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Benny Hinn Doesn’t Want to Be Rebuked When He Gets to Heaven

By
Stephanie Martin
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Following last week’s on-air renunciation of the prosperity gospel, televangelist Benny Hinn has given two lengthy interviews about what he calls a change of heart. While assuring listeners he wants to focus on Jesus and the gospel, not on “what we get back,” Hinn also maintains that prosperity is a biblical concept.

On Friday, Hinn was interviewed by longtime friend Steven Strang, founder of Charisma Magazine, who says he admires the preacher’s “willingness to step up and endure criticism.” Hinn, 67, says his change of heart about the prosperity gospel and several other teachings wasn’t prompted by his critics (including nephew Costi Hinn) but by concerns about his legacy and by reading God’s Word.

“I don’t want to be known for prosperity,” Hinn tells Strang. “I want to be known as someone who preached the cross of Jesus, salvation, one who teaches on the Holy Spirit…not on money, not on prosperity.” Saying the prosperity gospel involves “manipulation” and “gimmickry” that damage people’s faith, Hinn insists he wants to “focus back on Jesus [and] focus back on the gospel.”

Hinn also doesn’t want to be rebuked when he gets to heaven. “I want the Lord to look at me and smile,” he says. “I’ve injured him enough in the past, I’ve grieved him enough in the past, I’ve disappointed him enough in the past. And I’ve said to him many times—lately especially—‘I don’t want to hurt you anymore.’”

Hinn: Some Teachers Take Prosperity “to the extreme”

Hinn says his change of heart has occurred during the past two to three years, but he debated how—or even if—to “talk to the people of God about it.” A tipping point was realizing how many young leaders look to him for guidance.

He decided to speak out for “the sake of the next generation and the legacy of the gospel,” he says. “I want to make sure the future generations hear the heart of this message that has been…taken to the extreme by some people.” Hinn admits he “became distracted” as his ministry and fame grew but now wants the focus to be on Jesus and the gospel, “not our greed.”

A renewed commitment to Bible reading also impacted the televangelist, who tells David Diga Hernandez of Encounter TV: “I’m reading the Bible for me” now, not for teaching and preaching. “I want to know the way [God] really is.”

In an interview posted Saturday, Hinn tells Hernandez, “My call is an evangelist [and] my message is the cross.” Hinn also refutes claims that he’s worth up to $60 million and lives lavishly. “If I had that kind of money, I would give it to God,” he says.

Old Footage Doesn’t Represent Hinn’s Change of Heart

In last Monday’s Facebook Live broadcast, Hinn insisted “the gospel is not for sale.” But skeptics quickly noted that various ads and clips still feature the televangelist requesting “seed money” from donors.

In a statement this weekend, Hinn says some old footage has been airing by mistake. And speaking to Hernandez, he reiterates that his ministry still has some “cleaning up” to do, which takes time. But Hinn insists he’s determined to “let the world know where I stand” now and to “let them hear the new way I see prosperity.”

Hinn says he’s begun correcting people who hold extreme prosperity beliefs. When one pastor shared how a $1,000 gift led to blessings for his son, Hinn says he replied, “I don’t want to hear it” and then “told him how I felt—and he received it.”

Prosperity Is “in the Bible,” Hinn Maintains 

Though he now says extreme prosperity teachings are “an offense to the Lord,” Hinn insists the concept of blessing appears throughout Scripture. “I still believe in prosperity,” he says. “The message of prosperity is in the Bible. We cannot deny that if we give, we will receive. That’s in the Bible. You can’t erase it. No way. God wants to bless his people way more than you want to receive that blessing. But you can’t put a price on it.”

North Korean Man Shares Story of Pastor Killed Because of the Gospel

By
Jessica Lea
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

A new video from Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) dramatizes the true story of a North Korean man named Sang-chul whose life was changed when he met a pastor in China. This pastor, Han Chung Ryeol, risked and ultimately sacrificed his life to bring the gospel to people living in what is arguably the most oppressive country in the world. 

“To speak the name of God can lead to soldiers coming in the night,” says Sang-chul. “And there will be no trial. No journalists will write about you, and no one will ever dare ask where you have gone.”

Voice of the Martyrs Tells Sang-chul’s Story

According to CBN News, Pastor Han was of Korean descent but had Chinese citizenship. When he met Sang-chul, he was pastoring a government-approved church in Changbai, a town near the North Korean border, and was also ministering to North Korean refugees. 

Because of poverty in his North Korean village, Sang-chul decided to sneak across the border into China and began picking mushrooms in the woods in hopes of selling them in Changbai. While in the woods, he met Pastor Han, who offered to sell the mushrooms on his behalf, as Sang-chul did not speak Chinese. He was surprised when the pastor did not take advantage of him, but instead gave him all of the money from the mushroom sales. 

Sang-chul went back and forth between China and North Korea multiple times over the next two years, always assisted by the man he had met in the woods. When Sang-chul eventually asked Pastor Han why he was putting himself in danger by helping someone from North Korea, the pastor told him it was because he was a Christian. This scared Sang-chul initially because when he was growing up, he had been taught that missionaries were terrorists who would pretend to be kind until they got you into their homes. Then, he was told, they would kill you and eat your liver. 

Sang-chul was also shocked when Pastor Han told him, “God is real. There is hope for every person.” No one ever mentions the word, “God,” says Sang-Chul, because “it is an act of treason.” And if someone reports you have even “glanced at” a Bible, you and all your relatives will be arrested and sent to a concentration camp for years. But Sang-chul eventually put his trust in God and persuaded Pastor Han to give him a Bible, despite the danger. Over time, Sang-chul even took the risk of sharing his new-found hope with his wife and his best friend. 

Then in the summer of 2016, Sang-chul says he heard that the North Korean government was honoring some assassins for killing a “terrorist missionary” in Changbai. He immediately knew it was Pastor Han who had died. CBN News reports that the pastor was found in the Changbai Mountains with multiple knife and axe wounds. He died at age 49, leaving behind his wife and two children.

Pray for the Persecuted Church 

November 3rd is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2019. VOM hopes that by showing the challenges Christians face within “the world’s most restricted nation,” they can inspire people to pray for persecuted believers in North Korea and across the world. 

North Korea is the primary offender on Open Doors’ World Watch List, which annually ranks the top 50 countries in the world where Christians face the worst persecution. North Korea has held the number one spot on the list for the past 18 years. Open Doors says, “If Christians are discovered, not only are they deported to labor camps as political criminals or even killed on the spot, their families will share their fate as well…Meeting other Christians in order to worship is almost impossible and if some believers dare to, it has to be done in utmost secrecy. The churches shown to visitors in Pyongyang serve mere propaganda purposes.” 

And yet many followers of Christ are courageously persevering in sharing their faith. Before his murder on April 30th, 2016, Pastor Han discipled over 1,000 North Koreans. Says Sang-chul, “Pastor Han gave his life, but he gave hope to me and to many other North Koreans, and despite the ever present danger, many of us will continue to share the message that God is real. We hope that our sacrifice, when the day comes, will be worthwhile, just like it was for Pastor Han.” 

7 Ways to Enjoy Your Job When You Don’t Love It

By
Chuck Lawless
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

For last year’s Labor Day post, I wrote about “8 Reasons You Need to Thank God for Your Job Today.” I recognize, though, that being grateful for a job doesn’t always equal enjoying that job. So, this year I’m offering suggestions for enjoying your job even when you don’t love it.

  1. Pray for God to bless your day before it ever begins. Sometimes, we get so frustrated at our jobs that we don’t even think about praying about them. I can tell you from experience, though, that you’ll find your job more enjoyable if you pray about it before you face its difficulties.
  2. Always watch for opportunities to be a Christian witness among your co-workers. At a minimum, you can share with them your Christian testimony. Offer to pray for them when they’re facing tough times themselves. Ideally, you’ll find open doors to tell them how to become God’s children. When you’re always watching for these opportunities, you’ll enjoy your job more.
  3. If possible, do the least fun parts of your job early in the day. Do those things when you have the most energy, and then press on to do things you really like to do later in the day. A job’s more fun if you’re always looking forward to something you still get to do–so plan that way.
  4. Do something kind for a co-worker. As Christians, we’re to be hospitable people. We show God’s love when we surprisingly and sacrificially reach out to others, affirm their worth in God’s eyes, and serve them. You’ll look at your job differently if you minister to your co-workers.
  5. Take your breaks. Some of us get so focused on the task at hand that we work right through our allowable break times. Others of us don’t want to take time to stop, break, and re-start again in a few minutes–so we, too, ignore our breaks. What comes across as hard-working, though, can also make us weary in our job.
  6. Remember that your identity is not wrapped up in your work. At least, it shouldn’t be. As followers of Christ, we’re much more than employees who find our worth in our work. God deeply loves us. He grants us families and friends who love us. He places us in His church and allows us to use our gifts to serve Him. All of that’s a more significant part of our identity.
  7. Ask God to help you let go of your job when the workday’s ended. I say, “Ask God,” simply because many of us–starting with me–struggle here. If we can learn to let go of at least part of that burden, however, we’ll enjoy our jobs more.

