​Hey, team!!!

Now, THIS is an inspiring quote: Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results.

Exhilarating & beautiful when we know that everyone has each other's back! But we could never do it in our own strength. The Lord equips each w/a unique & mysterious Spiritual Gift profile, enabling us to collectively do His work. (1 Cor. 12:4-31) A Spiritual Gift will well up & cause even new believers to say, "WOW! Didn't know I had it in me! Who knew???"

The monotheistic (Deut. 6:4), yet triune God, who revealed Himself as “Us” way back in Genesis 1:26, is a mystery. The Church is also a mysterious US THING. However, whereas the Spirit could unexpectedly empower any of us w/new Gifts, the Divine Offices of each Trinity Member are distinct & unchanging. Jesus never aspires to do the Holy Spirit's Work. The Father never seeks to acquire activities bestowed on the Holy Spirit. The Spirit never feels "jealous" or inferior as "The 3d Person of the Trinity".....etc. In similar fashion, real Kingdom work is bathed in a spirit of Phil. 2:1-11 cooperation.

In the same way, personality cults won't form where all function in their anointing.....nor will the clergy be saddled w/so much. Yeah. Personality cults & exhausted clergy....That's why so many leaders fall......Important to remember that preaching & teaching are merely 2 of the many Gifts listed in Scripture. The others are sadly often deemed inferior or altogether unnecessary, limiting growth. The Life of the Church ain't coffee & donuts in the fellowship hall, but serious engagement done in community......like a ball game. The outcome is a mystery as well as where the ball will be at any moment. All are expected to be team players & work for the benefit of the whole.


While engaging in community, we discover our Gifts through others. We just show up & have our being in Christ. Then, out of our being comes doing. Honestly, in Christ's Divine perspective, we have no clue how beautiful we are, individually, but especially collectively. (Rev. 19:7-8)     Perhaps the popular song below parallels in a small way how Jesus must feel about His bride. 

​Our team does a weekly Bible study w/R, (whose amazing story can be found in the 5/16 & 7/4 blogs). Awesome to see his hunger to know Jesus more deeply! W/no prompting from us, he's already dialoguing about Him w/people from his own culture....one of them, via WhatsApp in his homeland, the "a" country! Amazing. Unimportant that he doesn't understand the Trinity or the Hypostatic Union....do you? Do I? Yet, we proceed w/joy, faith & worship! He's like the woman at the well in John 4:1-42, who, upon receiving forgiveness, went all around her village, proclaiming His Glory!......or Mark 5:1-20, where Jesus delivered a man from demons & then commissioned him for ministry! Neither of these folks would've had time to plunge into the depths of theology, but SOOOO WHAT? They had personal encounters w/Jesus, just like R!
Jesus is forever taking us on new adventures. Your's truly recently started communicating w/a woman who has a beautiful heart for humanity although she's probably not a believer......& she surely doesn’t realize that Jesus has chosen her to join our team! She grew up in dead liberal Protestantism, but we pray that, somehow, the Spirit will ignite true faith out of her smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3, Matt. 12:20), if there ever was one. Only He knows the direction of this compelling story which you're about to read....

.....Her agency is highly suspicious of Christians because they’ve witnessed too much “hit and run” evangelism....& too many awkward agendas in the past. Of course, there’s some truth to their objections…...so I emphasized to her that those in our circle begin w/a strictly humanitarian approach & wait for them to “unpack” us at their own pace. She was mildly wowed when I told her about the “nosy little rascal” in the 2/9/2023 blog.  But 3 days later, she had her own experience when a woman from the "a country" asked for a Bible! Following up again for the 2d time by phone about a wk. later, she “just so happened” to be leaving that very woman’s apartment! She waited….of course! 10 mins. later, I arrived w/the "contraband" discreetly concealed in a plastic bag, as many from her country live in the same bldg.

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I was in Asia for almost 2 months, hence my silence. And on the way back, I stopped in my fiancée's country & returned w/her!.....When vacationing, I'm always open to the possibilities that the Spirit might tell me to suddenly change plans. Now, I'm REAALLLLLY cautious about saying, "God told me....", but I'm pretty sure that God told me to begin looking for refugees from the "a country" in one of the cities I visited. Through 2 degrees of separation, I indeed found a community of people from the "a country" after sensing they were likely there. Within a very short time, a spontaneous team began to form from an unlikely assortment of people & much happened during the next 9 days! Hopefully, I'll have time to blog about "Teamwork Part 2" soon! 

For teamwork, Spiritual Gifts, great country and western songs and the nations....
.........Just another witness to His Glory! 

www.6degreesandshrinking.com
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Hello, everyone.....

Warning: I feel a b-rant coming on...... 

Ever been so UD-DER-LY disgusted that ya just wanna kill ALL the sacred cows? I'm in such a season. But, of late, more likely to kill the sacred donkey & elephant in da room. We're in freefall, so it's time to be frank. In lieu of exercising my sacred right to speak w/a conventional "political" voice via elections, I've opted to refrain until there's revival.....& I don't mean under a tent. This rebuke is to the ecclesiastical establishment.....esp. strongly political laypersons w/a "consumer mentality."  Most who read these are involved in service, so understand that this is just a general statement about the inactive American Church......In my spheres, this commitment to political silence has already shouted louder than would have my 1 vote. Ultimately did this to underscore Zechariah 4:6. Naturally, many have "forbidden" me to complain if I don't like the results. What they've missed is that my beef w/the establishment Church is my primary focus......And withdrawing my cherished evangelical vote is how I sound the alarm. I will reregister if & when we get our own house in order.  If O.T. Jews could tear their garments to express mourning, lemme express mine in this manner.....And I promise I'll return to being Mr. Positive in the next blog. Scout’s honor. Anyway, it's also a lot less painful than sewing my lips shut, as many protesters have been known to do.

Whoa--ho--hohhh, there! Why this kerfuffle? Many reasons. But the turning point was a "prayer meeting for our elected officials" 2.5 yrs ago. As I struggled to pray for certain politicians (1 Tim. 2:1-4), attending seemed a great way to jumpstart my disobedient heart. Five mins. after the obligatory prayer (deeming it an official "prayer meeting"), the recruitment to get us to run for office began. Long story short, I later informed the organizer by text how grieved I was at their bait & switch.......& pointed out that they'd “dropped” God's Name as a front for their agenda (the agenda, of which wasn’t inherently wrong), violating Ex. 20:7....I then pledged to deregister as a voter. Don't kid thyself.....folks like this are often, if not usually, more concerned about personal freedom than God's Glory. That's the hard truth. 

Although one party comes closer to a Judeo-Christian world view, that same party has done more to yield a mere form of godliness (2 Tim. 3:5) among its faithful than it has done good....Many church-going folks from the ranks of that more Judeo-Christian-ish party are destined for the same hell as their counterparts. Through voting, Democrats think they'll achieve justice & Republicans think they'll restore morality.  But, w/o the Spirit, it's a fool's errand to think that either party will produce honorable behavior......The GREATEST injustice & the GREATEST immorality is that few believers pray & serve, as evidenced by the shrinking Church.....And some may even see voting is some kind of ministry. To make things worse, the gov't, designed by God to wield the sword, (Romans 13:4) has wilted into a mission of mercy. Meanwhile, the Church, which should be about mercy, has often either been judgmental or striving to correct itself w/a PR campaign of permissiveness.......The result:  Many are swept into the cults of political obsession where human beings are seen as demographic voting blocs &/or as ISSUES rather than image bearers....And that politics will save us.....Yes, salt admonishes freefalling societies but light is God's Spirit imparted through personal engagement. (Matt. 5:13-16)  Every problem is worsening because we’re great at salt but not light. Our urban cores amply demonstrate this trend. 

The 2020 election cycle cost $14.4b dollars to sway 159m voters! According to my calculations, campaigns spent $90.57 per voter. How would you have spent this $? And then the countless man hours. How could all of those campaign volunteers have better spent their time? 

