Hi, All! 

Been a minute! Been busy w/personal stuff.....but the scope of my work has only amped up. 

This new website, "6 degrees and shrinking", refers to the increasingly smaller circle through which we know every human on earth. The Spirit, by His Providence, is making my circle smaller & smaller & smaller! 

A pastor recently encouraged me to say: These stories are to pump up the Church. No experience needed if the Spirit commissions you! (Isaiah 6:5-8)....Look at the 12! Disasterpieces made into masterpieces! 

The New Year in the I country is 3/21 there & 3/20 here. The preceding Wed. is a celebration where people jump over fire & say, "Your red health unto me.....my yellow (paleness) unto you." Despite sourcing the practice from their ancient indigenous religion, it has some redemptive hidden Temple/Gospel themes when properly cultivated. Modern fire temples still house perpetual sacred flames tended by priests---fire/water are symbols of ritual purity in much the same way they're symbols of the Holy Spirit & purity in Judaism & Christianity. There are other Jewish Temple parallels. Similarly, Resurrection concepts can be related to their Spring-themed New Year. In His Providence, God prevented false religion from getting so polluted that contextual bridges for His Glory can't be built. Ex: Paul on Mars Hill. (Acts 17) Although there are less than 200K modern adherents to this religion, many identify w/it in a nationalistic resistance against the regime. I wouldn't be surprised if "Jack be nimble" somehow has ancient roots in these practices. 

https://youtu.be/HbJpNcFRioY

​

The season ends w/a picnic 13 days after the New Year. Since "A country" people are now my focus, I nearly skipped this yr. But the Spirit must've prompted, 'cause I went! I didn't expect to see A people (bad history between them)...but my language teacher introduced me to M (not even her real initial) & asked if I'd take her home. (She lives near me.) As I started up my car, she pulled a flier out of her purse, inviting ME to HER Church for Easter! She had no clue I was a believer. Our DMM team is praying for her community.....so...why am I surprised?  Her son became a believer in a Euro camp & suggested she find a Church. (It's possible he may be sent back. Pray for him.) She'd gone to Church for 1 yr but encountered & trusted Jesus in a dream 2 weeks prior! She only had an English Bible, so I stopped by my house to get her Bibles in her 2 languages. Now connecting her w/many believers. BTW. Her grandma was Jewish! She's from a city w/a long Jewish history, dating back to the times of the prophet, Daniel. 

There's more! So, rather than go to her Church, which is legalistic, I took her to the I Church that next Sunday. Another friend, a Christian student from the I country, had decided to just give up on his friends after an awkward spiritual chat w/them. BUT, 1 of them ended up self-inviting to the I Church for Easter service! Pray for a DMM on the campus!.....Just to think: I almost didn't go to the picnic!

I met a young man named L (not his initial) & his parents at Church sponsored ESL class. He brought his mom the next week. He asked for a Bible although "it's only literature". Not a bad start! His holy book, which is comprised of one book, is dictated by an illiterate man whose violent verses contradict earlier peaceful ones. The Bible is A LIBRARY OF 40+ AUTHORS w/a wild variety of backgrounds! Shepherds/fishermen/kings, etc....a physician, 3 murderers & a fig picker !  Written on 3 continents over 1,500 yrs, it cross references & references the Cross! No wonder people from "that other Abrahamic religion" are curious!  While fishing, we're not to get in the water & wrangle the fish into the boat, but let the Spirit do His thing! Matt. 4:19, John 21:11. 

In other news, it's encouraging to see how a group of 12 radicals have formed true New Testament community in an apartment complex & live among 15 or so families from the "T country". This was planted by Launch Global....And it "just so turns out" that some of these "T" folks are the same ones from the community whom we were already engaging in our interfaith discussion group! Who knew? ....... There are 2 other families who practice that "other Abrahamic religion", at least 2 Mormon families & 4 young Mormons who have dedicated this part of their lives to furthering their beliefs. Many have expressed interest in Church or Bible studies!! 

​We need help prayer walking in the A neighborhood & teaching English. Please contact me if interested. 

Lastly, I'm a big supporter of Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Although I ignore the news these days, I'm aware of the infant formula crisis. (I guess its still going on.) I decided to start buying it whenever I'm at the grocery store. I encourage everyone to do this. Don't forget to save your receipts so you can get a tax write-off. I hope this catches on. 

For going when the Spirit says Go!, the mysterious tapestry of Scripture, DMM, CPC's , and the nations

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

Hello, my dear friends.....