Help us here–what do you do to help you enjoy a job you don’t love?

This article about how to enjoy your job originally appeared here.

How Will the World Look When Its Population Growth Stops?

By
James Emery White
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What will the world look like when population growth stops? when the world stops growing?

And it will stop growing.

In the year 1800, there were less than 1 billion people on the planet. Through advances in medicine, sanitation and food production, by 1900 there were 1.65 billion, and by 2000 there were more than 6 billion. In a breathtakingly short 20 years since, we’ve climbed to 7.7 billion.

The World’s Population Growth Will Stop

But this will not continue. In a fascinating article in The Atlantic, the number of people on Earth will stop growing. “Based on the latest figures from the United Nations, demographers’ best guess for when this will happen is about 2100. By then, the global population is projected to have risen to just shy of 11 billion.”

Population declines have happened before, such as with the Black Death, which is estimated to have killed 200 million people, but the leveling-off in population being predicted is not about upcoming disasters or plagues. It’s about people having fewer children, largely as a result of “rising incomes and levels of education, especially for women and especially in less-wealthy countries.”

This isn’t mere conjecture. Population growth predictions are usually less uncertain than other social and economic projections. “This is because researchers already know roughly how many humans there are now, as well as how old everyone is, so they can guess, with some confidence, how many people will be of childbearing age in the next couple of decades—which means they can then guess how many children people will have.”

And not only will the world’s population growth peak at around 11 billion, it will stay at around 11 billion, barring some unforeseen increase in fertility rates. This also means that we can forecast what the world will look like at a population of 11 billion. “Because some determinants of what the population will be 80 years from now are locked in today, it’s possible to anticipate broad demographic shifts.”

Ready for some headlines from the future about population growth?

Africa will be the most populous continent, Islam will be the most popular religion, and there will be a lot more elderly people. During the next eight decades, the number of people aged 80 or older will rise from 146 million to 881 million. The median age will increase from 31 to 42.

Many will want to focus on the ascent of Islam, and that is certainly noteworthy. Islam is growing faster than Christianity larger through a more robust birth rate.

But Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, a development-sociology professor at Cornell University, makes an intriguing analysis of the equally, if not greater, cultural importance of age. “Because the young shape a lot of the large segments of the culture – let’s say, artistic culture or sports culture – it would be interesting to see where most of the young people [will be],” he says. According to his calculations based on the UN’s data, the proportion of all humans on Earth under the age of 25 who live in Asia will drop from 56 to 37% between next year and 2100. Meanwhile, Africa’s share of the global population of young people will shoot up, from 25 to 48%. (The proportion living in the rest of the world will not fluctuate much.)

So not only will Africa have the most people, but also the youngest. So let’s continue to pray for and support the explosion of the Christian faith in Africa. It may just hold the future of our world.

This article about population growth originally appeared here.

Trevor Lawrence Is One College Student Who Goes to Church

By
Stephanie Martin
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Trevor Lawrence
Screengrab Instagram @tlawrence16

The Clemson Tigers, college football’s defending champs, entered the new season No. 1 in polls thanks to stars such as Trevor Lawrence. But for the young quarterback, the true No. 1 in his life is Jesus. Ironically, the man who helped rekindle Lawrence’s Christian faith initially didn’t realize who the young athlete even was.

Since becoming the first true freshman in three decades to lead a team to a national championship, Lawrence is constantly approached for autographs and selfies. But when a fellow teammate first introduced him to Pastor Dan Lian, a teaching pastor at NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina, Lian wasn’t exactly starstruck. “I didn’t know who he was,” Lian admits to Sports Illustrated. “I don’t follow football.”

Lian, who had recently moved with his family from Australia to join the megachurch staff, struck up a friendship with the tall, long-haired athlete. The pastor soon realized that in America, football players are “demigods”—yet he began convincing Lawrence that he was “something more” than just a football player.

Youth Retreat Leads to Renewed Commitment to Christ

Lawrence, who enrolled at Clemson in January 2018, says the transition to college—with newfound freedoms plus the pressure of being the nation’s top-ranked football recruit—led him to make some “not good decisions.” He says, “I kind of got off track and got distracted by so many different things.”

Pastor Lian recalls that Lawrence, now 19, was “overwhelmed and carrying a lot of weight,” adding, “I don’t think he’d ever really been challenged before. He found himself needing some context in his life.”

Although the young quarterback had grown up in a Christian home, he hadn’t been attending church regularly. As Lawrence grew closer to Lian, he started making the 30-minute trip to NewSpring for Sunday worship. He also joined a small group at the church with other Clemson athletes. Then during a youth retreat that summer, Lawrence rededicated his life to Jesus.

The Gauntlet, NewSpring’s annual weeklong trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, is a massive undertaking, with 3,000 kids and 1,000 staff members. Lian, who works with the church’s Fuse youth ministry, says the goal of the event is to “make it as clear as possible [to kids] that this Jesus cat might be a real thing.”

Though Lawrence says he “already believed there was a God,” during the retreat Jesus became “real” to him. Clemson running back Darien Rencher recalls that he, Lawrence, and their three roommates started discussing “big questions about their faith” and “asking each other about next steps.” That’s when Lawrence decided to get baptized—something that occurred at NewSpring just before the 2018 season. “I think I was truly saved last summer,” he says. “It’s been a cool journey.”

Lawrence then led his team through an undefeated season, all the way to the championship. But he publicly proclaims that faith matters more to him than any trophies or on-the-field achievements. “Football’s important to me, but it’s not my life,” the quarterback said last fall. “It’s not the biggest thing in my life. I would say my faith is.” He added, “I put my identity in what Christ says, who he thinks I am, and who I know that he says I am.”

Lian: Faith Provides Trevor Lawrence “peace and context” 

For the 2019 Gauntlet retreat, Lawrence volunteered to be a staff member and was responsible for four high-school boys. Unlike last year, attendees knew who he was. “The intensity has gone through the roof,” says Lian, adding that his mentee is “gracious to a fault” when interacting with fans. “It throws you a little bit,” he says, “because he probably shouldn’t be like that.”

Lian attributes Lawrence’s attitude and personality to his beliefs. “Faith for him brings peace and context into his life,” says the pastor. “It bleeds into every part of his life.”

Rencher, Lawrence’s teammate, says relationships with Pastor Lian and other mentors have been key. “We all just started getting lunch and hanging out and going over the Word,” Rencher says. “Time after time, day after day, I could see [Lawrence] growing as a man and what he said he believed. You could see his actions line up with it.”

Venue Owner’s Actions Highlight the Need for Careful Bible Study

By
Jessica Lea
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The owner of a Mississippi wedding venue recently refused service to an interracial couple on the basis of her “Christian beliefs.” While the owner has since apologized, the story has gained national attention and highlights the importance of studying the Bible carefully without assuming we know what it teaches.

“It really broke my heart to actually hear her say those things,” LaKambria Welch said, according to The New York Times. It was her brother and his fiancée who were refused service, and The Christian Post reports that the video of Welch’s conversation with the business owner has received over 2 million views.

Refusing Service to an Interracial Couple 

In a story published September 1st, LaKambria Welch told Deep South Voice (DSV) that the wedding venue, Boone’s Camp Event Hall, had refused to allow her brother and his fiancée to use its facilities for their upcoming wedding. The engaged couple had been in communication with Boone’s Camp for about a week when they reportedly received a message that they would no longer be able to use the venue because of the owner’s beliefs. After hearing this news, Welch decided to go to the venue and ask why her brother, who is black, and his fiancee, who is white, would not be able to get married there. 

Welch told DSV, “The owner took a look at my brother’s fiancée’s page and wrote her back to say they won’t be able to get married there because of her beliefs. He told my mom and she contacted the owner through messenger to only get a ‘seen’ with no reply. That’s when I took it upon myself to go get clarification on her beliefs.”

Welch posted a video of what she says is her conversation with a woman employed at Boone’s Camp Event Hall, thought to be owner Donna Russell.