I won't say that the establishment Church NEVER births organic movements, but it's rare.....Both right & left are marked by indignation & whining about what's wrong yet do little to serve (Matt 9:37-38)....A word picture: Imagine living in a town w/no fire department. YOUR house is on fire, but passersby only tell you the obvious. Isn't the Church essentially doing the same?

.......Predestination notwithstanding, the Lord holds us responsible for souls & to serve the same, but our historical record is appalling. Humanly speaking, that “other Abrahamic religion", (basically an old-world Judeo-Christian cult), emerged in 610 A.D. because mission didn't happen on the peninsula where it started. Likewise, before our very eyes, this transgenderism insanity has emerged because youth work didn't happen yrs ago. Where's the Church on mission? The 1st cent. Church was a mess but they DID turn the world upside down in just a few yrs. And that was long before Constantine.  But know that there's still hope even at this late hour. A Chinese proverb says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 yrs ago. The 2d best time is now". Pray for revival & start serving somewhere if you're not. 

This may come as a shock, but I actually do STRONGLY prefer one of the candidates. However, making this statement is of greater importance. So, this ain't a campaign to get everyone to follow my example. I've also arrived at the belief that it really doesn’t matter who wins. Does anyone really expect a peaceful transition of power? Any unrest we've seen or the present chaos you now see now is the calm before the storm. Not saying this is the end, but at least expect a major paradigm shift. No. The Lord didn't speak to me in a vision. Just stands to reason when we look at recent history. We need prayer, revival & service. 

Deregistration has changed my life in the following ways: 1) As politics had been a personal idol, I've never felt so LIBERATED. For the 1st time, I really FEEL like this earth is NOT my home.....2) I'm now 100% focused on the GREAT COMMISSION as I'm no longer baited into political arguments. (2 Tim. 2:4) 3)...I've been inoculated, am "post-political" & no longer have political views.....just views.....This corroborates that the MATERIAL WORLD IS PRECEDED, both chronologically & in power, BY THE SPIRIT WORLD....4) So, OUR PROBLEMS ARE SPIRITUAL before they're ever political or even social. The crisper alignment of these 2 dimensions has brought me an additional joy I've never known.....5) I'M NO LONGER A NEWS JUNKIE....in part because I often can't tell the real from the fake (from both right & left)......This is in tandem w/the Powerful Delusion mentioned in 2 Thess. 2:11-12. And even if some conspiracy theories end up being true, what can WE really do about it? Let's just serve Jesus in His Kingdom......because the endless dissection of conspiracies would be yet another fool's errand. But, PRAISE GOD! I CAN TRUST MY BIBLE!.....6) Such acknowledgment has accentuated MY NEED FOR PRAYER. (2 Cor. 10:4).....7) I've even learned by faith & obedience HOW TO PRAY FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS I don't like.....8) I'M UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE SO RESENTED by so many outside the Church.....We're so out of touch w/their sorrow yet insist on setting the moral tone for society. Yes, I want society to have morals. 

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I got into a protracted tangle w/a Trump worshiper on a Christian website who fancies himself "a watchman".....But all he does is watch.....& complain....never even prompting prayer points. In order to understand the context of the poem below, which I wrote for him......he said that he didn't give a rat's hindquarters (actually used a more vivid term beginning w/the letter "a") that Trump hosted a gay wedding at Mar-a-Lago. He also resigned me to eternal flames. So I wrote him a poem. Enjoy......

"Watchman" 

"Watchman, watchman.....what’cha watchin’ as thou dost sneer from yonder perch?
Is it the lower classes, the unwashed masses or others ignored by the Church?

Watchman, watchman.....what’cher passion? To curse the darkness bleak?
Or luminesce to souls in distress and see power surge from the weak?

Watchman, watchman.....watch thy mouth, from which unholy diction proceeds.
How didst thou cope with such daily soap from thy mother whilst blithering screeds?

Watchman, watchman.....thou hast presumed to “deny” me the gift of a rat's derrière.
But ‘twas never my quest, in deed or in jest....
Yet I commend thee for thy savoir faire.

Watchman, watchman......when didst thou ascend from thy wall to the right hand of God?
Wast thy discernment of souls shown thee in scrolls?
Doth Christ heed the course of thy nod?

Watchman, watchman.....hast thy tenured watch rendered Kingdom hope from fear?
Thy spiritual gift at the foot of the cliff is marked by thy impotent sneer.

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The song below by Rich Mullins sort of overlaps w/the theme of this blog post. The nations are raging against God, each other & internally. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. 

​​For getting back to the reason why we were put here.....and the nations......

......Just another witness to His Glory. 

Greetings, everyone!
Arn'tcha glad our God is unfathomable? (Deut. 29:29) Having limitless attributes yet no “parts”, He’s a “math problem” for academics & quack-a-demics alike who try to explain Him.... He’s 3 Persons w/7 spirits, (whatever that means!.....Rev. 3:1), yet 1 GOD!!!.....Deut. 6:4 says "Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One". I'm told that Hebrew word for One (Echad) implies unity while the cardinal word for 1 is Yechid.

At the end of the livelong day, all God analogies fail. But even ur's truly, the eternal skeptic of the ecclesiastical industry complex, sees great illustrations of Glory in cathedrals....intentional or not. Like the Trinity & Divine attributes, every stone internally reinforces the whole….but who comes from afar to mathematically analyze stones? A few, but YOU'D go to gawk & feel puny under their integrated beauty.....& hopefully contemplate God. Likewise, the Trinity isn't a math problem to be solved but a God to be worshiped. 

Check this out! Go to about the 6 min. mark to see the illustration. 

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John Chrysostom's quote, "Let mysteries be mysteries" has become a source of deep comfort. My own voracious drive to "understand" God via technique, secondary issues & even established doctrine is receding as my momentum is now toward wonder. (YES, of course!....Doctrine's important, but won't lead to intimacy w/God.) Through our worship, He’ll impart intimacy via our spirits. (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)  We experienced that intimacy upon hearing R's Jesus dream, albeit "recycled" & having come to us 2d hand. (Refer to the 7/4/24 post.) Knowing little "doctrine", he experienced what none of us ever have! That’s why folks like him are poised to soon lead the Western Church out of its apostasy.......Apostate, because we run more on analysis than mystery.....Sorta naive & stale, we ignore the whole counsel of God. (Acts 20:27) When God is reduced to just another someTHING…a subject to be conquered by human wisdumb....wonder is ruined.  But WE are HIS subjects! And praise God, we'll never be anything more!..... 

Over time, sectarian ANALYSIS births hobby horses which birth yet wilder hobby horses. Example: The logical ends of both Calvinism & Arminianism.....& the capacities they have to destroy people's faith when each is taken to their extremes is a good example. (Acts 20:29-31)…..Heresies emerging from these two historic views galloped outa the darned-est places & are both actually pretty harmless most of the time as long as they're kept tame. Furthermore, because money & careers are dependent upon their respective brands, many try to protect these brands at all costs. Remember the Branch Davidians? They came out of the Davidians who came out of 7th Day Adventism. Sounds cruel, but hobby horses like this should be branded immediately when identified before they trample over people. 

Ok......here's the joke & an example of how a leader got WAYYY off base....but probably had a mentor who was merely "off base". There’s an oddball sect/cult called "The Gospel Assembly Church" which believes that the Father & the Son are Divine, but not the Holy Spirit. Since they dont believe in the Trinity, I thought I'd give their doctrine a new name.….The doctrine of the TWINITY!!!!....NYUK NYUK NYUK!!!! OF COURSE!!!!....But the GAC is an example of what happens WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO FIGURE GOD OUT!......

So, uh....where's this going????.....To be blunt, impacting our world requires less, not more. John 17:23 is often quoted in pleas for unity. But Jesus ALSO came to DIVIDE! (Luke 12:51-53) It's key to remember that biblical axioms are often verses held in tension & balance. God's math also REDUCED Gideon's army to a victorious 300...... (Judges 6-8).....And cautious growth is also our model........