​This entry belatedly celebrates Sanctity of Human Life Sunday/Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Both are centered on human rights issues. It's quite fitting that the recognition of both occurs on the same Sunday. Good Churches celebrate both w/o political agenda. My emails will never be partisan because issues are spiritual  before they ever turn political.  Btw.....I tuned out the media long ago. I REALLY  hope you vote like I do but for the sake of your conscience before God, I am more concerned why than how you vote. I just hope that you’re not a "Christian Animist" & hope your faith in Christ informs/guides you.      

Imago Dei ethics are ultimately anchored in eternal truth, not the political earth. How many Churches rant on pet causes but avoid truths uncomfortable to them? It mostly comes to the same old city VS. county divide. We can maintain party loyalty but must proclaim all truth if we're going to be truly true. May both political parties again stand for what is decent & good! Since few of us would rationalize racism, this email will focus on abortion. I will say this 1 thing: Had the greater Church--urban & suburban--done ACTUAL Gospel work in the black community, there never would've been BLM, which lacks a moral compass. The vacuum of the Church has been filled by BLM because we've mostly talked about talking. Lots of emoting/voting/showboating but little service worth noting. No right to complain.

D. James Kennedy was great when he preached the Bible but he pushed my last button when he "preached" that "Revival has come to America" when the GOP won the '94 midterm election. This was part of his perpetual "Reclaiming America for Christ" rant. He had an animistic bent. But so does most of the American Church!!! When both the Evangelical right & left hope that their candidates will deliver some kind of spiritual awakening, they are already sliding into Animism. I'm "anti-wing" & prefer the dove of peace (Matt. 3:16). 

Animism doesn't discern matter from spirit. It's a fusion/confusion of the 2....But, since the Spirit of God precedes creation, 1st things should remain 1st.  Likewise, most Christians confuse Church & State. As His Spirit precedes matter, our politics should be INFORMED & YES, EVEN CREATED by His Spirit. And in the same way that good works won't save us, neither will voting w/"conviction" do anything to "tweak" our righteousness. Secular arguments for the strict Separation of Church & State are downright wicked & smell like smoke but there is a balanced historical argument which is sourced from Christian logic. 

The animist views material stuff as holding spiritual entities/properties. They carve fetishes from stone, wood, etc. & Presto! A god of their invention. (Exodus 32:24) Their foolish hearts are darkened......& God gives them over. (Romans 1:21-24). Selah. That should ring a bell as even many of us think we can redeem ourselves w/good government in D.C. If the Ark of the Covenant failed when the Israelites fetishized it (1 Sam. 4:1-11), we shouldn't think that the Constitution or our favorite "righteous" member of Congress will help if we are not worshiping the true Liberator, Who is Jesus!  In the same way, I am convinced that there are people who hold pro-life & pro-Israel views, not because they fear God, but because they are afraid of Him & how He is about to destroy America. We should stand for truth "merely" because it's true. If we don't, we'll have a mere form of godliness. (2 Timothy 3:5) What is needed is another Great Awakening. Look at these shocking stats: 

This is a pro-life song from Kerry Livgren, formerly of the rock group, Kansas. He became a believer several yrs ago. I think it's my favorite by him:

https://youtu.be/1tTLD7rQOXI

Despite politics competing for our passions, the Gospel still advances. My nephew became a believer recently!....Ever searching for icebreakers w/my "A" friend whom I call R (not even his real initial), I seized upon the moment & told him that my nephew would be baptized soon. (There are also water rituals in his religion by which adherents have a sense of spiritual cleansing before worship....so there is context.) I told him how rare it was for adults to become believers. (He's 2 years older.....I'm his "kid uncle".)  Now, I never invite people from "that other Abrahamic religion" to Church. But, when they self-invite, I encourage it! And that's what he did! He said he'd only seen VIDEOS of baptisms. (Hmmm.....seen videos?) And when the Lord's Supper came 'round, he took a cup from the tray. After I explained the meaning, he took it! He even knew where to put the empty plastic cup afterwards! (Hmm......knew where to put the cup? ).......I think he might be in the Kingdom.....but I don't probe. My Heavenly Father is teaching me patience (& how to be a detective. Nyuk nyuk nyuk!)

For the unborn, keeping spirit and matter distinct, having the eyes of a detective and the nations.

......Just another witness of His Glory

​
Haggai 1:6 says, "You have planted much, but harvested little...." Of course, the prophet was speaking to Israel because they'd neglected rebuilding the Temple in favor of their own houses. In this dispensation of Grace, it seems we've sinned to the opposite extreme. We've neglected going to the highways & byways (Luke 14:23) & instead built increasingly bigger buildings. The attrition started long before Covid. May Church growth once again be built upon the Chief Cornerstone of Ephesians 2:19-22---not $ & the wishful thinking of demographic analysis. 

