Oct. 25), framing his performance as a protest against restrictions on churches but also voicing opposition to abortion and celebrating the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Throngs of worshipers braved colder temperatures and drizzles of rain in the nation’s capital, though the crowd appeared to fall short of the 15,000 people organizers had expected.

Nevertheless, neither the crowd nor Feucht appeared deterred by the weather at the event, where politics took centerstage alongside praise songs and preaching.

Billed as the culmination of Feucht’s nationwide “Let Us Worship” tour, the concert was originally focused on voicing frustration with restrictions on houses of worship during the pandemic. His performances have frequently featured large crowds singing in tight groups without masks, flouting local guidelines and the recommendations of health experts who note several outbreaks of COVID-19 have happened during worship services.

People attend a “Let Us Worship” tour concert by Christian musician Sean Feucht on the National Mall in Washington, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. RNS photo by Jack Jenkins

The singer has also received pushback from faith leaders for his efforts, and his planned concert caused controversy in Washington: Although the National Park Service oversees the National Mall and granted a permit for the event, it appears to have violated Washington’s COVID-19 restrictions, which prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people.

Feucht, who has been critical of media coverage of his tour, did not respond to requests for comment on this article.

Despite the tour’s previous focus on the pandemic, Feucht — who ran for Congress as a Republican this year in California but placed third in an open primary with less than 14 percent of the vote — was quick to draw attention to a different political drama unfolding in the U.S. Capitol building behind him on Sunday: The Senate held a procedural vote that same day on whether to place Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative Catholic, on the U.S. Supreme Court. (The vote passed, and Barrett is expected to be formally confirmed to the court on Monday.)

Feucht and other speakers at the event repeatedly drew connections between Barrett’s nomination and the anti-abortion movement. Shouting into the microphone, Feucht said that “we’ve been praying for this since 1973” — a reference to the year the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide.

“Tonight is going to be a night where things shift in America for the unborn!” Feucht said, as the crowd cheered in response.

Barrett, whose faith has garnered widespread attention, reportedly signed on to an advertisement in 2006 opposing “abortion on demand.”

The political subtext grew even more explicit when Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri addressed the crowd, saying he had just voted to further Barrett’s nomination process. He then led the masses in prayer for her.

Why Does Anti-Semitism Still Exist?

By

Susan Michael

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October 27, 2020

The evil pursuit of the Jewish people has continued for millennia, which is why historian Robert Wistrich called anti-Semitism “the longest hatred.” Every time this irrational vitriol seems to be dying out, it reinvents itself with a different look and a different name. But the goal is always the same: to rid the world of the Jewish people.

Anti-Semitism and Its Modern Forms

In the ancient world, classical anti-Semitism was a clash between pagan rulers, who demanded obedient homage, and their Jewish subjects, who could only worship and obey the God of Israel. The Jewish people could not bow down to any other god and were bound by the Sinaitic Law to certain behaviors and observances that set them apart and incurred the wrath of tyrants.

This was the situation described in the book of Esther where the King’s consort Haman demanded the Jews bow to him, and when they would not, he turned the might of the Persian Empire against them. The Hanukkah story takes place under the rule of the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who attempted to make the Jews into Hellenistic pagans by banning their religious practices and desecrating their temple.

Religious Anti-Semitism

One would think that once Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, this problem would go away. Instead, anti-Semitism took hold in the heart of Christian Europe, and among those who persecuted and hated the Jewish people were professing Christians. Space does not permit a full treatment of this sad story, but centuries of state and church-backed denigration, persecution, forced conversions, and expulsions actually paved the way for the Holocaust.

Proof of this is found in the fact that Martin Luther’s anti-Semitic writings were published and distributed by the Nazis to justify their anti-Jewish laws and eventually, their extermination program. Hitler admitted as much when he told two Catholic Bishops who questioned his policy that he was only putting into effect what Christianity had preached and practiced for 2,000 years.

Racial Anti-Semitism

The form of anti-Semitism found in Nazi ideology was not based on religion, however, but on racial theories promoting the superiority of the Aryan race. Whereas Christianity had sought the conversion of the Jews, and state leaders had sought their expulsion, the Nazis sought the “final solution” to the Jewish problem—the murder of all Jews and their eradication from the human race.

Political Anti-Semitism

The modern form of anti-Semitism that has found a stronghold and large-scale acceptance today is political. It is against the Jewish state and is called anti-Zionism.

Not all criticism of Israel can be considered anti-Semitic. However, criticism of Israel becomes anti-Semitic when it: 1) delegitimizes the state and questions its right to exist; 2) uses anti-Jewish rhetoric and stereotypes or compares Israelis to Nazis; 3) judges Israel by a different standard than any other nation; or 4) becomes an excuse to attack local Jewish individuals and institutions.

During the 2014 war in Gaza, a defensive war on Israel’s part to prevent further missile launches from Hamas, there were attacks on synagogues and Jewish citizens in France, refrains such as “Jews to the gas” in Germany, the use of swastikas at anti-Israel demonstrations, and anti-Semitic caricatures in newspapers and social media.

The Face of Evil

While anti-Zionism is the new “socially accepted” expression of anti-Semitism, it is important to note that racism and religious bigotry do still exist. Widespread religious anti-Semitism is found throughout the Muslim world. Interestingly, the secular globalists in the West will not condemn it because of their own anti-Semitic biases.

Anti-Semitism is likened to a virus that never entirely dies but mutates and begins growing again as a new strain needing new treatments. There is no explanation for this but a biblical one. Anti-Semitism is at its root spiritual—the ugly face of evil.