.....Leading us to turn down 1/3+ of those wanting to work w/us, one of whom is the leader of an org. who asked if I'd facilitate his expansion into refugee work. Had he asked, I would've joined them as an unpaid staffer....until he admitted their association w/gay affirming churches. I said, "No dice......How would you, the Church & Jesus be perceived if a gay couple were to show up at a refugee's home???? They're VERY trad. people.....Moreover, know that, unless you repent, I'll sound the alarm if I ever hear of you starting to interact w/any refugee community." He's apparently still unrepentant 2 yrs on after conceding that I was probably right.....YES. I get into other people's bizniz! Someone is going to set the tone. Might as well be for holiness......& a modicum of holiness is imperative for the Spirit to move. I speak because few establishment types are speaking up. YES, I pray for him…….And YES. Because God seems to be rewarding our tenacity w/kingdom results which outpace our efforts & size, we intend to influence & leverege wherever possible. 

Been reading the Book of Amos. I relate to Amos because he was theologically untrained & blue-collar like ur's truly. He spoke to pagan nations as well as Israel & Judah. However, As we’re in a diff dispensation of Grace than him, I deal w/unbelievers differently than those in the Church. (1 Cor. 5:9-13) If an unbeliever breaks a law they've created for themselves, per Romans 2:14-16, I point out the hypocrisy. Next time you see a BLM sign, ask the owner what they are doing for the African American community. Usually, you'll just get "solidarity" talk or a deer in the headlights.
 
Revisiting the topic of horses, I'll finish w/an amazing vid about Belgian Draught Horses…..Check out the compelling divine math which the Lord imbedded in creation! 

For horses (except for hobby), enjoying Him w/childlike wonder, unsolvable math problems and the nations......

......Just another witness to His Glory! 

HAH!!!! Made YOU look! Nyuk nyuk nyuk! No gimmick is too low.....no gimmick too cheap.....no gimmick too gimmicky....to get ya'll to read my blogs! LOL

Now that you've fallen for it, read on.....

I always (ok...ALMOST ALWAYS......) pray for God to move before meeting w/friends from that "other Abrahamic religion".....'cause the Oil of the Spirit must fuel the icebreaking....or melting, as it were.....Friendship & presence. Not manipulation or clever arguments. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) We don't need knucklehead, egghead or airhead theologians & their agendas because our internal radiance beats our yapper to the punch every time if we just chill. The wise theologians of our age would do well to learn that children's Sunday school song...."This Little Light of Mine". And, here it is: 
​
     

​So, after swearing me to secrecy, a friend recently divulged a secret.......He drinks wine sometimes.......(but only for his stomach.....or so he says....Ahem.)  I'll call him....let's see...uh......I know! How about "V" for vino! Hah! (Not his initial.).....Quite a disclosure for someone w/his heritage but not shocking. I asked, "Did you know those exact words are in the Bible?".....Someone w/at least a modicum of Bible literacy likely told him this. After “confessing” that I'm no Bible scholar, I said, "It's somewhere in 1 Timothy.......Ah yes…..vs. 5:23”.....as I googled.  Then, I "confessed" that I, also, drink moderately. It was natural to next ask if he'd ever read the Word. He was interested, so I offered a hardcopy in his language, but he said, “I'd prefer to start w/a Bible app. Can you can send a link?"  He now has the app & we plan to study soon!

Relaaaaax......no plans to drink socially w/him....as there's legit concern about chemical dependency among these people. Opression has made them vulnerable, as evidenced by rampant heroin addiction in their homeland. Just saying this: Proceed confidently. Folks from that religion are rarely as "holy" as the gruff huff & puff of their PR campaign......And some of them DO puff. Nyuk. The shock factor of such "confessions" receded yrs ago after knowing many students from "that religion" who engaged in the same immorality common among American students. (1 Corinthians 10:13) 

Confession is a deep human desire.....(James 5:15)....for relief.....& acceptance. Regardless. This forges real relationships. The weight of confidentiality in their culture is amped 100X from our context. Holding a secret gains lifetime friendship.  Their cultures are mostly networks of fear & threats while the missional Church is one big relationship thrust by the Power of God, Himself. We're a community of image bearers ornamented w/Spiritual Gifts for which we never petitioned. 1 Cor. 12:8-10. 

Ok.....gonna go on a b-rant since alcohol is the topic. FYI, I avg. about 1 drink a week, for which I'm scandalous to some. Legalists annoy but far more annoying are those who selfishly exegete "Christian liberty" & ludicrous "rights" from 1 Cor. 8:2-6 to the exclusion of the verses following. Many otherwise mature believers carry on like juveniles w/their 1st beer.....strutting as they role play some sort of legendary rite of passage from fundamentalist "oppression".....whether or not it was personal to them. Rolling my eyes, thinking about the futility of both extremes. Drinking alcohol is no more of an "achievement" than drinking ice tea. 

I once left a Church because of its permissive alcohol policy. A friend from that “other Abrahamic religion” 25 yrs. my junior attended w/me for 3.5 yrs. Forming many friendships w/people his age, he hung out mostly w/them. It all came out one day. He was disgusted after seeing drunk Christians several times. The final straw for me, too. I informed the entire staff by email that "I won't remain where my ministry isn't honored". This, after my pleading in vain w/the pastor to form a dry home group so these friends could come to a Bible study. By the Grace of God, the policy has changed in that Church!  

.........Ah, yes......Mission.....Isn't that why we're here? But not enough hands are on deck (& as noted, some are in the way).....The stark reality of this lack was distilled once more in a recent study at a Church I visited. They were examining the oft-overlooked Book of Nehemiah....I'd never noticed before, but EVERYONE in chapter 3........from the high priest in vs 1 to avg. people....as in vs. 13....was involved in rebuilding the Jerusalem wall. Pls read it! 

EVERY.....I SAID EVERY ministry is hurting for volunteers! Most believers aren't doing ANY Kingdom service......And sometimes, it feels like the Mormons are eclipsing the good works of all evangelical Churches combined. It's equally impressive & disheartening to see all that the local LDS community is doing for our refugee friends. The CEO of a secular agency said that the local LDS community had distributed $100K worth of food! And their English classes are bursting at the seams!.....It's already devastating that Mormons believe that the 3 Divine Members of the Trinity are 3 separate gods w/independent wills. But it becomes much worse if they ever tell people from "that other Abrahamic religion" what they REALLY believe!.....Because Christianity is already misunderstood by them to be polytheistic.......YIKES!!!!! Mormons confirm this misunderstanding in their minds! 

Mormons are extraordinarily kind but are killing people w/kindness (spiritually).....literally! We must do better. Below is a song they teach their children.......

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For seizing contextual moments, moderation in all things and more Gospel workers......

Just another witness to His Glory! 

​Well, hiya there, you, you and you! 

Got the most bless-edest news for y'all!! In the 2d half of the 5/16/24 blog, I mentioned how, on Sun, May 12, a group of us prayed w/"R"....& together, renounced his former religion. He'd experienced trauma yrs ago & was having nightmares after reading the Word before bed.
 
Well, my friends.....the following Thur. morning, he called w/a WOW testimony of a GOOD dream!!! Yayyyyy! While watching a large army of men on horseback fighting w/swords, a " STRONG MAN" rode up on a horse & asked what he was doing. He said, "Just trying to keep a safe distance." The strong man said, "I AM JESUS. Get on my horse.".....R was stunned....."You're Jesus?????? Really????" He said "yes" & REACHED DOWN, pulling R up onto da saddle of GRACE!!! Then, R woke up in tears of joy! His wife attentively listened to his story....When he told the guys in our Bible study, his face radiated w/the childlike wonder of a little boy. He told his sister, who lives in their homeland. She was angry that he'd left their religion but is over it! Pray for these two ladies!.......God always reaches DOWN.....just like when He came DOWN to earth to redeem people. 

WOWOWOWOW! Ain't that JUST like our God? He reaches down because we can't climb up!!! Psalm 18:16. Many from "that other Abrahamic religion" are having such dreams. Ahem....uh....& yeah....May 19 was Pentecost Sunday! (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:16-18) 

I told him that his exp. w/Jesus exceeded anything the rest of us had ever known although we'd been believers for many yrs.....that his intimate exp. was deeper than ALL of our head knowledge. I confirmed w/the others, "Ever had a dream like THAT?".......I joked w/him that I was jealous. "I WANT A DREAM, TOO!!!" LOL......I now kinda understand the curiosity of angels, as portrayed at the end of 1 Peter 1:12. They'll never personally exp. the beauty of redemption. And, this side of heaven, we'll never exp. R's unique ecstasy of redemption from such grief. 