“First of all, we don’t do gay weddings or mixed race,” says the woman, stating that her reason has to do with her Christian convictions. Welch responds, “Ok, well we’re Christians as well, so…what in the Bible tells you that…” 

The woman replies, “I don’t want to argue my faith…We just don’t participate. We just choose not to.” Welch responds, “Ok. So that’s your Christian belief, right?” to which the woman says, “Yes, ma’am.”

DSV reports that after the story was published, Boone’s Camp posted an apology to its Facebook page that was later taken down, although a Facebook user took screenshots of the apology before it was removed. 

Donna Russell is believed to be the author of the apology. In it, she said that she was raised with unspoken beliefs that people ought to stay within their own “racial boundaries.” But after the incident with the interracial couple, Russell’s husband asked her to show him where the Bible prohibits interracial relationships, and this caused her to question where she had gotten the idea that mixing races was bad. Said Russell, “I stood for a minute and began to think about the history of my learning this and where it came from. I was unable to recall instances where the Bible was used given a verse that would support my decision.”

Russell said she spent the weekend studying the Bible and also talked to her pastor. She then concluded that the Bible did not ban people of different races from marrying each other. She wrote, “If marriage is between a husband and a wife whom are equally yoked, who am I to say it is wrong because God does not condemn that relationship. To all of those offended, hurt, or (who) felt condemn(ed) by my statement, I truly apologize to you for my ignorance in not knowing about this. My intent was never about racism, but to stand firm in what I ‘assumed’ was right concerning marriage. When the Bible tells us to ‘study to show ourselves,’ I have failed to do that on this subject.”

WTVA 9 News reports that Russell has also privately apologized to the family and that the family has accepted her apology. The venue owner did invite the couple to consider Boone’s Camp again, and while the couple has gone with a different facility, they say they still forgive her. 

While it is easy to condemn Russell for her words and actions, this incident is a good reminder for all of us to examine our own beliefs and be familiar with God’s word so that we do not hold convictions that are not actually commanded there. 

Drew Brees Blames Misleading Headline for Bring Your Bible to School Day Criticism

By
Megan Briggs
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Christian football player Drew Brees is facing criticism for appearing in a video in which he promotes Focus on the Family’s Bring Your Bible to School Day. Brees is facing criticism, not for what he says in the 22-second video, but for the fact that he promoted an initiative by Focus on the Family, which critics label an anti-LGBTQ organization. 

Speaking to reporters about his ties to Focus on the Family, Brees said he “was not aware” of any kind of anti-LGBTQ lobbying or “hate type related stuff” that Focus allegedly engages in. 

Criticism Sparked by ‘very negative headline’ 

Brees says “there’s been a lot of negativity about me spread in the LGBTQ community recently” in a video he posted in response to the criticism. Instead of addressing the promo video itself and the support of Focus on the Family his appearance implies, Brees mentions an article that was posted “with a very negative headline” that he believes “led people to believe that somehow I was aligned with an organization that was anti-LGBTQ.” 

The headline in question is most likely the one The Big Easy used to draw attention to the video Brees appears in. “Drew Brees Records Video for Anti-LGBT Religious Organization,” the headline reads. The article states Brees’ “support of a religious group known to be one of the most well funded anti-LGBT organizations in the country” is “surprising.” It goes on to raise further concerns about Focus on the Family:

Focus on the Family supports and promotes the practice of “conversion therapy,” which uses a combination of shaming, emotionally manipulative and traumatic stimuli, and physically painful stimuli in order to “cure” LGBTQ+ people of their sexual orientation.

However, a 2018 statement published by Focus on the Family seems to denounce the practice of the kind of “therapy” The Big Easy accuses Focus of supporting. While the Christian organization does “believe in and support the availability of professional counseling in matters of sexuality that is respectful, safe, ethical and responsive to the client’s values and desires,” they also mention their lack of support for other forms of “therapy” that have been proven to be harmful.

Focus on the Family says they do not advocate for therapy that “‘requires’ or promises categorical change or sexual conversion.” And it denounces “any practice that shames, degrades, coerces, abuses, or insults individuals with demands to earn basic human acceptance.”

Drew Brees Lives By Two Christian Fundamentals

In the video he posted to his personal social media accounts, Brees attempted to clarify his religious beliefs and his position on the LGBTQ community. “I live by two very simple Christian fundamentals: Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.”  Brees interprets loving one’s neighbor as oneself as a directive to “love all, respect all, and accept all. The football player says he strives to treat people this way regardless of “your race, your color, your religious preference, your sexual orientation, your political beliefs.”

Brees then explained the only thing he did was appear in the video to encourage kids to bring their Bibles to school for National Bring Your Bible to School Day. He also said he doesn’t “support any groups that discriminate or that have their own agendas that are trying to promote inequality.”

“Unfortunately, there are Christian organizations out there that are involved in that sort of thing. To me, that is totally against what being a Christian is all about,” he assured the group of reporters who approached him in what appears to be the New Orleans Saints’ locker room. 

The most pointed statement Brees makes in the interview alludes to the article that he believes got him into hot water. “What’s a shame is people will make headlines just to get hits, just to get views, and all of a sudden these rumors spread that are completely untrue,” Brees concluded.  

In the video that sparked the controversy, Brees said one of his favorite Bible verses is 2 Corinthians 5:7, which says, “For we live by faith, not by sight.”

15 Probing Questions to Ask Kids After School

By
Andrew Linder
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For many families, school has either just started or is about to get underway soon. And every family needs good questions to ask kids after school.

Which means back to the hustle and bustle of getting up early, getting back into a scheduled routine, and living another round of the school year life with your family.

In the 365 days of the year, approximately 180 of those days for your kids will be spent in a classroom with authorities and friends other than you, their parents.  That’s a lot of time and a lot of influence that other people are having in your children’s everyday life.

For the parent who wants to be intentional and stay engaged in their child’s day to day school life, it’s important that the conversation that follows each day of school is more than just “How was school today?”, and a robotic response of “Eh, it was okay.”

Yet, unfortunately, that’s often the extent of the conversation in many families.  Little is said. Parents need to know what to ask kids after school for meaningful conversation. Very little if anything in really known by the parent about what’s going on in their child’s daily life at school.  And the gap of disengagement throughout the school year widens as often-times kids naturally develop stronger loyalties at school with their friends than they do at home with their families.

So here’s 15 probing and random questions to ask kids after school throughout the year.

They’ll help you keep your kids in check, keep yourself in check, and hopefully help you to get more of a response than, “Eh, it was okay.” 🙂

1.  Who did you spend the most time with at school today, and how did you two become good friends?

2.  What subject do you feel you are doing the best in, and which subject are you struggling in the most?

3.  Are the other kids in your class showing respect for the teacher and their rules?  What about you?

4.  How do you decide who you’ll sit with during lunch?  Who did you sit with at lunch today? Have you ever tried looking for someone else who might need a friend at lunchtime?

5.  What were one or two favorite parts of your day today?  Tell me specifically what you liked about them.

6.  Is there anyone in your class that’s being treated unfairly?  Have you been treating anyone unfairly?

7.  Do you have any homework?  If so, how much and in what subjects?  Is it anything I can help you with?

8.  What’s one way that you helped someone out, or showed kindness or respect for someone else in your school today?

9.  Can you think of anything you did today that would make your teacher proud to have you in their class, or that would have made us proud of you?

10.  If I were to ask your classmates to give me a description of you and how you treat others in the class, how do you think they would describe you?

11.  What is one thing your teacher said today that you remember most?

12. Was there anything that happened today that made you laugh?

13.  What are some of the names of new kids you’ve met this year?  What can you tell me about them and their families?

14.  Can you tell me something out of the ordinary that happened to you today, and I’ll tell you something out of the ordinary that happened to me?

15.  If you could change one thing about your class, what would it be?

These are just a sample of the many questions that you could ask.  And you could come up with many more probing questions with just a little bit of intentional thought.  Just make sure that your questions are specific and open-ended, and you’ll be on the road to having better and deeper conversations.

So the next time your on your way to pick up your kids from school, put the phone on vibrate, turn off the radio, and take a few moments of silence to think about how you’re going to engage with your child as soon as they’re in your presence.

Your initial response everyday when first seeing your kids after school will inadvertently speak your value of them or lack thereof.  In a matter of moments, they’ll be able to tell how much you care.

So, be intentional by being prepared. Be on the lookout for your child’s arrival… Smile and look them in the eyes when you see them… And show them that you really do care about the details of their daily life.

This article about questions to ask kids after school originally appeared here.