It's sad when sacred spaces become common but the vacuum of Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:21-22) long ago replaced the Holy Spirit in this parish. Like so many Churches in America, this parish perished. Now, skaters skate over the salt that has lost its saltiness. Matt. 5:13. The real blame lies w/the establishment church, not the skaters......who are probably doing more for this neglected neighborhood than the former tenants......even though they probably don't know Jesus. Countless Church buildings are being transformed into apartments, restaurants, stores & even adapted as houses of worship for other religions! YIKES!
​

As for me & my wallet, I'll serve the Lord by "investing" in various kinds of "seeds" which I believe will yield a global Church among "A" people. Below is info about an A man I met in Nashville introduced to us only as "Legend". He's a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who's been going in/out of the country, evacuating US citizens & A people since the takeover. He works w/numerous veteran operated groups that call on him for assistance. He practices that "other Abrahamic religion", but many of the 400+ he's rescued to date are Christians as well as other minorities. He was recently lashed while rescuing a Catholic family & escaped a worse fate by just "playing dumb" & not resisting.  He's been doing this w/his own money & is currently $700K+ in debt. This campaign is arranging support in 100K increments. I've dedicated the next 6 months of my offerings entirely to him. You can read the details on: https://www.legend.ngo. ​

If you are interested in helping or have questions, I can put you in touch w/the woman who manages this. She can even arrange for you to have a conference call w/him. Pray for wisdom, dreams & visions as he navigates what is proving to be one of the largest humanitarian crises of our lifetimes.  What are you waiting for? Christmas?  

​For the resurgence of Church life, helping a living legend and the nations........

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

Hello, vineyard workers.......

Sadly, we're suspending all activity pertaining to "THE MINISTRY", but hope to resume post-Covid. Most of us are entering new phases (inc. 2 new babies).....& I need to focus on new arrivals from the "A" country. Our group met weekly for nearly a year. We only did 2 kid events, but it was time well spent as a lot of networking happened & community formed. The greatest development was when my friend from the "T" country came to our zoo event w/his 2 kids. 

I'd been teaching this friend guitar since June. He eventually asked, "Will you teach me Christianity?"  So, we began w/Gen. 1 using the DMM method, which I'm learning on the fly.  One of the questions is, "W/whom will you share what you learned?" He again said that he'd share w/his book club....where they usually discuss THEIR holy book! Whoahhhh. Goosebumps! He's also been discussing the Word w/others lately. By Mon. night, he'd read to Gen. 41!........(I asked if he'd like a quick guitar lesson before I left. He wanted to proceed w/the Bible!) 

He & many "T" people in our town are disciples of the man accused of plotting the '16 coup attempt in their home country. This man, who started 1,500 schools around the world, is now exiled in Penn. & probably T's most wanted man.  My friend was a journalist there & has visited his home 5x. (Hmmm...wondering how far the Spirit might reach!) Pls pray. He also says that the DMM method resembles the way his mentor teaches their holy book!....Despite being his disciple, my friend seems disillusioned by his faith because the religious leaders lied to him about the Bible. In his quest, he's found much overlap between the Bible & his own holy book. I told him to expect diffs, but to continue. He's also been reading Tolstoy, who's playing a major role in his transformation. Ironically, a friend from the "A country" has also been listening to audiobooks by Dostoyevsky, another Christian Russian author. Could people from their faith reading Christian Russian authors be a trend? Now they have me interested.....because, I, myself, have been curious about Eastern Orthodox thought for a while now. Not because I'd like to convert, but to hear their wisdom. They're ok w/mysteries. I like that. 

There are many believing refugees in the T country, but merely 8-10k known native believers. Apparently, no T Church exists anywhere in the Americas. Pray that our town gets the honor of the 1st! That momentum got stoked when our Church co-hosted the 9-11 Memorial Picnic w/our T friends. 150 attended in total. 60 of them came.

My A friend (the one who loves Dostoyevsky), has also started reading the Word w/me. He also volunteered that he's read a few chapters ahead. Pray for him....6 yrs. ago, he graciously accepted a Bible from me in his language after I explained that his "New World Translation" was heretical. While visiting recently, he apologized because he'd lost it while moving. I told him, "That's ok! I actually now have Bibles in your EXACT dialect. Would you like one?" He humbly received it. I am so glad he spoke up because he's now reading it & was able to experience my grace. (It surely took bunches of humility to confess losing a Holy Book.) 