……The Lord showed me that these folks have traumatized souls, just like those who've had severe head trauma. Yrs ago, a friend got a severe injury from driving into a brick wall. While visiting him the next day in the hospital, his mom said that the doc had insisted all visitors commit to a daily routine or stay away....as consistency was part of his therapy....Similarly, routine contact over time w/the Fruit of the Spirit via believers heals the traumatized soul. Simply the power of presence. And the Power of the Presence of the Holy Spirit in us. More is caught than taught....& many will initiate in their own time. No need to panic. (John 18:9) So, nobody's a "hard nut to crack" if the Spirit woos them. (Acts 9:1-19)

We need to "Be still & know that I am God". (Ps. 46:10) "He WILL be exalted among the nations". We just need to show up. After persecution, they need "mercy-cution" from the Church for the renewing of their minds! Although a bit out of context, Romans 12:2 may apply here.
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This song by Petra has become a personal anthem. "Beyond Belief" will PUMP YOU UP!!! Sometimes I just listen over & over like some of your kids used to listen to songs by Barney the Dinosaur, Cocomelon, Sesame Street....or WHAT-EVER! HAH! Let's go to even higher places! 

Most Americans resist Jesus because they've never seen the Church live out Micah 6:8. We've not been "letting our light shine before others". (Matt 5:16). Gospel engagement is hard. But they WILL listen to stories about dreams. Over breakfast, I got the ear of a thoughtful but very secular friend when I told him R's dream. He's not hostile to faith but he doesn't really believe the Bible. However, he'd NEVER deny a man's dream. He had to leave for work but wants to hear more!....Pls bear w/another story while "the tangent king" is ranting: I'm a city boy. I know that hipster urbanites eat up stories of humanitarian work because they're masters of vicarious empathy & recognize mercy.....A friendly acquaintance has zero interest in my Jesus or His Book but respects my work. She's proud of her abortion & her interest in extreme sexual perversion (fortunately, she's spared me the details). Sympathetic to vandalism in the name of social change & sympathetic towards the gay/trans community, she's a real piece of work. I tolerate her crass topics of conversation because her sheer honesty often moves our conversation effortlessly into topics of spiritual import. Moreover, my radical anti-establishment approach to doing Church seems to have also opened her ears & heart. After 3 yrs, I recently asked if she'd be open to reading a book written by apologist Abdu Murray, who came out of "that other Abrahamic religion". I was elated when she accepted a copy of "More Than a White Man's Religion: Why the Gospel Has Never Been Merely White, Male-Centered, or Just Another Religion"......Also went to a class reunion recently. (I was a real piece of work in H.S.) Had the opp to tell some of my classmates how God is working through me in what is essentially my "job". Many were stunned at how God had transformed me......

Friends, I believe that God is using stories of their dreams & how we serve to wake pagan America up!......In the same way that the Jews were made jealous by the newly saved Gentiles in Romans 11:11, I assert that the spiritually dead West will be made jealous by people like R! I call this "The 11:11 Principle". 9/11 inspired a brief repentance but I believe the coming revival will be deeper! 
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For recycling whatever God gives us, the "mercy-cution" of all and the nations.....
........Just another witness to His Glory!

​Greetings, my friends!!!!!!

Our God is not subject to time, so His divine clockwork should never surprise us.....but it always does, anyway....& I think that brings Him joy. This is how divine clockwork works! 

I marveled in the last blog at God's Providence among the members of an "a" family. This family is from what is prob one of the most Gospel-hating tribes in their religion. A mere .01-.02% are Jesus-followers. You can do the math. 

ANYWAYYYY.......about 4 days after posting the last entry, that "aerialist bro" (AB), who either defies physics, has earned special favor w/angels or both.......(depicted below in that familiar viralworthy pic......EXAMINE AGAIN CLOSELY, FOLX....IT AIN'T ALTERED) added punctuation to what I thought had been adequately punctuated. 

​(Yeah......talkin' about THAT guy ^ again.)

Said all that to say: A stunning development has developed! But first: The backstory for those who may've just started reading these....Immediately after the "a" family moved into AB's home, a lady who attends Church w/him began teaching English to the women. She now spends most of her free time w/them.....Like many of us, she struggles w/weight issues. Meanwhile, the young man in that family who was apprehended for a non-violent crime seems to continue toward Jesus! Read on.....

The young man said to our plus-size sister, "I was watching pastor _____ on his Youtube channel & you walked across the platform. The video made you look REAAAALLY big. But you don't actually look THAT fat in person." OUCH!.......but.....WOWWWWW! Of course, that hurt but her sorrow was eclipsed by the revelation that he's actually watching!!!! (Who knew?) This sister essentially "does life" w/this family (to use a clichéd evangelical yawner of a phrase....but they REALLY DO IT.....consistently). Even more has transpired since then. 

.....God has also blessed our circle as we've watched the slow motion Kingdom birth of another A friend....(whom I call "R"....not his real initial).....We've never once pushed.....but God didn't need our help anyway because his journey began yrs ago in his host country, where he often listened to Christian radio! Then a believer befriended him in another city in this country.....followed by some believers here (didn't know each other).....& finally, us. 1 Corinthians 3:5-11 says that our roles are assigned by God as He seeks the lost. We've no clue what we're doing but we're to show up & just BE....We surf on top of some mighty waves, oblivious to the details of the undercurrents. Whoever said "90% of success is just showing up" was WRONG, I TELL YOU!...WRONG!!! It's a MUCH higher number....but our being must be bathed in prayer. Every step taken....every conversation initiated.....every question asked....was 100% our friend's (of course, lit by the Spirit)......

The markers of R's transformation became more compelling when he volunteered that he has frequent nightmares after reading the Word at night......We told him that they were from satan, who doesn't want to lose him. But, guess what I'M doing about THAT??? I've learned to redeem the inconvenience of the aging process w/quick prayers for him when sleep is interrupted....usually 3+ times nightly......(Hope that's not too much TMI....LOL..... EVEN IF IT IS.....can u endure a bit o' poetry? Hmmmm? Ahem: My prostate makes me prostrate for the redeeming of his dreaming! Nyuk nyuk nyuk! Full disclosure: I don't REALLY physically "fall prostrate"......unless getting back into bed is "prostrate".......) For a long time, I've likewise prayed for other friends trapped in that religion to have dreams & visions. (Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17) Hallelujah! Rejoice w/me for that annoyance & its valuable Kingdom application! As we groan w/all creation (Romans 8:18-27), we can slip in a few prayers! 
​
He's been doing better, but last Sunday, he, along w/me & 2 other buds spoke a formal relinquishment of his former religion & its oath. He google translated the following phrase: I took my vow. I can't be rejected by anyone. Wow.....Not sure if he's read John 10:28-29 or not, but he gets it!
​
For more blessings (but less insults), letting God pick our roles & "getting up" more at appointed times if necessary!.....

......Just another witness to His Glory! 

​Hiya folks.....

In the last blog, I marveled at our fresh & unexpected growth. W/little effort, great stories of glory are popping everywhere. 

The pic below of "Aerialist Bro (AB)" is classic. You've probably seen it before. He's hosting a family from a country where the democratically elected gov't was overthrown a couple of yrs. back. The patriarch & several members of their ext. family fought a good fight & now live here....For some context, the insurgency came from their tribe....& I'll bet they fought cousins. Very resistant to the Gospel, Joshua Project divides them into 2 groups: respectively .01% & .02% evangelical.  