How Going to Church Benefits Brain and Body

By
Charles Stone
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As a committed follower of Jesus, I’ve gone to church literally my whole life. My parents took me when I was a kid. I wanted to go as an adult. And in another sense, I’d better go now. After all, I am a pastor. Most believers understand that church attendance does (or should) help us grow spiritually. But did you know that God wired our bodies and brains to benefit from both attending church and developing a healthy spiritual life? Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg notes that since the year 2,000 over 400 papers have been published each year on this topic. Consider these ways science shows us that church benefits both brain and body.

How Going to Church Benefits Brain and Body

First, two caveats.

• I’m assuming your church is a Bible-based, grace-filled place. If your church atmosphere is legalistic, harsh and overall condemning, it can actually harm your body and brain.

• These studies don’t necessarily show a causal relationship (attending church causes such benefits). Rather, most of the studies show a correlation. That is, attending church and these benefits are closely related. Nevertheless, science continues to discover more body and brain benefits from walking with Christ and being with His people

1. Church benefits brain and body by reducing stress.

The stress hormone cortisol is released by the adrenal glands that lie on top of our kidneys. Good stress (eustress) keeps us keep motivated and alert. So cortisol is not all bad. But prolonged stress that keeps unhealthy high cortisol levels in our body damages both it and our brains. Heart problems, a dampened immune system and diminished memory result from prolonged stress. However, church attendance can decrease the stress response thus decreasing the amount of cortisol in your body.

2. Church benefits brain and body because it increases the trust hormone oxytocin.

Oxytocin is one of the ‘feel-good’ brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters). If the church you attend is filled with kind and caring people, your brain will release this chemical helping you bond with others. Biblical community is really good for you.

3. Church benefits brain and body because it may thicken your brain.

One brain study discovered that those who place a high value on spirituality (though not necessarily tied to church attendance) showed thickening in some brain areas. Many other studies now show that reflective and contemplative spiritual practices grow several parts of your brain.

9 Action Steps for a Successful Transition From Business to Ministry

By
Dan Reiland
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The church is blessed by the many business leaders moving from business to ministry.

Men and women of all ages from a wide variety of backgrounds have sensed a call to ministry, and many at great sacrifice, have made the change. They bring so much valuable experience to church leadership.

One of the most common things Christian business leaders say in their first three months working in the church is, “I thought this would be so much easier. I had no idea it was this intense… it’s like the church never sleeps.”

The truth is that nothing worthwhile in life is easy. That includes ministry, business, and family life. There are misconceptions in all arenas.

“Ministry is easy” is just one misconception. There are many.

Here are a few more misconceptions:

Ministry always feels spiritual.
All of ministry is spiritual, but there is nothing particularly spiritual about Monday morning. Ministry is amazing, but it is also work, and a lot of it, including such things as budgets, reports, meetings, problems to solve and even conflict to resolve.

Ministry is reserved for the spiritually elite.
In a word. Nope. Those of us who serve in ministry are just as human as the next person. Those in ministry do their best to follow Christ and set a good example, but none are “spiritually elite” or exempt from messing up.

Ministry is like going to church seven days a week.
Church is a one-hour experience, a very valuable and important one, but the work of advancing Christianity often feels very little like attending church. A worship service celebrates God among us; the work of the church is out in the community the rest of the week.

I was a Private Investigator, (right out of college, and for only about a year,) but I still remember the transition from business to ministry and my misconceptions. My main misconception was that all churches were big. The church I attended was then about a thousand people on Sunday morning. I had no idea that the vast majority of churches were less than 100 people.

NOTE: For this post, I gave a brief survey to seven of our staff memberswho had extensive backgrounds in business and successfully made the transition. The group included men and women, a wide age range, various departments, and time in ministry ranging from a few months to twenty years. 

The result was pages and pages of incredible insights which I have done my best to incorporate into the article.

In addition, over the years, I’ve talked with hundreds of people who have made the transition from business to ministry.

That’s enough introduction, let’s jump in!

9 action steps to make a successful transition from business to ministry:

1) Moving From Business to Ministry: Settle your calling.

Many of the sharpest leaders I know are brilliant in business and dedicated Christians.

God needs and wants influential Christian leaders in business. It is sometimes easier to be a strong light for Jesus in the marketplace than in full-time ministry. Many of the businessmen and women I know are making a significant impact in their communities, shaping and even changing the culture.

All the more important, then, to be crystal clear on your calling from God or don’t make the change. Full-time ministry is not something to be explored after you start; it’s something to abandon to once the decision is made.

Pray long and get wise counsel. A sense of passion, longing, clear prompts, and confirmation are needed. A call to ministry is not about getting spiritual goosebumps, it’s a matter of certainty, or wait until you are as sure as you can be.

7 Ways a Church’s Small Groups Can Reach People for Jesus (From Saddleback)

By
Rick Warren
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

These are 7 powerful ways that a church’s small groups can reach people for Jesus. And we’ve seen these happening at Saddleback effectively.

“Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, ‘Friend, I forgive your sins.’”(Luke 5:18-20, Msg)

Do you remember the story of the paralytic in Luke 5—where four men broke through the roof of a synagogue to lower their friend to Jesus? Sometimes it takes something that radical to lead someone to Jesus!

And sometimes it just takes the caring, consistent love of a church’s small groups of Christians.

How can the small groups in your church become the effective evangelism tools that God wants them to become?

Your church’s small groups must care about people who don’t know Jesus. 

The reason God used the four friends in Luke 5 is because they cared for the paralytic. Just like those four, the evangelistic mission of your small groups need to start with love. The number one reason Christians don’t share Christ with others is that they are too preoccupied with themselves.

Before you can care about others, you must become aware of them. Once a small group becomes aware of those who don’t have a relationship with Christ, they should start praying for them.

Your church’s small groups should pray for three things:

• an opportunity to share your faith in a non-threatening way

• for God to soften their hearts

• for God to soften the hearts of those in the small group

Your church’s small groups must believe God can reach the person.

No one is hopeless. When the four friends looked at the paralytic’s condition, they could have responded in doubt: What could Jesus do? Instead, they believed God could heal him—they had faith. The Bible said the paralytic’s sins were forgiven when Jesus saw the faith of the four friends.

There are people paralyzed in our world who aren’t necessarily physically paralyzed but who have a paralyzed faith. Whether they’re paralyzed by doubts, loneliness, fear or anything else, the result is the same—they need the faith of others.

In a sense, they don’t have enough faith to believe, so the faith of your small groups is going to have to bring them to Jesus.

Your church’s small groups must make a plan.

Although faith and prayer are important ingredients to bringing others to Jesus, you need to do something too. You need a plan. When the four friends saw the way to Jesus was blocked, they came up with a plan to get the paraplegic to Jesus. Your small groups need a plan to bring people to Jesus. Without it, they won’t bring anyone to Christ.

Church Offers Worship, Fellowship on Both Sides of the Wall

By
Jessica Lea
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Over 10 years ago, Pastor John Fanestil started the Border Church, an open air, binational gathering that meets on the U.S-Mexico border between San Diego and Tijuana. The church not only provides a way for people from two countries to worship God together but also helps protect an opportunity for those who are separated to have some contact with their loved ones.

“People on the move is a dominant theme of the Bible,” Fanestil told Alan Lilienthal on a recent episode of the podcast, Only Here. “In some ways I think you can’t read the Bible accurately or honestly if you don’t understand it as a book about migrants. It’s about people who are being moved or are forced to move or are feeling called to move.” 

The Border Church

The Border Church (La Iglesia Fronteriza) describes itself as “a nonsectarian Christian ministry centered in the celebration of open-table communion on the U.S.-Mexico border.” It takes place at the only spot in Southern California where people on either side of the border can legally have a minimal amount of physical contact, via the “pinky kiss.”

The church is led by Fanestil and Seth Clark on the U.S. side and by Guillermo Navarrete on the Mexican side. On the U.S. side of the wall, attendees meet at Friendship Park, located within California’s Border Field State Park. The area is patrolled by border agents, and access is restricted to the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. While visitors can drive directly to Friendship Park during the summer, those who wish to attend the service during San Diego’s rainy season must hike almost 2 miles one-way in order to get to the border. The Mexican side of the border does not have these restrictions and is accessible at all times.

The border is actually composed of two walls about 30 feet high that have a “no man’s land” area between them. While it would not be difficult for someone to scale the wall, the area between them is highly monitored so that agents would know if anyone were there unlawfully. This space between the walls is where U.S. church attendees meet to join the service also being held on the Mexican side. 

Fanestil told podcast host Alan Lilienthal that every week, he never really knows who border agents are actually going to allow into the zone between the walls. Some days, Fanestil is the only one allowed in. Because the Mexican side is not monitored as the U.S. side is, the service in Tijuana includes singing, preaching, prayer, and a meal. Fanestil helps Navarrete lead the service by means of a wireless microphone.