Psalm 83 describes it as a war against God Himself in which the Jews are the target. Revelation 12 describes it as war by spiritual forces depicted as a dragon.

It is, therefore, imperative that Christians stand up against this evil influence vocally, politically, and aggressively—but also with much prayer.

This article originally appeared here.

To find out more about Anti-Semitism and how you can equip and educate your congregation, download the free ebook today.

Barrett Confirmed by Senate for Supreme Court, Takes Oath

By

AP News

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October 27, 2020

Barrett confirmed — President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, after Barrett was confirmed to be a Supreme Court justice by the Senate earlier in the evening. Holding the Bible is Barrett's husband, Jesse Barrett. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court late Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump’s nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.

Trump’s choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election. Democrats were unable to stop the outcome, Trump’s third justice on the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.

Barrett, 48, will be able to start work Tuesday, her lifetime appointment as the 115th justice solidifying the court’s rightward tilt.

“This is a momentous day for America,” Trump said at a primetime swearing-in event on the South Lawn at the White House. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett before a crowd of about 200.

Barrett Confirmation

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Barrett told those gathered that she believes “it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences.” She vowed, “I will do my job without any fear or favor.”

Monday’s vote was the closest high court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first in modern times with no support from the minority party. The spiking COVID-19 crisis has hung over the proceedings. Vice President Mike Pence declined to preside at the Senate unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when his aides tested positive for COVID-19. The vote was 52-48, and Pence’s vote was not necessary.

“Voting to confirm this nominee should make every single senator proud,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, fending off “outlandish” criticism in a lengthy speech. During a rare weekend session he declared that Barrett’s opponents “won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come.”

Barrett, a federal appeals court judge from Indiana, is expected to take the judicial oath administered by Chief Justice John Roberts in a private ceremony Tuesday at the court to begin participating in proceedings.

Underscoring the political divide during the pandemic, the Republican senators, most wearing masks, sat in their seats as is tradition for landmark votes, and applauded the outcome, with fist-bumps. Democratic senators emptied their side, heeding party leadership’s advice to not linger in the chamber. A Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett’s nomination last month ended up spreading the virus, including to some GOP senators who have since returned from quarantine.

Pence’s presence would have been expected for a high-profile moment. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said it would not only violate virus guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy.”

Democrats argued for weeks that the vote was being improperly rushed and insisted during an all-night Sunday session it should be up to the winner of the Nov. 3 election to name the nominee.

Something Greater Than Halloween Happened on October 31st

By

Dr. Josh Buice

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October 27, 2020

Every year during the fall, the air becomes crisp, the days shorter, and the end of October is marked by a celebration known to us as Halloween. However, on October 31st—something greater than Halloween should be recognized—especially by the Protestant church. In the year 1517, on October 31st, a man named Martin Luther nailed a document to the Castle door in Wittenberg. That single document, known to us as The 95 Theses, literally sparked the great Reformation and led to the intense hatred of Martin Luther by the Pope and all of Rome.

The Catholic Church was guilty of perverting the message of grace by offering the forgiveness of sins through the sale of indulgences. Martin Luther had seen enough. After being saved by the grace of God, he was moved by the Holy Spirit to take a stand against the teachings of Rome. That passion was based upon his love for Holy Scripture, but most importantly—his love for the Christ of Scripture.

Luther’s love prompted the sacrifice of himself

In order for us to understand the magnitude of Luther’s stand in 1517, we must understand the religious climate and rule under which Luther lived. He was involved in the Catholic religious system. All persons within the Catholic Church were forced to submit to the Pope and his rule or face excommunication—or even death! Luther’s love for the Word of God (which he called the external Word) prompted him to reject the indulgences and false sense of forgiveness provided by the Catholic Church. When Luther said, “Here I stand…” it was a pure stand of opposition—not one of selfish ambition. Luther never intended to receive fame, spark a reformation or get his name “tagged” on thousands of blog sites in the years to come! Luther was motivated by a love for the Word which drove him to stand up in the face of a powerful giant—even if it cost him everything. Even if it cost him his life.

Luther’s love prompted the sacrifice of his time and energy

Luther’s deep love produced rigorous labor in the Word. Martin Luther was not a lazy man. No man can lead a reformation while approaching ministry casually. Luther’s love for the Word of God produced labor that shaped the German language and enriched it with his translation of God’s Word. Luther did not have the ability to utilize Logos or any other computer program in his translation work. Intense and unwavering labor was the product of Luther’s love for God’s Word.

“Sunday 5:00 a.m. worship with a sermon on the Epistle, 10:00 a.m. with a sermon on the Gospel, an afternoon message on the Old Testament or catechism. Monday and Tuesday sermons were on the Catechism; Wednesdays on Matthew; Thursdays and Fridays on the Apostolic letters; and Saturday on John.”¹Although times have changed since the 1500s, it should be noted that Luther was passionate about preaching the Word. It drove and powered his desires. Luther called the Word of God “The external Word,” and that External Word dominated Luther’s passions.