There's been a tragedy but God is working....A young man from this family got in serious legal trouble a while back. He was jailed for a few months but is out on bail.....He & others in his family are now curious about Jesus. 1) While in jail, AB sent him a Bible in his language. He read a lot of it & asked many theo questions when AB visited from several hrs away on 2-3 occasions.  2) Clueless about this, the young man's father asked to "look at"....(drumroll) A BIBLE! YAYYYY!!! He "looked at" it. NEVER RETURNED IT! (Not that AB wanted it back.) This sprang from a question he'd asked AB about why Americans say "hi".....which turned into a discussion on Eastern customs. NEVER forget. The Bible is Eastern! 3) His daughter was later seen reading it! 4) The young man's uncle asked if he "could take a look at" his Bible! He gave it to him! 

This incident has sparked law enforcement toward more candid discussions w/new arrivals. Marriage in their tribe between preteen girls & 30-40 yr old men is normal. Yet more disturbing is the prevalent rape of boys, often seen as women in rural areas. Males are only seen as men after puberty. This seems to parallel women being kept indoors. There's no context in many places for platonic friendships between the 2 genders. The Gospel can transform this. Pls pray against this demonic activity. 

We want justice but also what's best for him. They're not mutually exclusive. Prison is likely & that exp. could achieve both ends. Pray w/us that the Spirit moves....that salvation comes to the entire ext. family! We serve a God Who speaks into darkness w/results. (Genesis 1:2-3, John 1:5, 2 Corinthians 4:6).

People often ask, "What is the 6 degrees of separation"? The concept is that we're all 6 or fewer connections from everyone on earth.....but nothing matters if we're not connected to the Father via Jesus. (John 17:22)  

.....& we've been praying for a "house Church" to sprout from a business owned by a believing friend from the same country as the family I just mentioned. We've been discipling him when possible but he has numerous challenges as chaos is normal for newcomers. Late one eve, he suddenly called the very moment I'd given up on meeting w/him.

He sent us the address of an elderly man for whom he'd recently done work. This man had initiated w/him about Jesus. Impromptu fellowship!!! Turns out he's a pastor from yet another country whose language our multi-lingual friend also speaks. He said the pastor reminded him of his uncle! He's been bringing him to his shop, which is a PERFECT place for a Church!....as his customers are 90% foreign born. Who knew? It's only important THAT but not HOW this sprouts!!! Below is a pic of the little chapel in a spare bedroom in the pastor's apt. 

Social calls are welcomed but we've hesitated to go & just "hang out" at his shop....Americans don't do that. I felt God say: "The 'ministry of presence' is needed". Wherever we go, the Spirit is w/us. We need to receive hospitality. So, I've also started bringing his new "uncle" over there....Its more about BEING than DOING! 

​For more appropriate climbing equipment, letting God be God, hanging out...and the nations......

Just another witness to His Glory

Hello, folks.....

Genesis 12:2 describes God's call on Abraham's life. God blesses Abe & then Abe is promptly commissioned to bless. Now, this divine mandate has come down to us. Abundance is given so that we, as image bearers, may likewise bless...just like our Heavenly Father. 

This verse is first & foremost about spiritual blessings....because the spiritual world precedes the physical world in both time & preeminence. There's endless joy in blessing new arrivals (Leviticus 19:34), but the other 1/2 of our agenda is blessing American believers by bringing them into this joyful work. I love seeing others grab a piece of the action.....Many have stepped up w/new ideas which never even crossed my mind. It's so awesome seeing new facets of ministry sprouting up w/more spiritual Gifts being used. 

However, spiritual blessings aren't fully expressed until material blessings are woven in. Never mind what they told you...You CAN take it w/you (your $) to heaven. (No, not talking about the pukeworthy "Prosperity Gospel"....but an honorable calling to help drive redemptive history.) In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, the Macedonians gave out of their poverty. Here, we see money, which historically carries a curse, transformed into the spiritual realm! So, if "the love of $ is the root of all evil" (1 Timothy 6:10), would it be a stretch to say that cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:7) launches it from death to life into its own "resurrection"? 

Our highest earthly calling is charity, not Church "buildings". While buildings aren't expressly forbidden, they're never commanded or even mentioned in Scripture.....However, Matthew 28:19 IS commanded & costs $.......Malachi 3:10 is often used to argue that believers should give 10% to their local Church. But, that is applying OT Law to the NT. Besides, the Levitical priesthood is obsolete, Churches don't have granaries & there's not even a Temple.....& if we were to give a true OT "tithe", it'd be 23%.....ON BALANCE, a well-paid full-time clergy IS legit (1 Corinthians 9:9-14)...& we are commanded to support them (Galatians 6:6). But, the truth remains: the Great Commission has been replaced by many "great traditions".....& they often distract from the divinely appointed tradition of our Abrahamic calling.  In the Perspectives Class, we learn that America (as a whole) spends more $ on Halloween costumes for PETS than goes for the GC to ALL unreached people groups combined. Upon hearing this stat, I was alarmed. Perspectives radicalized me. I took this & other concerns to the next level.

I don't claim to have ever yet given out of my poverty. However, for the last few years, my primary offering focus has strategically shifted from the local Church to fulfilling specific needs. Then, COVID fast-tracked my refocus as it became abundantly clear how quickly pandemics can render buildings useless....so, w/the same % that I used to put in the offering plate, I now help new arrivals w/their family members who are still stuck in various places. That amount, which isn't exceptional, is adequate to support a refugee family of 3 in a "10/40 Window" country every month......Periodic unexpected extra financial blessings have bought that same family passports & life saving meds for an elderly woman. It once cancelled someone's rapidly mounting debt & bought warm clothes for another. After the fast season is over, a friend in another city whose wife & little girls arrived just 2 weeks ago will be getting a special day out w/them at an amusement park! 

Even small amounts of $ can be spread more widely under hard conditions......As there is often a sense of shame attached to charity, I always emphasize to friends who receive gifts: GOD LOVES YOU! YOU ARE MY FRIEND! YOU ARE WORTH IT! Giving this way in lieu of conventional means brings more cheer to the whole blessing experience for me! 
        ---------------------------------

               Please go see this film! It will show in hundreds of theaters all over the country     
               ONLY on March 20 & 21!!!!! ​

https://noahsflood.com/
​

Hello, friends......

Before starting, my apologies that the website apparently wasn't secure. A few folks pointed it out & it's fixed now.  

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Ever scratched ur noggin, saying "why do some folks act like 'THAT?'"......It's natural to project our life experiences on others. After all, its the way we've come to understand the world. However, while functioning this way is not inherently "selfish", we'll continue echoing in our chamber & will only understand our own tribe unless we start taking steps to discern context. Understanding other world views can be done w/o sacrificing our convictions. Non/anti-Christian worldviews can even give us a deeper appreciation for what we've been redeemed from.  Like Paul at Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-34), we're called to build bridges & become more conversant w/other worldviews. I'm on a learning curve, trying to get into the engine of what drives others....hoping to walk in better empathy.....because dealing w/sorrow is a window into someone's worldview. Behavior is almost always connected to one's upbringing.

In the 90's, I started & ran a work for African American kids in gang dominated areas. Diving in head first, (the best way) I got a crash course on human nature & began seeing why gangs form & a lot of other reasons "why".....One night, I walked in their shoes as I found myself in the midst of a tense confrontation. (I'm about to be VERY vulnerable here & show my naïvete. But I've learned a LOT since '99.).....One night, some kids I didn't recognize were waiting for Rico, one of my Bible club kids, when I pulled up to drop him off. I felt uneasy & should've kept driving, but he wanted to get out & talk to them. Big mistake. When he opened the door, an argument ensued & one of them began punching him as he leaned against the passenger seat of my truck. Suddenly, another smashed my windshield w/a whiskey bottle he found lying in the street…….It all happened so fast. Pulling Rico in, we sped off. For a few minutes, I....FELT....WHAT....THEY....FEEL. I even had a brief impulse for revenge....but of course, remained silent. One of my other boys called later that night, reporting that he saw one of them lift & subtly display a gun from his waistband. Sadly, Rico was eventually killed in a drive-by shooting a few yrs. later......Gangs are like micro-nations, struggling for urban domination, where the police rarely do more than quickly drive through & turn a blind eye when something happens. There's no excuse for any of this but it all begins to make sense when one becomes acquainted w/the conditions they live in. Very little favors their success. Would we have done any better? 