Communion concludes the service for those on the U.S. side, who only have a limited amount of time. Those on the Mexican side can stay longer and have a meal together. 

How Did the Border Church Begin?

According to the website, Friends of Friendship Park, people have met the border at Friendship Park ever since 1849 at the end of the U.S-Mexico War. The site reports, “Until recently there were little more than symbolic markers of the international boundary at this location: low hanging ropes, barbed wire, or nothing at all.” But between 2009 and 2011, the Department of Homeland Security erected the wall that currently stands through which people can now barely touch each other with their fingertips.

Fanestil started the Border Church over 10 years ago. He served the first communion at the border in August 2008 around the time the government had claimed the land with plans to build a “bigger, more effective border fence.” His hope was that starting a church service at the border would help to preserve the park as a peaceful place for friends and family members to meet. While authorities pushed back and tried to prevent the church from meeting, the Border Church has remained. Fanestil said the conversations about what accessing the wall looks like are still ongoing.

Who Comes to the Border Church? 

Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. tend to stay away from the border because they want to avoid getting in trouble with agents. But many immigrants who are in the States legally can’t leave the country. So they come to the Border Church to have some contact with their loved ones. Said Lilienthal, “Asylum applicants, refugees, lawful permanent residents or anyone whose immgration status is in flux have to follow special rules when it comes to traveling outside the country. Most people in that situation don’t want to wade through the extra paperwork it requires or risk traveling and then not being allowed back into the U.S.”

Fanestil said it’s normal for the meetings between people at the border to be extremely significant: “At least once a month we have people bring their small children and are introducing them to their grandparents through the fence. That’s a common occurrence….And we’ve also had many families across the years who have come long distances to say goodbye to dying loved ones. So for many people, a trip to Friendship Park can be a kind of a, a last final farewell.” Many times, people who meet at the border have not seen each other for years.

Church attendees on the Mexican side often include people who have been deported, but they also include those who are trying to immigrate to the U.S. and cannot afford visas. Many of these people are depressed and some are homeless. Navarrete told Lilienthal that those who end up in Tijuana because of being deported “came from the American dream. They lost everything…And come to Tijuana in a depression.” One of the ways the church serves people on the Mexican side is through a garden that provides free food to the public, providing a way for homeless people to get some nutrition.

Fanestil sees the Border Church as a way of obeying Jesus’ most basic instructions. He said, “Our scriptures call us to welcome the stranger, to treat our neighbor as we would like to be treated ourselves, to love God and to love our neighbor. These are some of our most fundamental commandments…If we say we love our neighbor, I feel we’re called to practice what we preach.”

Has Benny Hinn Repented of the Prosperity Gospel?

By
Stephanie Martin
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Benny Hinn repents
Screengrab Youtube @Gospel Music Africa 2024

In what appears to be a stunning turnaround, televangelist and prosperity gospel proponent Benny Hinn admits his past teachings were “grieving the Holy Spirit.” On Facebook Live Monday, the preacher told an audience: “I’m sorry to say that prosperity has gone a little crazy, and I’m correcting my own theology.”

Adding that he’s “been sick for a while” and now sees the Bible differently than he did 20 years ago, Hinn declared: “The gospel is not for sale, blessings of God are not for sale, miracles are not for sale, prosperity is not for sale.” Hinn has previously taken steps to distance himself from the prosperity gospel, however, so some of his critics remain skeptical.

“Giving has become such a gimmick”

During “Miracle Crusades” that are broadcast on his This Is Your Day program, the charismatic preacher requests “seed money,” promising donors wealth, health, and other blessings. Hinn, 66, once asked followers for $2.5 million to cover ministry debt. Meanwhile, he lived what his nephew, Costi Hinn, describes as a greedy, lavish lifestyle.

But on Monday, Benny Hinn said—“for the first time in my life”—that “it’s an offense to the Holy Spirit to place a price on the Gospel.” He added, “I’m done with it…and frankly, I don’t care what people think about me anymore.”

Hinn says people who invite him to telethons “will not like me anymore” because he’s going to “rebuke them.” He said, “If you are not giving because you love Jesus, don’t bother giving. I think giving has become such a gimmick. It’s making me sick to my stomach.”

Hinn’s Nephew Expresses Cautious Optimism 

Costi Hinn, now an outspoken prosperity gospel critic, writes in God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel about becoming “disgusted” by the lies and exploitation of his family’s ministry. Responding to Monday’s video, he tweeted: “Re: Uncle Benny I’m encouraged to see him express a refutation of prosperity theology, & even admit to wrong teachings on that topic. Now, pray for undeniable, lasting fruit that exemplifies genuine repentance. Truth & time go hand in hand (Psalm 51:17; Luke 19:1-10; Luke 3:8).” Costi later added: “He’ll always be my uncle. I will always love him and pray for him until he or I are gone from this earth.”

Financial requests are still airing on Benny Hinn’s shows, and his nephew hopes they’re simply prerecorded holdovers. Costi urges Benny “to put out a statement or even do a Facebook Live video saying he has repented.”

Last year, Benny Hinn also appeared to backtrack from prosperity teachings, explaining that prosperity actually means “no lack.” Jesus and his apostles weren’t wealthy, he noted, yet “None lacked among them.”

Speaking with Faithwire, Costi Hinn says he’s hopeful that “with each apparent epiphany” Benny is “truly genuine in repenting”—but notes that “remorse and repentance” are different. He continues: “My prayer is that he is more than just sorry because his ministry is in decline or he’s getting bad PR. I pray that he turns to Christ and preaches the true gospel with no motive except to be faithful.”

Evangelist Justin Peters also expressed skepticism, tweeting Wednesday: “I would love nothing more than for Benny Hinn to repent. Truly. But he has not. Despite promising in a video yesterday he would never do it again, he put this video up TODAY in which he is asking people to sow $120 to get out of debt.”

You can listen to Hinn’s message to his followers in the video below. The comments he makes about seeing the Bible differently and changing his mind about the prosperity gospel start at about 1:22:00.

The Diet of Devotion

By
J.K. Wall
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I have learned much about the diet of devotion because of what my son has been through medically. A year ago this month, a pediatric neurologist told me our 5-year-old son had epilepsy—and would live with it the rest of his life.

I walked out of the doctor’s office dazed and depressed. But it was, I see now, the best thing that could have happened.

Today my son’s brain, helped by medicine but even more by diet changes, is no longer interrupted by bursts of electrical energy. He sleeps better. He colors and plays Legos for hours instead of a few minutes. He now listens to books eagerly, not reluctantly.

Two months ago, as I was reading him a kids’ book about the names of God, my son asked some questions that ultimately led him to pray with me to accept Jesus as his savior.

What Jesus has done in my son’s mind, He can do for all His people. We all suffer from the disease of sin—and a coping mechanism called self-delusion, which keeps the reality of our disease hidden from us. Yet Jesus can free us from it.

Epilepsy is a disease of distraction. Mercifully, my son has never had on-the-floor convulsions, which come with other forms of epilepsy. But scans of his brain waves showed that the electrical bursts in his brain were coming so regularly, that he struggled to focus on an activity and regularly did not hear people talking to him.

We All Need a Diet of Devotion

So it is with us. The Christian philosopher, scientist and mathematician Blaise Pascal argued that many people never consider their eternal state because they are constantly distracted by earthly diversions. “When we wish to think of God, is there not something which distracts us to think of something else?” Pascal wrote in Pensée 478 in his famous book Pensées. “All this is evil and innate in us.”

Even Christians, after our hearts and minds have been regenerated by Christ, can be distracted constantly by the entertainments of the world, most of which are rife with lies, mirages and selfish indulgence.

So what’s the right prescription? A diet of devotion.

One answer is to cut out from our lives the things that so easily entangle us. My son now follows a ketogenic diet, which shifts his body’s fuel from carbs to fat. He can eat only 25 carbs a day—equal to the carbs in a single apple.

Likewise we should limit ourselves to less than 25 grams a day of Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and SportsCenter. Do I always follow this? Sadly, no. I need to learn more discipline from my son.

Another answer is to fill ourselves with things that are true, substantial and good. My son must eat four times more fat than carbs each day. So bacon, hot dogs, sausages and heavy whipping cream are his daily bread. A sign on the door of his room says, “Keep Calm and Eat More Bacon.”

The Christian’s fat is meditation on God’s Word, prayer, worship and rest on the Lord’s Day, and fellowship with other believers. Do I do spend quadruple the time on those things than on entertainment? Again, no. I need to learn from my son.