By faith, let's start seeing these people as more similar to the Ephesian believers in Acts 19 (who didn't realize there was a Holy Spirit)....& less like lost causes, ok? Deal? Not saying they're Christians yet, but many are closer than most realize......This friendship w/the T community was totally organic & sprung, unplanned, from 1 friendship.....which began when our friend bought something from one of them!

------------------------------------------

A youngster named Tony Daniels is credited w/the "optimistic" & "gratitude filled" phrase "Life's hard & then you die" (That's the sanitized version). It reminds me of a Bruce Springsteen song from a few yrs. ago. Although in a major key, it's sad because he declares that his glory days are all past tense. Even amidst Covid, I'm experiencing my best days now & they're only getting better.......This is the same Bruce who recently got away w/drunk driving. Such is Hollywood. Go figure....It's a very boozy anthem.

https://youtu.be/1BneV3MXM_Q

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce & free, therefore they want things repeated & unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; & the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; & every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that He makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned & grown old, & our Father is younger than we.”

For DMM, having a blast in Kingdom work and the nations, 

........Just another witness of His Glory 

Hello, my friends, 

I can't imagine the pain that the people in the "A country" are feeling. I've been consoling many friends. This is like a death in the family x 1000. 

One of those people is "M", a man from that country, who faithfully attended our home group for 1.5 yrs. He often said that WE were his true community, not his own people. We reconnected recently. He's been listening to Dostoyevsky's Brothers Karamazov on audiobook & was impressed w/the concept that a seed must fall into the ground & die to produce many seeds....I told him that Dostoyevsky got this from the Bible. (John 12:24).......M's brother, F, was a prison guard where fighters from the insurgent party were held. He's now being hunted. He & his family of 13 are trying to escape. Pls pray for them. 

I called M Friday night. His wife answered & said that he was doing his prayers. She spoke of her childhood under the first regime of the insurgent party. She said, "I'm considering leaving my religion"!!!!  Out of deepest anguish, I anticipate a Church rising up among their people soon. Are we ready to walk w/them out of what amounts to be the world's largest street gang? This will take the entire Church. 

These emails are for encouraging the Body. Let me encourage you w/this...Neither you nor I would pick me to do this. Exodus 6:30-7:1, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31. I'm a quirky dude. Ever noticed?  Like Peter, I sometimes say cringeworthy things. If you've ever spent more than a day w/me, you've probably rolled your eyes at something I've said or done. I'm artsy. Artsy people are flakes. Right now, I'm thinking of an idiotic thing I said to one of my A friends. I meant well but it was awkward. But God always works despite me. It's the testimony of Grace in my life. So, God can surely use you, too! And we need more workers! (John 4:35) Although I often fumble & stumble, I tumble into Providence w/frequency.

........A Providential story about another man whom I'm consoling (although I didn't say anything stupid yet): In 2018, I went to a conference that teaches how to engage folks from "that other Abrahamic religion ". Coming back from the airport, my Uber driver "happened to be" one of my A acquaintances. He's from the tribe out of which rose the insurgency. When I got in, I said, "Oh....R....you're listening to Christian music.".....He said, "The last customer requested it". Whether a lie or not, a spiritual conversation started. I asked, "Ever read the Bible?" He said he'd like to but didn't have one. I said, "I have a very discreet Bible phone chip in your language.....in my suitcase. Would you like it?" He said, "Yes". When he dropped me off, I threw my suitcase onto my yard & unzipped it, dumping clothes in the melting snow, looking for that chip. He said, "Oh....another call. Gotta go. You can bring it to my produce stand at the farmer's market on Saturday." I went....bought some carrots, putting the chip under the money. (Sneaky Sneaky.....His employee was also from A.) We lost contact after June of '18, but reconnected by phone last Thur night. He credited me w/changing his life. I was puzzled. But I eventually recalled giving him a contact for a construction job that somehow connected into a lucrative truck driving career. I barely remembered giving it to him, but recalled his struggles. So wild how God energized that connection!!! It's awesome when their blessings come from the Christian community! 

Jesus said "Go into all the world" (Mark 16:15). But, sadly, the Judeo-Christian heresy which I call "that other Abrahamic religion" grew from the vacuum of the Church not engaging the peninsula....and the religion was able to take root. Disobedience is costly. We can't continue the same mistake. I'm a latecomer to this work so it's easy for me to tell all the young 'uns to GO into all the world. I'm 55 & will likely never minister in really challenging places....but I CAN minister locally. What I/we do here gets back to their home countries. Trust me. When feeling hopeless, never forget the Apostle Paul. He was the terror commander of his day (Acts 9) but finished his career as the unlikely author of 13 or 14 of the 27 NT books. Now's the time to engage A people (esp those from that very conservative tribe)....But WHOMEVER God brings to you. They are the bridge back. 