“In 1522 he preached 117 sermons in Wittenberg and 137 sermons the next year. In 1528 he preached almost 200 times, and from 1529 we have 121 sermons. So the average in those four years was one sermon every two-and-a-half days.”²It should also be noted that Luther’s preaching was not the same message warmed up each week. His preaching was the byproduct of his intense study, which took place each day. Martin Luther translated, wrote and preached without modern “helps” that are available through computers, the Internet, and the thousands of commentaries that we have available to us at the click of a button. When it comes down to it, Martin Luther was a “work horse” who lived to preach the Word—and as a result, we are still talking about him today. Luther’s life has left a mark on the world and it has also provided writings that are still worth reading. John MacArthur once said in a sermon, “You cannot just role out of bed and lead a reformation.”³ I believe he’s correct. Luther didn’t casually lead a reformation. The Reformation was the byproduct of relentless study and passionate preaching straight from the Word of God.

Relationships: Choose Character Over Chemistry

By

J.D. Greear

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October 27, 2020

When it comes to relationships, our culture says physical attraction is everything. But according to the Bible, while chemistry matters—because God created it—it’s not everything.

Jesus taught in Matthew 19 that one of the most important aspects of marriage (that should shape our approach to dating) is that marriage is friendship. God said it was not good for man to be alone, so he created a halup—a “deep friend” for him. Marriage is much more than friendship, but it must never be less than friendship.

If marriage is about friendship and lifelong companionship, then that means character is more important than chemistry.

Did you know that studies show that the effects of attraction (the “butterflies”) wear off in about 18 months (which is why some people have never had a relationship last longer than that)? If that’s primarily what a relationship is built on, then when chemistry fades, you have nothing left.

When you’re dating, it’s wise to prioritize the presence of character. Unlike physical beauty or charm, character is a treasure that never fades.

Love Is Not Warm Fuzzies and Butterflies

Matt Chandler, a pastor in his 40s, got brain cancer a few years ago and had to undergo pretty severe treatment. He says,

“When I got cancer, everything that was sexy about me to my wife vanished—my strength, my vibrancy, my sense of humor, even my hair. … All of that was gone for two years. I became a shriveled up version of what I was before the cancer. But Lauren had entered into covenant with me, and she loved the character that God had formed in my heart. All that mattered in that chapter of our marriage was her character and mine. Character sustained the marriage, fueling and reigniting all the rest.”

Translation: Love is not just warm fuzzies and butterflies.

We know from 1 Corinthians 13 that love is patient. Patience means they’re OK with you not being perfect. At some point, your intoxicating effects on them are going to wear off, and you’re going to disappoint them. Love doesn’t respond by lashing out or punishing you or looking for someone new. Because love is patient, it endures with you.

Love is also kind. That means it’s considerate. It thinks of others’ needs instinctively. When someone loves you, they don’t just think about themselves all the time; they think about you and your needs.

Love keeps no record of wrongs. This is a big one in marriage. Are they the kind of person who, every time you do something wrong, pulls up their mental list of every way you’ve disappointed them since you got married? That’s not someone you want to be married to.

Love does not envy. That means they are happy when you feel good, even if they don’t feel good. In contrast, envy takes the attitude of, “I’m not happy in life right now, so there’s no way I’m going to let you be happy, either.”

Love does not boast and is not proud. A person of true love doesn’t think life is all about them. They don’t think they are entitled to everything and that it is everybody else’s role in life—including yours—to provide those things for them.

Love does not dishonor. That means love doesn’t use someone else like a commodity for the fulfillment of their needs, emotionally, sexually, or whatever. They honor and respect you.

Love never gives up. It doesn’t give up when you’ve let them down. It doesn’t walk out. It never stops believing in you and working for the success of your relationship.

Isn’t that the kind of person you want to marry? If so, then prioritize character.

The Litmus Test for Character

To recognize relational character, I find this one litmus test very revealing: Look at the relationships that are already there.

In the dating stage, people are often in the used-car salesman mode, trying to hide all their defects. Of course they’re treating you well. They’re trying to win you over! But how do they treat others?

How do they treat their parents? Their friends? Their siblings? The server at the restaurant? Do they keep their word? Do they honor and encourage others, or do they cut others down and gossip about them?

The English word “character” comes from the word cherax, which refers to the engraving done by a metal tool. That tool makes the same imprint no matter what you dip it in. So look at today’s relationships to uncover what tomorrow’s imprint will be.

This article originally appeared here.

Eric Peterson: My Dad Didn’t Want to Put on the Celebrity Wardrobe

By

Maina Mwaura

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October 27, 2020

As we settle into Pastor Appreciation month, one thing is clear for most Pastors, and that’s the need to put their families first and be the spiritual leaders that Christ has called them to be. It’s a pretty simple message until it has to be lived out. Say the name Eugene Peterson, and his development of the Message Bible first comes to mind. For many in the Christian faith, the Message Bible makes Scripture clear and easy to understand, which may explain why his son, Eric, has a simple and direct message about his dad that he believes can encourage pastors to lead their families well.

Although we knew his dad was a prolific writer and translator, for Eric he was much more than that. In a rare interview with ChurchLeaders.com, Eric Peterson offers insights into the life of his dad that may encourage pastors and leaders along the way. Eric, who is the Senior Pastor at Colbert Presbyterian, located outside of Spokane, Washington, not only understands the role of pastoring and church planting but he also understands the role that a father can play in the lives of their children. Eric opens up about having a dad like Eugene Peterson and what he learned from him along the way.

He was my dad.

Many followers of influential leaders often tend to believe that they know all that there is to know about the leader, sometimes leaving the family members on the sideline, yet those family members hold a much different perspective. Eric shares, “I had the greatest respect for my dad, who held the moon in the sky.” From the minute Eric began talking, it was easy to sense a demeanor of respect and genuine love for his dad. In an interview Eugene gave reflecting on the Message Bible, he was clear that family was first and the rest could go to pot. This may explain why Eric believed and sensed it, stating simply, “He was my dad.” Eric’s great fondness and pride of his dad were evident, and rightly so.