Doctors aren’t completely sure why the ketogenic diet works—although randomized controlled clinical trials have shown that it does. One theory is fat—for all we’ve been warned about it—is a cleaner burning fuel than carbs, which release many byproducts into the body that can cause problems.

Seeing my son’s diet defeat his epilepsy has given me a new understanding of Hebrews 5:13-14: “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the world of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by a constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

Too often, I try to live spiritually on a diet of milk—which, I’ve now learned, is loaded with carbs. This distracts my mind from seeking the things of God and prevents my hands from serving the needs of others.

Instead, I need the discipline to embrace a diet of devotion—meditation, prayer, worship, rest and fellowship. This isn’t the diagnosis or prescription I want. But, in God’s grace, I know it will be the best thing that could happen.

This article about the diet of devotion originally appeared here.

3 Ways to Battle Your Thorn in the Flesh

By
Scott Kedersha
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Oh my thorn in the flesh! A few weeks ago I had a challenging day at work. I received an email questioning some decisions I made and I immediately retreated into self-deprecating mode. I questioned my ability to lead and became overly critical of how I was doing in my job. Unfortunately that’s not the first time this pattern has played out.

My mind immediately drifted to food.

  • What can I eat?
  • What’s in the 8th floor kitchen?
  • How quickly can I get to CVS to buy some candy?

In my mind, the only way I was going to ease my anxiety and insecurity was to binge on some food. A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup would make everything better right now. Some jelly beans or cherry sours will make my problems go away. Or maybe some Sour Patch Kids will fix my problems at work.

Fortunately I quickly realized the ridiculous nature of my thoughts. How can a piece of candy restore confidence with others? How would a bag of jelly beans fix my work problems?

I know it sounds crazy, but we all struggle with a thorn in the flesh like this. Maybe you think porn will fix your marriage or getting drunk will make your problems disappear. You feel lonely and anxious so you spend money you don’t have, thinking some new clothes or a new car will make everything better.

I prayed, took my thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), texted my community group guys, and sat down at my computer so I could start addressing the problems. It was a big victory in my battle with food!

How can you and I take ground in our battle with the thorn in the flesh?

Last week I started a short series about wellness. I shared how this battle is my thorn in the flesh and the reason why I haven’t written about wellness in about 15-18 months is because I’m not doing well and I don’t like to write about areas of failure. Today I continue this series on wellness by sharing some ways you and I can take some ground in our efforts to better honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

In Part 1 of this series I referenced giving my testimony to a group of friends. As I shared my story I talked about my ups and downs in my battle with eating and referenced a few reasons why the battle continues for me. In the next two posts I’m sharing some of the reasons why I continue to fall short in my battle with wellness.

1) I haven’t involved others in my struggle.

While my community knows this is my #1 battle, I don’t always let them in. I give partial truths or ignore it and hope and pray they won’t ask me about it. If I’m doing well, then I’ll share, but when I’m losing the battle, no one gets in.

When I do this, I miss out on God’s provision to help me get well. I miss out on others challenging me (Proverbs 27:6, 17), encouraging me (Hebrews 3:13), and praying for me (James 5:16). I need to call this what it is: pride. When you and I don’t let others in to our challenges, we pridefully excuse our struggles because we’re so worried about what others think and we don’t believe we need their help.

For those of you who are married, engaged, or dating, how can you better involve your significant other in your struggles? Sometimes I do a great job of involving Kristen, other times I block her out as well. If you’re married, you’re one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Please include your spouse in your struggles (and your victories!).

Question: How can you further involve your community/closest friends into your battle with your thorn in the flesh?

Pray: God, please help us to involve others. Help us to be humble and to welcome the love, input, and prayer of other followers of Christ. Help us to not isolate from counsel and from the body of Christ.

2) At times I think it has to be all or nothing.

I’m really good at this one! If I resolve to eat healthy, then doggone it, I’m going to eat healthy. First, I start my day with eggs (mostly egg whites), salsa, veggies, water, and black coffee. I eat a salad for lunch, but then I run into some donuts in the eighth floor kitchen. I could take a small piece or better yet, ignore it, but I give in and eat an entire, delicious might I add, donut.

And now since I blew it with a donut, then I might as well fully enjoy the day. So maybe I eat another donut, eat a huge dinner, and binge on popcorn at night.

My thinking is ridiculous, but we all so often have an all or nothing attitude towards food. When you make a bad decision or a “less good” decision, acknowledge it, make changes, and move on. Part of the reason why eating has been a lifelong struggle is because I’ve made it an all or nothing battle. I’m going to lose every time until I learn to live in moderation and quickly recover from poor decisions.

Question: Do you have an all or nothing mentality in your struggle with your thorn in the flesh? How can you do a better job of recovering when you make less than stellar decisions?

Pray: God, please help us to be steadfast and stick to our convictions. But when we struggle, we pray you’d help us to recover quickly, admit when we fall short, and live in moderation instead of resigning ourselves to failure. We need your help.

3) I believe the lies of what my thorn in the flesh will offer.

Proverbs 23:3 says, “Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive” (NIV).

I’ve been deceived.

Too often I think the thorn in the flesh will satisfy, when all followers of Christ know everything in life apart from Jesus falls short. As I shared above, I think food will make the problems go away. Food is a gift from God and something we need to survive. But it will not deliver what it’s not intended to give.

Question: Where do you crave life and satisfaction where it’s not intended to be found?

Pray: Help us crave intimacy with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I pray you’d help us to find life where it’s intended to be found, not in anything created.

In Part 3 of this series on wellness, I’ll share four more reasons why we struggle.

Your Turn:

1) Of the three reasons shared above of why you and I struggle with our thorn in the flesh, which are you most apt to struggle with?

2) Share this post with your spouse, roommate, or community. Discuss Parts 1 and 2 together as you seek to bear each other’s burdens.

This article about 3 ways to battle your thorn in the flesh originally appeared here.

The Compassionate Truth About Judgment

By
Scott Sauls
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

One of the greatest stumbling blocks to Christianity, especially among those who are drawn to the idea of a loving, compassionate God, is the Bible’s teaching about judgment. As the Apostles’ Creed says, at the end of history Jesus “will come to judge the living and the dead.”

Jesus, who was full of compassion and gave his life because God so loved the world, spoke more about judgment than he did most other subjects. He could not have been more clear that an excluding verdict awaits those who, in pride and self-sufficiency, exclude themselves by dismissing his generous offer of salvation by grace through faith (Matthew 5:22; John 3:16-18).

And yet, with an even greater intensity, the same Jesus got sideways with pious religious people who wished judgment on others (Luke 9:51-56). Though divine justice demands payment for sin, he desires that all would turn to him and find shelter from the wrath to come. He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone, including “the wicked” (Ezekiel 18:23).

Jesus, at whose cross “heaven’s peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love,” perfectly balanced judgment with compassion.

Disorienting Truth About Judgment

Well-intentioned but deeply misguided religious folk confuse Jesus’s teaching when they express enthusiasm about God’s judgment upon others, thus leaving others hesitant to discuss this subject in any context at all. When believers do unChristian things “in the name of Christ”—whether it be Jesus’s disciples seeking revenge on Samaritans, Peter cutting off the ear of one of Jesus’s betrayers, fundamentalist ministers faulting “the homosexuals” for the September 11 terrorist attacks, or a fringe group falsely identifying as Christian parading around the country with “God hates you” signs—such behavior make it difficult for believers to raise the subject of judgment at all.

Nobody wants to be judged. In fact, most of us are terrified of being judged. And most of us are reluctant, as we should be, to judge others. We want to be known for showing compassion and understanding. We want to show nothing but grace and love to everyone.

So we get stuck sometimes with how, exactly, we are supposed to live with that line in the Apostles’ Creed that says Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. That he will separate sheep from goats and wheat from weeds. That there is an everlasting torment, a lake of fire, weeping and gnashing of teeth, and (gulp) a great many will spend eternity there.

The lover in us asks, why can’t everyone escape this horror?

The idea of heaven is easy to embrace. Even at a nonreligious funeral, mourners comfort each other with words such as, “She is in a better place now.” Conversely, for many the scriptural doctrine of damnation has become damnable. Charles Darwin once put to words what many of us naturally feel:

“I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so the plain language of the [biblical] text seems to show that the men who do not believe, and this would include my father, brother, and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished. And this is a damnable doctrine.”

Yet we must wrestle with Jesus’s many words emphasizing that, indeed, it is true. In moments of clarity, I am reminded of how necessary—even compassionate—this doctrine of judgment can be for us in the here and now.