It's very noteworthy that Rico had once told me privately in a moment of sheer honesty that nobody actually "liked" the gang life but it was about survival. It's so sad & ironic that his method of survival played into his death. This is generational. His father had introduced that lifestyle. 

Our human condition is universally shared. The only thing dividing us is that some have had their buttons repeatedly pushed.....Then, eventually, those buttons start pushing them. Short of a spiritual intervention, increasingly desperate and/or odd stuff will spill out of hurting people in ways that nobody understands......not even the victims. Except for the Grace of God, we'd do no better. 
​
The phenomenon of honor-shame culture in what I call "that other Abrahamic faith" is probably the most extreme form of pushed buttons. Adherents to this faith go as far as feeling guilty for illness & physical limitations because they presume that a vindictive God is making them pay for their sins. But, didn't Jesus' disciples think like that, as well? (John 9:1-2).......This perception of God & internal social pressure arguably makes their religion "the world's largest street gang" due to its resemblance to gangs as we've come to know them. Both phenomena lack authentic brotherhood. Even moderate expressions of this religion demand loyalty & respect, enforce strict codes of conformity, have a sense of unity & power....& claim to protect their own like a family. More radical sects use violence to advance their agenda. Conversely, the way of the Cross advances via kindness. And the way of the Cross has ALWAYS been about receiving people who differ from us. (Acts 8:26-40)......

Christians can have a diversity of plausible views on immigration, but none of these views should impact how we personally treat the newcomers we encounter in growing numbers. (Leviticus 19:34) We must separate our politics from our missional calling because perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18) One system says, "it's us against the world". The other says "go into all the world".  

Below is one of my favorite songs.....People Need the Lord by Steve Green: 

https://youtu.be/1uZcGaixMhg?si=ZqeIARAoC3FBElWI
​

​​There are 2 prayer gatherings that I'd like to mention.....On Wednesday mornings, we have a weekly in-person meeting which focuses on refugees. The other is the 24/7 "Global Family Prayer" zoom. If anyone would like to know more about either one, please contact me. 

For Acts 17:16-34, empathy and the nations, 

.......Just another witness to His Glory 

Greet'n's 'n' salutations from Branta-Claus, everyone!!!!!

1st things 1st, lemme indulge in my 2 stupid "Christmas" "trads", although belated.....1) Santa Claus says, "Ho, Ho, Ho. But, Branta-Claus says No, No, No!" Just gotta say that every yr! 2) And here’s that silly sweater again!

You may ask, "Why are u so hard on the old guy?".....Because Santa's the REAL grinch who's trying to steal the show. BUT!!! I just heard something about the real St. Nick that made me chuckle. Church trad says that he slapped Arius the Heretic at the Council of Nicea in 325.....Nice-uh? Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk! True or not, I think Santa needs a makeover! Me thinks he should park his sleigh, sell his reindeer, hang up that dumb red coat & put on some boxing gloves! Time for some new trads! 

More on the Incarnation in a bit, but Branta-Claus isn't done w/his “b-rant”. Most scoff at Kwanzaa. It’s just a Black Panther's contrived cultural patchwork forged from a hatred of whites. Kwanzaa words are all from East African Swahili, but African American heritage is West African. Kwanzaa also appropriates & repurposes Jewish menorahs....but that's no flakier than what the Europeans did. They turned Roman Saturnalia into “Christmas” & highjacked the JEWISH story of the Incarnation into a European narrative....(that's why Christianity is widely seen as the "white man's religion"). Jesus is no more Euro than He's Martian. He was Jewish!!!  Christmas trees. Nog. Yuletide. Mistletoe. The rotund & ubiquitous Santa Claus. Blah blah blah....all Northern European concoctions.

This is a great video, especially for the post-Christmas blues:

https://youtu.be/C-QHbpYjuIg

Hey all…….

Today, I’ll introduce a friend who outsmarted the insurgent movement in her country after they almost forced her into a marriage to one of their leaders. Rather than you read what I have to say, I’d prefer that you just listen to this remarkable young woman tell her story. She’s a believer in Jesus now & is moving back to our town after living briefly in Chicago. She’s written a book & is looking for a publisher. I’m quite convinced that there will also be a film someday. 

Please be advised that this may not be suitable for children as she mentions being gang raped. Also know that her definition of women’s rights is not in tandem w/the modern radical notion of feminism, but it is rather a simple plea that women be treated w/dignity as fellow human beings. She strongly opposes abortion & same sex marriage.  ​

For more redemptive stories like this……and the nations…..

Just another witness to His Glory…….

​Howdy, Howdy!!!! 

Ever seen fishermen get out of da boat to wrestle fish on board? Neither have I. So, why do so many try to badger unbelievers into the Kingdom (on an animal theme today! LOL) & not just let the Spirit do His Work? (1 Corinthians 1:18-31) Usually, fish are attracted by lures & bait but the new normal is that, of late, some are jumping in da boat w/o prompting!  (Mark 1:17) Ya gotta see this:
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​It's not advised to invite m people to trad Churches. Lottttta culture shock. Home studies are best when there is interest....but when they self-invite, why not? It's also good for American congregants to watch one morph into the Kingdom from another world view. As insiders, they have much to teach us after coming to Jesus. Although self-inviting, I always select seats where they can sit next to an aisle so they won't feel "trapped". 

A friend from a country dominated by "that other Abrahamic faith", whom I'll call j (not his real initial), recently said that he'd been visiting Churches! So, I invited him to come w/me to a Church where a friend goes. I'll soon stop going so j can see this Jesus thing as bigger than & w/o me.  What if I move? Die? Have a falling out w/him? Fall into sin? It was never about me, anyway! Besides, networking & visiting a lotta Churches was always the plan. As more fish jump on board, they MUST be spread over many congregations.......because when they encounter each other, they stop coming out of fear. Navigating many fishing vessels on this River of Life will be imperative. If they invite family & friends, then great! Let it develop organically! 

At all costs, we must protect their "Amanats".......(Amanat is a term in the m world describing what's most sacred to a close friend, whether it's a thing, person or secret.) Their religion is the world's largest street gang & secrets are paramount.  Know that mere inquiries may get them rejected by their communities.  So, let's regard their Amanats.....because m people will tell YOU what they'll NEVER tell the most trusted in their communities.    

J's bro, a baptised believer whom I'll call n, is a refugee in a country just east of their native land. The lion's share of my giving goes to n & his family. I do believe in financially supporting pastors (1 Cor. 9:14, Gal. 6:6), but don't agree w/the standard rendering of Malachi 3:10, which surmises the "storehouse" to be the NT Church. We're not Israel & pastors don't have grain storehouses. 

N's wife needed a $1,200 medical procedure & I gave them $600. 3 days later, n texted to say that the embassy of their homeland suddenly opened in their host country & they were able to buy 3 much needed passports at $200 each! (At first I heard $150 but they were $200 each!) No more threat of deportation! Bribes are now pushing that cost to $1,300 each!.......We're called to be the hands, feet & wallets of Jehovah Jireh!

In other news, God is also on the move in the life an "a" woman who invited me to HER Church! She evangelized ME the 1st time we met! One of the 10 Days of Prayer took place at a local refugee ministry & this sister prayed for about 5 minutes in the presence of many from her own country! WHOOOOOOOAHHHHH! The Cat is outa da bag & He's the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! 

Pardon my digression, but I'm in a giddy mood & can't resist the opp to share one of my corny phrases about fishing......"If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he'll never go to work". 

​For more fish, less badgers, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah....and the nations......

Just another witness to His Glory

Hey, ya'll......

Your's truly is truly tech inept. Learning how to use this website has been a challenge. I hope to enter more and shorter entries in the future. 

Someone asked "Hey, what's 6 degrees & shrinking, anyway?" It's based on the idea of the "6 degrees of separation", which states that w/few exceptions, we're all no more than 6 social connections from everyone else on the planet......Impossible 50 yrs. ago, when most lived in small towns. Travel & the internet have opened up our shrinking world. 