Ministry Role Model

“I crawled in through the back door, when it comes to ministry, before I knew what I was doing.” Eric may have taken a back-door approach in accepting his call into full time pastoral work, but his dad was there to give advice when needed. Eric also learned from the example of his dad, who pastored the same church in Maryland for almost 30 years. In fact, Eric clearly remembers his dad saying that the Message Bible would have never been translated had it not been for his dad’s pastorate. In Eugene’s later years, the two would partner together in ministry, which Eric deeply enjoyed. “I knew that I was important to him,” Eric declares, even as he tries to do that with his own children.

Not A Celebrity

“I can still remember asking him why he would turn down big conferences and events and hearing him say that he never wanted to put on the celebrity wardrobe.” Eugene wasn’t someone that you would see on the ministry conference circuit, which Eric understood wasn’t who he was. One can tell deep in Eric’s bones that he believes his father was a man who embodied servanthood and humility. It’s been said that you can tell a lot about a parent by the behavior of their children. If that’s the case Eric, models his dad. There is no pretense in Eric’s demeanor; instead there is an air of humility and service. Although the Message Bible is a best seller, Eric wants it to be known that his dad never saw the Message Bible as his book. He saw it as God’s book that he merely had the privilege of translating for people to read.

The Bible

I was interviewing Eric by Zoom, and looking around his office it is hard to miss his book shelves, which suggest Eugene passed along a legacy of reading and love of the Bible to his son. Eric loves the Bible, which is what you may expect from someone whose dad spent 8 years translating the Message Bible. “For my dad it was like walking through a grove of fruit trees, picking off fruit that was ripe and ready to be picked,” Eric said. Eric wants it to be known that his dad loved reading the Bible and teaching from it.

Legacy

Eric is the author of two books that focus on letters to a young congregation and letters to a young pastor that relay some of the advice that his dad passed along to him. It’s clear from my conversation with Eric that his dad left a lasting imprint on his life. Before Eugene passed away, Eric asked him to write letters of assurance to him, because Eric was entering a season of starting a new church and felt he may not be up to the task. Toward the end of his dad’s life, Eric would sit around the fire at night and read the letters back to him. Eric still remembers those precious moments being such a fond memory to him.

I personally witnessed first-hand the legacy and life of Eugene Peterson through the ministry he provided to the singer Bono. I asked Eric to reach out to Bono for me on an upcoming project; reading Bono’s words about Eugene is something that as a journalist and story teller I will never forget.

“I do miss Eugene’s voice in my ear, but keep his words close… especially in the times we are in. Remembering Jan also.” -Bono

To Meet or Not to Meet? More than Two Options for Gatherings

By

Aaron Stern

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October 27, 2020

“I am so grateful to be around people again. I have missed the connection and worshipping with others.” “I had tears in my eyes as I heard the voices of others singing round me.” You are probably thinking…another article advocating for re-opening your building and having in person gatherings. Not exactly.

I lead a church that meets in rented spaces. In late July we got word our building owners were not going to open the building to us, or anyone else, due to COVID for the rest of 2020. The comments above are from two individuals in our church who are a part of what we are calling, “House Gatherings.”

To meet online or in person? It’s an important question. And not just a logistical question…it’s an ecclesiological question. But we have more than two options. Like most churches, we experienced an ongoing drop in online engagement the longer we were not meeting together. The more we talked with congregation members the more we realized the issue was bigger than clicks and views. The issue was atrophy. Without use, muscles begin to shrink and atrophy. When atrophy fully runs its course it can lead to paralysis and even loss of vision. And the same is true for followers of Jesus. Without spiritual exercise we regress. And unfortunately, when people are not gathering for church with other believers, spiritual disciplines and other strengthening and formational practices wane.

Without a building to meet in, we felt stuck. Were we just going to sit by and hope we get the green light in January? Do we just beat the “watch online” drum louder? My team and I began to pray and brainstorm. After reading Acts 20:20 (ironic reference, right?), “You know that I [Paul] have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.”, we knew our plan. We will meet in houses all over our city. Do we like meeting in a large venue with hundreds of people? Yes. Does God meet us in beautiful ways in those spaces? Yes. Do we believe God can speak beyond these ways? Yes. We believe that we must ^“not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…” (Hebrews 10:25) and our theology of the Holy Spirit is bigger than our preferences or what we are used to. The Spirit’s work is not dependent on the size of a building, the size of a crowd, or where the worship team is.

Throughout the first couple months of COVID, when lockdown was the tightest, we had a close family friend join us every Sunday for church. I noticed something the couple weeks he was out of town. We did not watch on Sunday at 11 a.m. like we normally did. One week it was Tuesday evening! And my kids, they were on their worst behavior and more disengaged when he was not there. Tuning in with others integrates natural accountability.

To get House Gatherings off the ground, we made the bar for entry low. The only requirement was a willingness to create a space for connection with God and others. Hospitality and the Holy Spirit make for a powerful combination! We recruited a few key leaders to get the ball rolling, but the goal was for our church to invite and create House Gatherings then let us know so we could resource and equip them as well as fill any extra space they might have. And the result? Our House Gatherings are full, some are overflowing; the number of people who are engaged on a weekly basis has jumped dramatically, and we are looking for more hosts.