Compassionate Truth About Judgment

When the Bible’s teaching about judgment is dismissed, all victims of injustice, violence, and oppression are then put at risk. If God is a God of love without the accountability of justice, then vulnerable people become more vulnerable, and bullies are encouraged to continue bullying.

If there is no ultimate accounting for evil, what hope is there for Holocaust victims regarding Hitler? What do we say to little girls who have been sold into the sex trade by greedy, oppressive scoundrels? What do we say to the boy who is abused by his tyrannical father, or the unassuming elderly widow who is robbed at gunpoint?

Founder of Same Sex Attraction Conversion Ministry Has Many Regrets

By
Megan Briggs
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same sex attraction
Screengrab via Facebook / @mckrae

McRae Game founded Truth Ministry in 1999. The ministry started as an offshoot of Exodus International Ministries, the spearhead of a network of local ministries that sought to help those struggling with same sex attraction. Game re-branded his ministry Hope for Wholeness in 2013, but the goal of the ministry remained the same: Help believers struggling with same sex attraction to eliminate the attraction they felt was sinful and incongruent with their Christian faith. Now, Game says he is gay, and that the ministry he founded, which he believes dabbled in gay conversion therapy, is wrong. 

“I believe ex-gay ministry is a lie. Conversion therapy is not just a lie, but it’s very harmful,” Game recently told The Post Courier in an interview.  

McRae Game Saw Same Sex Attraction As a Sin

Game says when he started what became HFW, he believed the world and the gay community was lying about homosexuality. Now, he believes the “complete opposite.” 

Game married Julie in 1996, and remains married to her, despite the fact that he is openly gay, and even uses a gay dating app. From the time Game met Julie in church more than 20 years ago, he was honest with her about his same sex attraction. At one point when he was leading Truth Ministry, he told her that his attractions were “worse than they ever were.” In the interview with the Post and Courier, he sits next to a picture from the couple’s wedding day. They have two children. 

The board of Hope for Wholeness (HFW) fired Game in 2017. Two years later, Game publicly announced he is gay and apologized for his decades of work, which he believes promoted gay conversion therapy. While HFW has remained silent through Game’s recent announcement, the ministry is diligent to deny it offers gay conversion therapy (also known as reparative therapy). On their website (which hasn’t been updated in a number of years; Game’s Executive Director bio is still accessible), HFW describes same sex attraction and homosexuality as “a multi-causal developmental disorder and that an individual can experience transformation through the healing power of Jesus Christ.” Through encouraging individuals to rely on their relationship with Jesus Christ, the ministry is seeking to enable “growth towards Godly heterosexuality.” 

But for Game, a “growth towards Godly heterosexuality” never happened. He says “I struggled more so trying to deny [my same sex attraction] than being able to accept my attractions and say ‘I’m a gay man.’” He summarizes: “I was a hot mess for 26 years and I have more peace now than I ever did.”

The Harm McRae Game Believes He Caused

The Post and Courier article highlights Game’s remorse over the harm he believes he perpetuated in the gay community. The video interview very briefly tells the story of one Cody Roemhild, an 18-year-old who sought help from HFW in 2015. Roemhild, whom Game describes as a “very sweet, very troubled guy,” spent a year with HFW. Game had given Roemhild a ride home from a HFW event the night he died by suicide, just days before Christmas in 2016. 

The newspaper also mentioned steps Game has taken to try and understand the damage his ministry caused. Game was recently invited by a former HFW client to sit in on a counseling session. Game agreed to come, thinking the least he could do for this person was to listen and understand. 

“I was a religious zealot that hurt people,” Game said. “People said they attempted suicide over me and the things I said to them. People, I know, are in therapy because of me. Why would I want that to continue?” In a Facebook post announcing his change of heart, Game explains: 

Creating a catchy slogan that put out a very misleading idea of “Freedom from homosexuality through Jesus Christ” was definitely harmful. Promoting the triadic model that blamed parents and conversion or prayer therapy, that made many people believe that their orientation was wrong, bad, sinful, evil, and worse that they could change was absolutely harmful. People reported to attempt suicide because of me and these teachings and ideals. I told people they were going to Hell if they didn’t stop, and these were professing Christians! This was probably my worse [sic] wrongful act.

Despite his change of mind about the message that conversion therapy and ex-gay ministries promulgate, Game still believes HFW can do good in some cases. “The only positive and productive use for HFW and exgay ministry is for those that believe that homosexuality is incongruent with their faith, to receive and have a community of like minded people so that they can live healthy lives,” Game wrote in that same Facebook post.

Asia Bibi to the World: Please Pay Attention to Those Suffering Like I Was

By
Jessica Lea
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Asia Bibi recently opened up about the despair she struggled with while imprisoned in Pakistan under false charges of blasphemy. Even though her freedom is a victory, she begged the world to remember those still suffering as she once was, and she called for reforms to the country’s legal processes. 

“I request the whole world to pay attention to this issue,” she told The Telegraph. “The way any person is alleged of blasphemy without any proper investigation without any proper proof, that should be noticed. This blasphemy law should be reviewed and there should be proper investigation mechanisms while applying this law. We should not consider anyone sinful for this act without any proof.”

Asia Bibi Case Resolved, but ‘many’ Others

According to The Telegraph, the U.S. State Department estimates that 77 people are in prison in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy. Surprisingly, most of these people are Muslims. The accusers often use the laws in order to “settle scores, or silence rivals.” As of yet, no one has been executed for blasphemy in Pakistan, but The Telegraph notes there is always the danger of victims dying at the hands of an angry mob. And even if those accused escape death, they can languish in prison for years while their cases go unresolved because authorities fear religious radicals.

Asia Bibi had experience with both of those scenarios, although thankfully she did not die and eventually made it out of prison and her home country safely. Bibi was working on a farm in 2009 when two Muslim women who worked with her accused her of blasphemy. An incensed mob beat her before the police rescued her, but then a local imam reiterated the charges, and she was imprisoned and sentenced to death. She lived in prison for eight years before being acquitted in October 2018.

Bibi described her experience in prison to The Telegraph: “Sometimes I was so disappointed and losing courage I used to wonder whether I was coming out of jail or not, what would happen next, whether I would remain here all my life.” She said, “When my daughters visited me in jail, I never cried in front of them, but when they went after meeting me in jail, I used to cry alone filled with pain and grief. I used to think about them all the time, how they are living.”

Being acquitted last fall did not mean that Bibi had actually gained her freedom or that she was safe. It was extremely difficult for her in the months that followed as religious extremists rioted and the government decided to review its decision to set her free.   

At the end of January 2019, the Pakistani court upheld Bibi’s acquittal, but her life was still in danger and she was unable to leave the country. The Telegraph reports that as time passed and Bibi could not even leave the room of the house where she was hiding, she became depressed and developed heart problems as a result of her situation. Muhammad Amanullah, a human rights activist who was Bibi’s liaison with the EU, said, “At one point she had lost her hope and one day she told me, if I am assassinated, or anything happens to me please do not forget my daughters.”

Thankfully, the next Asia Bibi update was that she and her family made it out of Pakistan and were granted asylum in Canada, according to reports that came out in early May. She says now that she and her family are hoping to move soon to an unnamed country in Europe. 

The pain this whole experience has caused Bibi has been enormous. On top of everything else she has gone through, because she had to leave Pakistan suddenly, Bibi was not able to say goodbye to her father or see her hometown one last time. She told The Telegraph, “My whole life suffered, my children suffered and this had a huge impact on my life.” 

And yet, so many are still suffering like she did. She said, “There are many other cases where the accused are lying in jail for years and their decision should also be done on merit. The world should listen to them.”

David Curry to the Church in the West: Please, Do Not Sleep While Persecution Rises

By
Jason Daye
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

David Curry is the president and CEO of Open Doors, which works in the most oppressive regions across the world, encouraging, empowering and equipping persecuted Christians. Open Doors provides regular updates on Christian persecution and offers resources to engage action around the challenges facing the persecuted church. David is married to Kate and has two sons, Jack and Cole.

Key Questions for David Curry

-What is the state of Christian persecution in the world today?

-Why is persecution increasing? 

-In light of persecution in other countries, is it valid to say that Christians are persecuted in the U.S.?

-What are practical ways pastors can help their congregations be aware and take action to support the persecuted church?

Key Quotes from David Curry

“Right now we are seeing, and have for the last five years seen the most dramatic spike in persecution of Christians.” 

“What Open Doors is doing is we are still fundamentally trying to get to and stand with those people who are persecuted for their faith. It’s not the Soviet Union anymore, but it is all over Central Asia into the Middle East into places like China and elsewhere.” 