Some photos are absolutely timeless & take on much more dimension when you know the person in them.....Such is the pic below, which I sent last Sept. & may send periodically for yrs. to come just to make sure the guy hasn't fallen yet!   Upon closer examination, I noticed last night that there is a State Farm insurance agency right across the street! You can't make this stuff up! Classic! ​

4) Finally, the aerialist bro (I'll just call him AB) in the photo ^ had his life radically changed after accepting a request from their cousin's family to move into his house! Matt. 7:7......(I'd just been intro'd to AB 2 weeks prior!) This man grew up in the deep country, had never personally met a black person until college....& THIS was his 1st close encounter w/people from that faith!.....God threw him in the deep end as their tribe is one of the most conservative people groups in the world from that faith!

The ladder pic is a fitting metaphor. It seems he's made no missteps, relying completely on the Holy Spirit. 

About 3 mos. ago, the young man (who initiated the request for his family to move into AB's home) got in trouble w/the law for an alleged non-violent act. But God is moving. AB eventually found a Bible in his language & sent it to him while he was in jail. The young man's father also started a conversation w/AB & that resulted in AB gifting yet another Bible to him! Then the daughter was seen thumbing through it!

AB is a man of many talents.....He performed this Brandon Lake song called "Gratitude" live on Facebook after the daughter heard it & the young man was brought to tears as he watched it. At least 5 people from their country gave a "thumbs up"....including 1 of the very conservative patriarchs of their clan!!!!! THAT'S HUGE!!!! You can view the video below:

​Here is a thought we could all be praying about: If this very large family were to become Jesus followers, many members of that violent anti-democratic movement could theoretically be reached through them by a couple of degrees of separation! Some of them could possibly even have cousins who just wound up on the wrong side! Their connections here & there are vast! 



For expanding the authority of OSHA, hoping the world shrinks another degree.......and the nations.....

.......just another witness of His Glory

Greetin's 'n' salutations to all!
​
Romans 11:11 mentions Israel being made envious by the Gentiles coming into the Kingdom. Something similar currently seems afoot as the most unlikely are upstaging every status quo. Unlikely characters are replacing lukewarm & apostate Western leaders. More than in its entire existence, major movements have been leaving "that other Abrahamic faith" which I avoid naming directly. As the Western Church recedes, the Church in other places grows......I call this "the 11:11 Principle". I'd love to saturate the believing Western Church w/this concept.

We seem on the cusp of a Church movement among "a" people. We're facilitating 3 separate Discovery Bible Studies w/seekers who came by divine appointment. 2 were already definitely believers. Unprompted, the 3d recently declared himself a Christian in my home but lacks a lot of understanding. He's like Cornelius in Acts 10:1-8. In vs. 4, Cornelius is generous to the poor. My friend (whom I'll also call "Cornelius"), likewise proved his generosity as he housed & fed a new refugee for a month---inspired by various American Christians who‘d helped him. This paradigm shift, along w/the Perspectives class, has radicalized me & reordered my giving habits.

The day before an anti-democratic movement took over his country, "Cornelius" was nearly broke & his brother had no food. I volunteered $100. Although difficult, he doubled it & wired $200...enough for 2 months. Cornelius' bro & his wife became refugees in a country next door & they were saved last summer....(I sent baptism pics recently w/faces obscured.) They're now being discipled in a  Church! That was the best $100 I’ve ever spent! My "tithes & offerings" now supports them. Seeds for a local Church that is about to bloom........Another friend is very angry w/‘’the rich oil guys’’ in his faith because they hoard their $ while millions of recent earthquake victims in his country remain in dire need. Christian generosity gets broad circulation in their spheres. Let’s open our s & wallets!.......Cornelius said that his bro had vowed to repay me ASAP. I told him, "Repay me by never forgetting the friends you'll leave behind until they're also safe”. When God blesses you, be generous to the needy & seek multiplication opps. (Matt. 14:13-21). It's the Starbucks drive-through thing writ large. Pay for the guy in back of you & spread Kingdom vision.

May I recommend 2 more Kingdom buck bangs?.....There's a local Crisis Pregnancy Center which often gets matching grants, sometimes up to 5X ! (Because of the nature of this website, I'm trying to maintain not only personal anonymity but also endeavoring to identify the city I'm in....So, if you know me & are interested in knowing more, contact me for details.)    Also, Bible Broadcasting Network, which has 147 American radio stations, approx. 100 Spanish stations & internet in 8 languages. $11 mil. annual budget....150 full timers. These are the kinds of causes I now support as I'm convinced that we won't have our buildings for long.....but we'll also be out on the highways & byways where we've not been present enough. Just as home is the new workplace, the future Church will be  based. Wouldn't it be great if some of these empty buildings became centers of service? Where there is a lack of vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18.

For years, most of Global North Anglicanism & its American sister, the Episcopal church, has lost that vision & been plauged by extreme liberalism as the Global South leads by example. There are even acting Anglican clergy in the UK who are ATHEISTS! I'm all giddy about the video below......

                  https://youtu.be/XEzlyFT0J3U


At the risk of overkill, below is a screenshot from the site of an apostate ''church''. At least they're honest about how they prioritize "loving God".       
​

 Lotta ketchup! 
 
We took an "a" family to a farmer's mkt. in late Oct. Dad rode in the front of my vehicle. Mom w/kids in back. Their nosy little 3.5 yr old rascal was climbing all over & began "exploring" my assorted mess in the back. He found my stash of "d" & "p" language BIBLES & gave 1 to his mom. (I guess every lil’ munchkin wants his mama to read him!) Perfect chaos! Like a fish w/a coin in its mouth! (Matt. 17:27.) Lord Jesus, send more nosy rascals! She read it aloud.....& continued, so I gifted it to her. Then we began teaching them English the next week!.......*People from the "other Abrahamic faith" believe that babies are sinless, only acquiring sin over time. So, their children (mainly boys) often go unchecked & can be little tyrants. 
 
Your's truly was in S.E. Asia for a few weeks. Vacation & some ministry. Lot's of prep & then going. Then I went to a DMM conference. That's why I've been silent. On Christmas day, Branta-Claus took da pulpit at a refugee Church in one of those countries.... (Did ya ever see THAT coming ?). W/lots of prep & grammar coaching from the pastor, I preached in the language, relying heavily on notes, but my confidence was boosted when he encouraged me to ad lib. It apparently worked out ok.  My connection to all this was an "a" Christian in this city who attended that very Church while a refugee. (We're discipling him.) I’m running & not getting winded. Isaiah 40:31. And the Wind is at my back. By God's Grace, I’m full of Wind. But by the same Grace, I hope I'm never full of hot air!  
 
On Saturday, 11/22, I flew out. “Randomly", my Airbnb host was a past Superintendent of one of the districts of the Evangelical Free Church! (Most of my formative yrs. as a believer were at an E-Free Church. They emphasize doctrinal freedom & autonomy within the confines of Verbal Plenary interpretation.) 5 mins. upon arriving, a fellow guest of South Indian heritage walked in, striking up a conversation w/us. I asked the meaning of his name. He said it was a Hindu concept meaning ‘’Courage”. He grew up in that religion but said he was "investigating Christianity"!
 
Courage was disheveled & eccentric yet warm & gregarious. He paced the floor, rambling. Adding intrigue, the host had nearly expelled him for smoking dope in the basement....Also divine: I was originally to meet an i friend for Church 45 mins. away but he had to go away suddenly on a business trip. So, instead, "Courage" & I continued our dialogue the next morning over breakfast. We looked at Colossians 1:15-17, which destroys pantheism. I told him, “This table isn't part of God. But an Omnipresent God juggles its atoms by His Will & is intimately present, yet not confined by space!" His eyes got moist when we looked at Jesus' Baptism in Matt. 3, where the entire Trinity is present. It was the 1st time he'd seen a personal God. Then we went to a solid Church nearby. 
 