House Gatherings of varying sizes (can be adjusted depending on local guidelines), are meeting in homes and together tune into our online gathering for worship and teaching. This is our only requirement as it protects unity and helps our church family stay connected. Afterward is the opportunity for discussion and prayer…and food! Think of Sundays and small groups having a baby. Some House Gatherings are three to four hours long and others are 90 minutes. Some are outside, some meet virtually, some require masks, some share a meal, some are in large houses, others are in apartments, and one is in a sorority house.

Since making this shift, we feel like we have moved from playing defense to offense. This is no small change; it takes some people time to understand that Sunday gatherings are back…just different. We are learning, navigating roadblocks, and adjusting as we go, but the disconnected are reengaging and the passive observers are becoming active participants. Invitation of neighbors and classmates is back, more people are hospitality is on the rise, giving is increasing, needs are being met, connections are being developed, salvation is happening, leaders are stepping up…our church is getting stronger.

5 Emotional Intelligence Hacks That Can Immediately Improve Your Leadership

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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October 26, 2020

How would you rate your emotional intelligence lately?

It’s a relevant question for a few reasons. First, as the research Daniel Goleman brought forward two decades ago demonstrated, EQ (emotional intelligence) is a far greater predictor of leadership effectiveness than IQ.

Second—and this is the fun part—emotional intelligence can be learned. It’s not genetic, and pretty much anyone can get better at it.

Your emotional intelligence (or lack thereof) is already affecting far more than you think at work and at home. It explains:

-Why you have conflict and when you have conflict.

-Why people like working with you or don’t.

-Why you never seem to get the promotion you’re hoping for—or why you do.

-Why there’s so much drama in your life, or why things actually go quite smoothly.

So how emotionally savvy are you?

I personally had a lot of growing to do in emotional intelligence over the years in leadership, and I’m still working on it.

Here are five EI hacks that can immediately improve your leadership. They’ve certainly helped improve mine.

1. Become a student of how you impact others

Ever wonder what happens when you walk into a room?

It’s a strange question in some respects because you’ve never been in a room that you’re not in.

You impact the climate of every room you’re in. In fact, as a leader, you almost always change the climate. But is it for the better or worse?

Do people tense up when you walk in? Do they clam up? Are they glad to see you? Afraid of you? Thrilled that you’re there?

Is your spouse glad to see you, or does he or she worry you’ll just have one more thing to complain about when you get home?

Many people have no idea how to honestly answer that question.

What makes it even more complicated is the fact that insecure leaders are usually too afraid to get answers to that question. And if you’re an angry or defensive leader, I promise you your team is afraid to give you an answer to that question.

7 Ways Mobile Apps Help Churches Thrive

By

Jeff Harvey

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October 26, 2020

How do you feel when you leave home without your phone? We love our smartphones, and most of us spend an average of five hours using them every day. This is why pastors and ministry leaders are turning to apps for churches to nurture engagement and increase a sense of belonging within their communities.

Mobile apps allow your community to interact with your ministry’s content anywhere, anytime. People can easily listen to your latest sermon on their phones while commuting to work, open up your Bible reading plan during a break, get a friendly reminder that your church’s live stream is about to start, and so much more.

With the right app features in place, your church can thrive! Let’s take a look at seven of these features—all of which are included with the Subsplash app platform—and discover how they can help you engage and grow your audience.

7 Ways Mobile Apps Help Churches Thrive

Push notifications are automated messages that show up on your users’ phone home screens. They are an efficient way to send reminders (like for event registration or live stream start times) or provide updates (such as a new worship service time, or the latest church bulletin). Push notifications are also one of the most effective digital communication tools available to church leaders as they are opened 50% more than emails.
Audio and video players allow your community to consume your gospel-centered content on the go. Whether a church sermon, daily devotional, or small group lesson, your audience will love watching and listening to your content on their mobile devices. The best church app platforms offer an audio player that remembers where you left off, along with an audio download option for listening offline!
Event calendars increase attendance at your Bible studies, small groups, and other activities by putting all of your events in one place. These can usually be integrated with your other calendars (like Google Calendar and iCal) and links to signup forms. Adding maps and directions will help people easily find your events, along with contact info, and links to easily share with friends.
In-app messaging facilitates communication in a secure and centralized location. Asking for prayer, chatting in a public channel, and sending direct messages between members of your congregation are just a few examples of how this instant two-way communication helps build authentic relationships. In-app messaging can increase efficiency by allowing your members to share files, create polls for feedback, and by sending push notifications.
Live streaming allows your church to connect with your members in real-time, regardless of their physical location. With today’s streaming technology, it is simple to set up live streaming for your church with just a webcam or a mobile device.
In-app giving enables your members to make donations on their smartphones from anywhere. Most donors prefer the convenience of giving online with a credit card rather than donating with cash or checks. Giving solution features like recurring gifts encourage people to give more frequently. Your church staff will appreciate time-saving features such as automated bookkeeping, integrations with your church management software (ChMS), donor reports, and website giving integrations. On average, churches that add digital giving options see a 32% increase in overall donations.
Notes and digital bulletins help congregants stay engaged during services and help your church save on printing costs. Pre-built fill-in-the-blank notes can be saved on your church’s app for congregants to use, and free-form notes let them record their own notes.

These features keep your audience engaged with your church’s content, feel connected to your ministry, and encouraged to come back to your app over and over again.