“One of the things you come up against whenever we as pastors start talking about the subject [of persecution] is it seems intense, and it is definitely intense, but alongside of the difficulty and the pain and the pressure and the resistance that’s coming across faith…there’s a joy that comes with faith that is present in North Korea just as it is in North Carolina.”

“Where people lift up the name of Jesus, good things are happening.”

“We [at Open Doors] certainly don’t know all that’s going on, but we have the most accurate grassroots numbers of anybody out there.”

“When you compare it on sheer numbers and scale and everything, I’d certainly think this is the time that has the most persecution to date.”

“I like to call them ‘drivers,’ the things that are pushing forward the persecution. One is the government, these government systems. The other would be radical ideologies.”

How Do I Live Like I’m Forgiven?

By
Josh Weidmann
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

“I forgive you” are three of the strongest words we can ever hear another person say, second only to the words “I love you.” I know what is like to long for both of these to be said to me. We all fail and desire to know that we are forgiven and loved in spite of our failures. We may intellectually know we are forgiven and loved, but what does it mean to live like I’m forgiven? 

FIRST, TO LIVE LIKE I’M FORGIVEN, I MUST UNDERSTAND THE BAD NEWS.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a ministry of mercy and reconciliation. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, at the top of that list is a relationship with God. We have all sinned against God (1 John 1:8) and are utterly incapable of repairing that relationship on our own. God is holy and just, therefore he must hold in consequence and contempt those who have disobeyed or failed His standard. He is perfect is His justice, just as He is perfect in His goodness.

Yet, all too often, humans add to the justice of God by seeking consequences as if we don’t trust that God will carry out an adequate punishment. It is for this reason that God said over and over, “Vengeance is mine” or “Do not judge, lest you be judged.” He knows what we did and He carries out His wrath perfectly. God never said, “Please help me by keeping me accountable to be just adequately and wrathful fairly.” He doesn’t need our help.

To add the need for man-made justice and consequences cheapens the message of the grace God offers us. Jesus died on the Cross to save us from the ultimate punishment we deserved. If the death of Jesus was enough for God’s righteous wrath to be appeased, then it is also enough for us to forgive ourselves and to be forgiven by others.

I have seen many people feel the need to hold on to their shame as a form of punishment. I have counseled those (and have been those) who seem to think that they have to add punishment on themselves (or others) for past sin. This is a small view of the Gospel — and a small view of God. He is perfect in his wrath but also perfect in His goodness. Most of all, His Son was perfect to appease God’s wrath and make us righteous if we believe (Romans 1:17).

If God has forgiven you, who are you to not forgive yourself? If God has forgiven you, who are they to say or act like you are not? Our sin is first against God, and His Word of forgiveness is most powerful and most lasting.

TO LIVE LIKE I’M FORGIVEN, I MUST FORGIVE MYSELF

I am well-rehearsed of the self-condemning messages my heart and the enemy preaches to me daily. There is not a day that goes by where my hope does not wain under the weight of my shame. I have to preach the more powerful Gospel message to myself every day to drown out the lies that I believe along with the other people in my life who treat me like I will never be fully forgiven.

Paul knew our hope would be zapped every day; This is why he speaks of our hope having to be renewed regularly in 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. He writes, “Do not lose heart!” which insinuates that we can lose heart, but by the truth of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, we must press on.

So then, when we know we are forgiven by God, how can we live that way, even if our heart or others tell us or treat us differently? I want to identify the thinking and actions that come from knowing you are forgiven by Christ.

LIVING AS ONE WHO IS FORGIVEN

First, let’s be clear, there is a progression of repentance that leads to the fruit of repentance. If a person is forgiven, then he or she has repented of their sin by swearing to God and others that they will no longer carry on as they once were. But following that verbal confession and promise is the proof of genuine godly sorrow, evidenced in a sustained change in thought and action. A repentant and forgiven person will be striving for righteousness instead of walking in the way of the wicked (Psalm 1:1-4). This evidence of repentance and forgiveness should show its self in confident living in Christ.

These are some of the benefits that come from living like I’m forgiven:

1. When I live like I’m forgiven, my prayer life is more intricate to everyday survival. You may have prayed in the past, but when you understand you have been forgiven, your prayer life doesn’t simply return to what it was before. Now you understand better to whom you are praying. A forgiven person internalizes the mercy he or she have received in such a way that when they pray, they know they don’t deserve to be heard. We count it all the more a privilege to be able to approach the throne of grace and do so often (Hebrews 4:16).

2. When I live like I’m forgiven, I long for God’s Word — specifically the Psalms — like I never have before. As I walk in the forgiveness of God, I can’t get enough of God’s Word. The time I get in the Bible is sweeter when I understand my dependence on it. As it relates to God’s mercy over my mistakes, the Psalms seem to have the perfect words to help bring healing and fuller confidence in Christ. The duty of reading God’s Word as a daily discipline becomes an anticipated delight in my routine.

3. When I live like I’m forgiven, my confidence is not found in myself. I don’t believe in “self-confidence” but I do believe in “Christ-confidence.” As a follower of Jesus Christ, my identity is no longer in myself. I am made new in Christ and derive my confidence in Him (Jeremiah 17:7). When people criticize me or talk of what a grandiose sinner I am, my posture is to agree with them, not defend. I will be the first in line to build a case against myself — I am the chief sinner I know because I know my sin the most. FOr that reason, I have resolved that finding confidence in myself is a useless waste of time; I will always fail myself and others. Christ will never fail me.

4. When I live like I’m forgiven, my actions are humble and caring toward others. A forgiven person is kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward others because he or she understands that they are forgiven first by Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:32). If a person is harsh, hard-hearted and lacking empathy or care as a fellow sinner, then he or she may not understand the magnitude of forgiveness that Christ has offered to them. If a person does not accept their weaknesses and Christ’s forgiveness for them, they will not be able or quick to give this kind of forgiveness to others. They will be critical, quick to accuse (Matthew 7:3), and judgmental. Don’t be such a person.

5. When I live like I’m forgiven, I find freedom in what is true Christ, and not in what could be in my circumstances. Our circumstances tell us the daily story that life is brutal and out of control. If we are trying to find peace from the right setting or surrounding, we may find it for a moment — like in a beach chair in Fiji — but that won’t last for a lifetime. Our freedom and joy are not found in circumstances, but it is found only in Christ (Philippians 4:5-7). If you are dealing with feelings of anxiety or depression over your past mistakes, perhaps you have not fully accepted the Grace of Christ in your life. Live like I’m forgiven and stop trying to control circumstances to bring you peace.

6. When I live like I’m forgiven, I walk with my chin up and my smile on. The countenances of a forgiven person are bright. A forgiven and glad person will show it on his or her face. Proverbs 15:13 says, “A glad heart makes a cheerful face.” A forgiven person will smile, laugh and show that they have accepted the forgiveness of Christ. This is not trite, it is the result of genuine forgiveness.

Will he or she still have their critics who hate when they smile, laugh and go on with life? Yes. I certainly do. But those critics don’t control the forgiveness of Christ, nor should they control my countenance over what Christ has given me.

STRUGGLING TO LIVE FORGIVEN, AS YOU ARE, TRY ONE OR ALL OF THESE THINGS:

  • Find 10 verses about forgiveness and write down what they mean to you.
  • Memorize Ephesians 4:32 and realize that you have been forgiven much, so you can forgive much — including yourself and others.
  • Read the Psalms and look for verses that show the great mercy of God toward you, if even your enemy chose to not forgive you or come against you.
  • Listen to some hymns. Some of my favorites are “In Christ Alone,” “His Mercy is More” and “He Will Holy Me Fast.”

CONFESSIONS OF A GREAT SINNER

Saint Augustine of Hippo was a man who was keenly aware of his brokenness. His book, Confessions is a recorded private conversation with God about his brokenness. I love all of his writing, but one of my favorite quotes is this:

“For great are you, Lord, and you look kindly on what is humble, but the lofty-minded you regard from afar. Only to those whose hearts are crushed do you draw close. You will not let yourself be found by the proud, nor even by those who in their inquisitive skill count stars or grains of sand, or measure the expanses of heaven, or trace the paths of the planets.” —

FOR FURTHER READING, CONSIDER READING ONE OF THESE BOOKS: 

I am giving you this PDF entitled, “Embraced by Forgiveness” which is a homework sheet I use in Biblical Counseling. I admonish you to do this exercise if you are struggling with grasping forgiveness. It is refreshing to the soul.

This article about how to live like I’m forgiven originally appeared here.

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