We talked a couple times on whatsapp while I was gone.....but I thought he'd blocked me when my calls started immediately disconnecting. Fortunately, he called the other day w/a new #......He said he'd gone to a United Methodist church (very liberal) last Sunday but rather than get into a debate over gay marriage, (which he avidly supports), I just encouraged him to not attend any Church....but, for now, to just have DMM studies w/me & an Indian DMM worker in his town who works full time w/South Asians. (Perfect timing as I'd just met the guy at that DMM conference!!!!) He got Courage connected w/a DMM group right in the heart of that city's Indian community! 
 
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 While the entire world is completely immersed in politics, divine appointments like these ^ are the things that get me up every morning. I ignore the news now because I've caught both sides in so many lies! The Bible never lies!
 
America isn't crumbling because of politicians, but because most of the Church stopped worshiping. Lately, I've been meditating on Psalm 33:16. Let's be honest. Short of an awakening, does it really matter who's in office?  We’ve replaced pursuing God w/the conquest of partisan majorities. Replaced Gospel engagement w/debates on temporal issues. Replaced James 1:27 w/hirelings. Via politics, Democrats hope to achieve justice. Republicans hope to reclaim morality. But it all dies w/o revival. Trying to solve spiritual problems w/politics is like someone drinking sea water to quench a thirst that can never be satisfied. $16.7 billion was apparently spent on the 2022 election. Imagine if that money were spent on Kingdom stuff! 

 
For more nosy little rascals, all seekers of truth, DMM and the nations!......  

........Just another witness to His Glory

​Hello friends….

On 10/1, we threw a party for a family that we've been loving on. It took place on a farm owned by someone who helps us teach English. Our friends slaughtered 2 of his sheep according to their faith custom & we had a trad feast. The original invite had been made 3 months ago, but when the Ancient of Days prepares celebrations via Ephesians 2:10, divine appointments follow! (For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!) Then we go fully incarnational into the world!

Recently, I mentioned our friend who'd fought the bad guys in his country. He was notified by the U.S. gov't that all his checks during Covid had been written by mistake & he had to repay a large sum. The "aerialist bro" (AB) who's hosting his family pled for his mercy in a letter, which proved indispensable. Then, an attorney friend, (another on our English class team), also offered help w/another attorney friend. The deadline had already passed!!!......This was due to many changes of address & long work hours. We lifted the problem to Jesus & our attorney friends took on the gov't. Stunning how a committee just so happened to review the case 1 week before the party. Unanimous nays except for 1. That 1 person persuaded the other committee members to do the right thing! So, we had a reason to celebrate beyond celebrating friendship.....which is already a good enough reason! Thx to all for praying on this!

Our faith was not sourced out of Europe, but the East. So, my curiosity about Christianity's Jewish roots & Eastern thinking is intensifying. The ancient Eastern roots of our faith actually resonate more closely to their cultures. Gospel workers in early pagan Europe rightfully contextualized for their audience, but we now need fresh bread!  The Eastern narratives need restoring so Jesus' Gospel may take root in a way more organic to them. We, in the American Church, (inc. your's truly) are usually underinformed about all that is Jewish. I'm on a quest to discover Messianic contexts.


Here is an entertaining video which explains Rosh Hashanna......


https://youtu.be/1AuMXq5sHDw



Moments after the 1st slaughter, our host commented on the animal's silence & reminded us of Isaiah 53:7......"He was oppressed & afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth...." Another noted that Rosh Hashanna (Jewish New Year) had just passed. Of course!! How fitting! When our friend's burden was lifted, he was celebrating new beginnings, whether he celebrates RH or not!....I'd never before heard the Hebrew term "Akedah" until seeing the video above. Constant w/that theme, I'd like to think the juxtaposition of the slaughter & our friend's debt/subsequent debt relief took on new dimensions that day. At the beginning of this blog is a pic moments before his son did the slaughter, which was his first.

Continuing w/the Jewish theme.....

"Tabernacle as One" went on for several days in a local park in celebration of Sukkot. On 10/14, I brought a friend from the "a country" who'd met Jesus in a dream & received Him 2 weeks before meeting me! What's more compelling: She has some Jewish lineage & sometimes went to Jewish celebrations as a child! (Clueless that I was a believer, this is the woman who immediately invited me to her Church for Resurrection Day service the first time she met me!!!! She now attends the i Church.)  So, taking her to the Friday night Shabbat dinner was a bit of a homecoming for her as this feast focuses on nomadic themes & God dwelling among us! Please for her son. He's in a camp in Europe & was being threatened w/deportation. But it appears that he has just cleared that hurdle....but keep praying! 

For more Providence, debt relief, all things Jewish & the nations! ​

​..........Just another witness to His Glory

Hey, y'all.....

About 4 yrs. ago, I invited a man from the A country who spoke almost no English to trade language lessons. (For safety, I'll call him R but that isn't even his initial.) The forever THEME is KINGDOM but my custom is to always follow my friends as they initiate/stop spiritual dialogue. R gradually revealed a curiosity about Jesus. Then he revealed that he often listened Gospel radio while living temporarily as a refugee in the country next door! Matt. 11:15

Fast forwarding to the night before the anti-democratic movement took over his country, R told me that he was flat broke after all of his bills & that he had no $ to send his brother (whom I will call S......also not his initial) & his family......(this is a real source of shame for people in that religion who live here.....as their relatives often presume they're rich). Like so many in his country, S had lost his job & was soon to face hunger due to imminent food shortages. I volunteered $100. Then, R determined to stretch his budget & match that. He wired $200 that night. The family had enough to eat for quite a while!

In early July, R asked me to teach him the Bible! (We've been getting together w/another American friend for DMM studies & help w/his citizenship test q's.) Then, a few weeks later, he told me that S (who'd recently fled to the country next door), had "taken a bath"! Recently, I was able to find them a safer place to stay through a Christian org. We will keep sending him what he needs as long as needed. I'm a tightwad & want to get bang for my Kingdom buck. My level of generosity is not astonishing......but very strategic. I'll never claim that the $100 was THE thing that brought this man into the Kingdom, but I love being part of the Lord's ongoing story! 

Below is a photo of S "taking a bath"! His wife also took a bath! R is waiting on his visa to visit his bro in that host country. Wouldn't it be awesome if S gives R a bath when he visits???  S's host country is also a hard place for believers.   

In memory of Ali: 

A brother in the Lord, Ali, suddenly passed on September 6. He'd left that "other Abrahamic religion"  5 or 6 yrs. ago. Providentially, I was in the middle of a DMM study w/R on my back porch when I got the call. Breaking my rule, I seized the rare opp & initiated questions. I asked him if he were ready to meet God.....He said, "I'm 80% sure because of my good works". R is a very good man by human standards, even housing & feeding a recent arrival in his basement free of charge for 2 months. I asked him to imagine what would happen if S came here w/o exchanging the currency he's been using into dollars.......& then trying to pay for something in a store w/it....I said, "In America, you have to use dollars, right?" He agreed. I told him that God also has a diff currency for entering heaven & does not accept our good works in place of it. We then read Isaiah 64:6 (....our righteousness is like filthy rags) & Isaiah 55:8-9.....(For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.....etc.) 

I also told him, "Just as you want me to remove my dirty shoes when I come into your house (their custom), God wants us to take off our dirty shoes when we come into His. But, it's actually much worse. We're 100% dirty!" He said, "I think about 50%".....I said, "Ok....50%. So, can I come into your house w/one clean & one dirty shoe? If I have money for your brother & insist on putting it on the kitchen table....without taking off my shoes when I come in......that would insult you, right?" Pray for R. So close to the Kingdom. 


Below is a video of Ali's testimony. He was eulogized by an odd but compelling assortment......A couple of well-groomed people who looked like nice Church folk & a former heroin addict in a t-shirt (who's also now a nice Church folk!) got up to speak. There were maybe 125 in attendance & the pastor asked people to raise their hands if Ali had ever shared the Gospel w/them. About 40 hands went up. Later, the pastor told me that his sister had requested that nothing be said against his former religion......but that when Ali "took a bath" in front of the Church, he went off script & boldly RENOUNCED his former religion!!!!! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PDxlgwhGicF_YsDNuyrYXzFikihmCxy_/view
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For more English lessons, spiritual baths, redeeming sorrow.....and the nations.....

​......Just another witness to His Glory