About Subsplash: Subsplash created the very first church app in 2009 out of their small office in Seattle. Today they serve over 14,000 churches and organizations from offices located around the United States. Learn more about how having a Subsplash custom mobile app can help your church reach more people and create deeper connections.

IHOP Commits to Cover YWAM Missionaries in Prayer Through 1 Million Intercessors

By

Megan Briggs

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October 26, 2020

If you’ve heard of International House of Prayer (IHOP), you know their mission is to keep the fires of intercessory prayer burning 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And if you know anything about Youth With a Mission (YWAM), you know they are committed to crossing the globe until everyone has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. So what would it look like if one of the most widely-known prayer ministries covered one of the most widely-known missions organizations in prayer? The answer is this very well could have Great-Commission-fulfilling ramifications.

Although the two ministries have crossed paths in the past, September 11, 2016, marks the launch of this more focused initiative on IHOP’s part to hold YWAM up in intercessory prayer. Loren Cunningham, who founded YWAM with his wife, Darlene, challenged Mike Bickle, the leader of IHOP, to raise up 1 million intercessors to pray on behalf of YWAM. Leaders and staff of IHOP and YWAM had been gathered for the week-long Together conference in Kansas City September 5-10, 2016, when the challenge came.

Bickle didn’t miss a beat, taking pleasure in accepting the challenge. Bickle told Jennifer LeClaire of Charisma News, “We love what the Lord has done through Loren and Darlene Cunningham and the whole YWAM family for over 50 years, and we are committing to cover them in intercession for the great cause of advancing the kingdom in the nations and to call other prayer ministries throughout the world to join us.”

The focus of the Together conference was on fulfilling the Great Commission. Among the topics discussed were “ending Bible poverty (providing Scripture in every language) and a commitment to seeing every sphere of society impacted with the gospel,” according to Charisma News. The call to intercession is one that is very near to the Cunningham’s hearts. Darlene Cunningham says, “The practice of intercession—hearing from God and praying His prayers—is part of the core DNA of YWAM from the beginning… We need it, and I am so thankful that IHOP is joining us in the great endeavor.”

If anyone could handle such a commission, it’s IHOP. As John Dawson, president emeritus of YWAM, said, “The 17-year commitment to 24/7 prayer maintained faithfully by IHOP Kansas City is no small thing in our eyes. Out at the ends of the Earth, our missionaries can feel the power of this loving shield; in the hard places, in the dangerous places, we know we are not alone because intercessors are travailing, even through the night watches.”

With more than 1,100 ministry locations in over 180 countries, YWAM has a lot going on on any given day. And the fact that they train over 25,000 short-term missions volunteers each year (this doesn’t even include their full-time staff or long-term missionaries) translates to a lot of prayer requests.

Let’s pray this unique alliance between the two ministries produces good fruit for God’s kingdom.

What Makes Business Christian? ~ Part 4

By

J.D. Greear

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October 26, 2020

Today we’re looking at the 4th characteristic that makes business “Christian.” Below are the links for the previous characteristics that I posted.

Christian work is:

– 1. Creation-Fulfilling

– 2. Excellence-Pursuing

– 3. Holiness-Reflecting

4. Todays topic – Redemption-Displaying:

If Christians were to act in their jobs with equity and fairness, that alone would set them apart. But those who have been touched by the gospel do not merely attempt to hold to high ethical standards: They live lives with a radically altered perspective of gratitude. What Christ has done by redeeming us to the Father produces a natural response of grace towards others.

A great example of this is a story I recently heard about a Madison Avenue advertising executive. A young woman working as an intern for this executive made a mistake that cost the company $25,000. Madison Avenue is a world defined by grace, so she knew she had ruined her one chance at making it in the advertising world. But this executive went before his board of directors, convincing them to allow the blame for her mistake to fall on him instead. When this young woman heard what he had done, she came to him crying. In tears, she asked him why in an atmosphere as cutthroat as that of Madison Avenue advertising, he would choose to cut his own throat for her. He answered by sharing how 15 years earlier, Jesus had done the same thing for him, stepping in the way of the wrath that he deserved. Because of the great grace that Jesus had shown him, his heart went out to her.

When we work to display redemption, we no longer angle for position, shrewdly networking so that every relationship we have and every activity of our day serves our bottom line. In fact, Christ’s grace changes our desires so that we seek new bottom lines. If truly touched by grace, Christians in business begin to leverage their resources to bless those in need. If truly touched by grace, Christians in business consider ways to use their work in taking the gospel to places where it is not known.

Many Christians will object to a perspective like this. “I worked for what I have—I earned it” they might say. Or perhaps, “I just don’t feel like that’s my call.” Both objections reveal a heart that knows little of grace or of obedience. A person may certainly feel like she has earned everything that she has, but where did she get her tough-minded work ethic? Her intelligence? These were the grace of God. By whose decree did she grow up in the United States instead of in a Brazilian favela? Certainly not by her own—this also was the grace of God. The very air she breathed and food she ate were provided to her as gifts of grace.

A person who hides behind the language of “calling” reveals a similar ignorance, one of obedience. He protests that giving away his money or using his skills for missions is simply not God’s will for his life. He argues that such sacrifice, so very commendable, is certainly the call for a more mature Christian than himself. “Perhaps one day,” he muses, “but not today.” He forgets, of course, that the call to leverage every aspect of his life for God’s purposes is not an advanced lesson for an elite Christian force—it is the call to follow Jesus.

Hillsong Purchases Melbourne’s Iconic Festival Hall for $23M

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 26, 2020

kingdom-hall — In this February 23, 2019 photo, Hillsong pastors cut a ribbon at an event dedicating their Hillsong Melbourne East campus.

On its YouTube channel yesterday, Hillsong Church announced its purchase of Festival Hall, an iconic music venue in West Melbourne, Australia. The 105-year-old building, which seats more than 5,000, will be renovated and then used for church services and community events. According to Hillsong, the beloved venue also will, to some degree, “continue to be Festival Hall.”

Hillsong: ‘God’s grace’ Made Purchase Possible

During Sunday’s online worship, senior pastor Brian Houston called Festival Hall an “amazing venue” that will “become the city location for Hillsong Melbourne.” The property, on the market for three years, had almost been converted into apartment buildings. After another party withdrew a bid, Hillsong was able to finalize the purchase on October 16 “by God’s grace,” Houston says.

Tim and Nicola Douglass, pastors at Hillsong Melbourne, say they’re excited to finally “have a home” after seven years of seeking a permanent site. Landing Festival Hall “was a long shot,” says Tim Douglass. “Now, we’re sitting in a miracle. God can make a way even through impossible circumstances.”

Festival Hall, in the heart of Melbourne and with easy transportation access, will continue to serve city residents, adds Douglass. “We just get to be the church that purchases it and continues to serve, but also gets to see it be the house of God on Sundays.”

For the renovation, Houston says, they’ll likely build an addition for children’s ministry and more. Although Hillsong will become the “anchor tenant” of Festival Hall, he adds, “We’re going to continue running it as a community venue.”

Hillsong, a worship-music powerhouse, bought the property as part of its new Community Venues commercial entity. Much planning was involved, Houston says, adding that funds were set aside before COVID-19 struck. Buying the hall is “something that has been planned and that was prepared for,” he says.

Criticism Is Expected, Says Pastor Brian Houston

The purchase price of $23.3 million raised some eyebrows, with critics saying the church shouldn’t be tax-exempt if it can afford such a big purchase. “Not everyone’s going to like [the move], I’ll tell you now,” says Houston. “But I believe the Lord loves it, and I sure love it, and you love it, so thank God.”

Some Melbourne musicians aren’t happy with the new ownership. “I don’t want any Amity shows giving any money to Hillsong, so see ya later then Festival Hall,” tweets singer Joel Birch.

Another commenter writes, “Same way you don’t see musicians crashing religious buildings, do you mind keeping one of the few (and getting fewer) music venues we have in Melbourne open for us?”

Festival Hall, which had to be rebuilt after a 1955 fire, has hosted Olympic events and big-name musical acts from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Midnight Oil and Rage Against the Machine.

“Hillsong, the ultra-conservative megachurch that includes Chris Pratt and Justin Bieber among its followers, has bought Melbourne’s Festival Hall,” tweets self-described “pop-culture addict” Albert Santos. “Hasn’t Melbourne suffered enough?” He adds, “I can think of literally nothing less rock and roll than one of the most iconic rock venues in Melbourne being bought by the [Prime Minister’s] super-Christian mates from the Hills District.”

Chinese Textbook Rewrites Bible Story to Make Jesus Sinful

By

Jessica Lea

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October 26, 2020

woman caught in adultery — Photo of Xi Jinping courtesy of Prime Minister's Office, Government of India, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been implementing its plans for the “sinicization” of the Bible and Christianity for some time now, but only recently has it become apparent what the party believes a more “Chinese” version of Scripture would look like. According to a Sept. 22 report from the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), a Chinese ethics textbook tells the famous account in John 8 of the woman caught in adultery, but with a significant change to the ending: After the religious leaders leave, Jesus stones the woman himself.

“I want everyone to know that the Chinese Communist Party has always tried to distort the history of the Church, to slander our Church, and to make people hate our Church,” said a parishioner who posted the CCP’s version of the story on social media. According to ChinaAid, which has published a picture of the text in question, the story about the woman caught in adultery is in a textbook called “Chinese Professional Ethics and Law” that was edited by Zhongmei Pan, Gang Li, and Baoyu Xu. The book was published by University of Electronic Science and Technology Press, and according to the National Review’s Cameron Hilditch, is aimed at high school students.

UCAN says that a Christian teacher named Mathew Wang noted that the content of the textbook is not consistent throughout China, but did confirm the existence of the revised biblical account. According to Wang, the Textbook Review Committee for Moral Education in Secondary Vocational Education reviewed the textbook.

CCP: No Mercy for the Woman Caught in Adultery

In John 8:1-11, the Jewish religious leaders try to trap Jesus by bringing a woman caught in adultery to him. They tell him she was caught in the middle of the act and that the law commands them to stone her. Then they ask Jesus, “Now what do you say?”

Instead of responding to the question, Jesus bends down and starts writing on the ground. When the Pharisees and teachers of the law continue to question him, Jesus says, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” He then goes back to writing on the ground. Gradually, all of the woman’s accusers start to leave. When all of them are gone, Jesus asks her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She says, “No one, sir.” He responds, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

The CCP’s version of the account totally subverts the character and divine nature of Jesus, not to mention his application of Old Testament Law. The revised story reads:

The crowd wanted to stone the woman to death as per their law. But Jesus said, “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” Hearing this, they slipped away one by one. When the crowd disappeared, Jesus stoned the sinner to death saying, “I too am a sinner. But if the law could only be executed by men without blemish, the law would be dead.”

A Catholic priest who wished to remain anonymous told UCAN that the revisions to the account of the woman caught in adultery are part of “a sad social phenomenon in mainland China” and that the changes are “against morality and the law, so how can we still teach professional ethics with this book?”

Apart from the slanderous way the textbook portrays the nature and teachings of Jesus, ChinaAid says the changes reflect the CCP’s desire to bolster people’s view of the law in China. The textbook explains that the law (i.e., Chinese law) will die if it can only be enforced by people who are sinless—implying that people must accept the actions, sinful or not, of Chinese leaders. The CCP has been suppressing and attempting to reinvent Christianity for some time, but “Until now,” says ChinaAid, “Chinese officials rarely, so openly presented an altered biblical passage in an official textbook.”

The Federalist’s Arielle Del Turco believes that the purpose of these changes is to show “that forgiveness, an important Christian value, is rejected and the law must be obeyed without question. In China, the law is whatever the CCP says.”

According to Matthew Taylor King with the Wall Street Journal, at the end of last year the CCP convened a group of “scholars” and “religious people from the grassroots level” to make “accurate and authoritative interpretations of classical doctrines to keep pace with the times.” The Daily Mail says that these “experts” were charged with the task of reinventing religious texts in order to prevent the cultivation of “extreme thoughts” and “heretical ideas.”

A full government-approved translation of the Bible is not yet available. In fact, what the CCP is attempting is an enormous undertaking, says King, requiring “literary achievement and deep religious knowledge, both of which are lacking in the party’s handpicked experts.”

Hilditch thinks these efforts show that the Chinese government has taken some lessons from the former Soviet Union. He says,

The CCP has learned that the long-term survival of a Communist super-state is better served by managing domestic elements hostile to Communist ideology rather than attempting to abolish them outright…The new Chinese Communism is one of social control, not social revolution. And so its architects allow for just enough capitalism to keep themselves in power, and for just enough Jesus to keep out Christ.

Why Pandemics Are Dangerous for Jews

By

Susan Michael

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October 26, 2020

Abundant conspiracy theories and misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic have elevated fear and anxiety levels for many. We have had to sift through benign misinformation and intentional disinformation to understand the potential dangers of this virus and the best practices to avoid it. Even the US government’s Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has become controversial and many question whether it is the place to go for information one can trust.

Government Misinformation

Other countries have even less trustworthy and helpful governments. They are at the mercy of corrupt leaders attempting to hide their own mishandling of the crisis and place blame elsewhere through their state-controlled media.

Case in point: a Chinese government spokesman set off a disinformation frenzy in China when he tweeted the self-serving lie that it was the US army that brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Russian media then chimed in accusing both the United States and the United Kingdom of developing the virus to harm Russian ally China.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard generals claimed the virus was an American biological weapon aimed at both China and Iran, while Iranian state media also blamed the “Zionists.” Throughout the Muslim world, rumors abound that the Jews developed the coronavirus to gain power, kill a large number of people, and make a fortune selling the antidote.

Conspiracy Theories

These lies have infiltrated the internet in the United States and are used by conspiracy theorists to advance their anti-Semitic theories. The Anti-Defamation League is tracking and documenting the proliferation of these lies on both fringe internet platforms as well as mainstream platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit.

Conspiracies abound about the origin of the virus that blame everyone from the US government to Bill Gates to Israel. Some are using the virus as proof in their case for—or against—vaccination, immigration, or imposition of martial law. Racists are denigrating all things Chinese, while anti-Semites blame Jews for the virus as a means to manipulate the stock market with the services of obchodovani s akciemi to their financial advantage, bring down President Trump, or profit from a vaccine they developed beforehand.

Why the Jews?

Why the Jews? They are suffering from the virus like everyone else and trying to develop a vaccine just as fast as the rest of the world. Their religious leaders called for prayer at the Western Wall for the entire world to be spared this pandemic. Yet, they are blamed for creating it, using it to kill masses of people and then profit off of its treatment.

As wrong as it is, the proliferation of false accusations against the Chinese people is because the virus started in China. But what do the Jews have to do with this virus? Why the lies about Israel and the Jews? Because age-old anti-Semitism will use every opportunity to spew hatred on the Jewish people.

The danger for Jews during pandemics is not just the disease but also the conspiracy theories it spawns. One of the greatest catastrophes to afflict the human race was the fourteenth-century bubonic plague—known as the “Black Death”—that swept through Europe. Historians estimate that up to 50 percent of Europe’s population died in the pandemic, with rates of death as high as 75 percent in Italy, Spain, and France.

The Jewish minority had already been demonized by church and state, so they were an easy scapegoat. They also fared better than the general population, possibly due to their dietary and religious practices or the fact many were confined in walled ghettos. Their lower death rates, however, fueled suspicions they were behind the pandemic, and many Jews who survived the plague were then massacred in pogroms.

We should not dismiss conspiracy theories as mere craziness. Conspiracy theories produce anger, and anger moves quickly from words into actions; verbal insults often result in physical attacks. It is, therefore, our responsibility to speak up against these lies and point people to reliable sources of information.

Flattening the Curve

While seeking to flatten the curve of the coronavirus, we must do the same with the pandemic of anti-Semitism. It is a deadly virus that poisons hearts and minds, eventually destroying those it infects along with those they hate.

We must take the necessary steps to identify and isolate it, protect others from becoming infected, and develop educational “vaccines” against it in our churches, schools, and society.

To find out more about Anti-Semitism and how you can equip and educate your congregation, download the free ebook today.

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