I vow never to get partisan in these emails, but will criticize politicians on both sides. Any normal person is outraged by what America has done...& is further outraged by D.C.'s flippancy toward the A soldiers who sacrificed....many of whom will be left behind to face consequences for their service. Many Americans are stranded. But there is a deeper context about which most Americans are entirely clueless. Their's is an honor/shame culture. We're a guilt/innocence culture, traditionally. We've brought great shame on them because defeat & losing face is the worst thing that can happen in their view. Worse than that, Joe Biden called this a "civil war". Yes, technically it was, but sorry, Joe.....this is genocide against anyone who's not on board w/the new "government". You might as well say that Nazi Germany had a "civil war" w/the Jews. You've just slapped an entire nation in the face hard several times. Shame on you and us. Way too many of us are more worked up about transgenderism, Matthew McConaghey's deodorant & Britney Spears' conservatorship than things that really matter. Heaven help us.

A friend who is a very astute observer of "that other Abrahamic religion" told me something stunning the other day. He thinks America will convert that way someday. His explanation is that cancel culture is honor/shame & that is laying the groundwork for it. At a Common Ground conference, I first heard online culture described as honor/shame. I agree w/him but my reason for the same thought was different: Liberal 'christian' theology isn't much different from the competitor because the key doctrines are often arbitrary to many liberals. The Church needs to wake up & assert key distinctives like the Deity of Christ, the Trinity, the Cross, etc.....or they will slip into it when persecution comes. Many liberal churches are already playing w/fire & have created something called "Chrislam". Someone said, "Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything." We need to be outspoken. The Gospel must be reasserted & taken back from the liberal non-Church "church". 

Steve Green is one of my favorite singers......This is a very inspiring song. 

​For F and all of the other men and women who served A and America, a return to orthodoxy, and the nations........

Just another witness to His Glory.

​Hello, laborers in the Vineyard.....

Don't interpret my silence for nothin' happ'nin'.......Au contraire. So much happ'nin' I can't focus! 

We never know our roles. Our greatest ministry is to God.....& our greatest ministry to God is just "being". Our right being yields right doing. We just "are" &.....WHHHHOOSH.....the Wind of the Spirit blows through us & glorious things just happen. 1 Corinthians 3:6/John 4:34-38. 

The gym is my mission field, where I recently saw a man who looked like he was from the "a" country. I'd never met him before. He was in a conversation, so I acted busy on my phone at a distance. Hungry from swimming, I suddenly felt extreme nausea. (I've occasionally had minor nausea from hunger, but never actually gotten sick.....but VERY close this time.) Suspecting a spiritual attack, I rushed outside to find the nearest bush while praying, "Jesus, please lift this from me so I can talk to him." It immediately left! I went back inside, introduced myself & had a conversation w/him!  I surmised that satan was messing w/my physical hunger because the man was spiritually hungry.

I visited him & his family in his home last Sunday. Within 30 mins, w/o any suggestion or prompting, he mentioned meeting 2 believers in the country which had hosted him as a refugee....These men were both fluent in his language. He respects Christians & has been to Church a few times. He'd said he'd given up trying to read the English Bible that he had. He accepted my offer of a Bible in his language, so I ran home to get it for him. Had to order some more as it was my last one! You can say that the meeting at the gym turned out to be a true "gut feeling". Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

It also turns out that his wife interprets for a sewing circle hosted by another ministry! The woman who leads that ministry & her husband had been workers on a foreign field w/their denomination yrs ago but now do this in their golden yrs. Ya just never know who sows, sews, reaps or harvests! So.....I visited that missional couple today so I could report what had transpired. They told me about another Vineyard worker in another city. My new friend & his family had been ministered to by a pastor of quite a diff denomination while living there!

---------------------------------------------------

Its worth noting that the man was very frank about the fact that the rebel groups will end up having complete control of his homeland. When I hear these people talk, I'm ashamed of myself because I confess that I love the world too much. 1 John 2:15. "Lord, just wait a bit longer....I've never married & want to. I'd like to do a lot more traveling. I'd like this & want that....." Fill in the blank. But there really is too much suffering to focus on ourselves, right? I feel so selfish. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Smash our idols!!!! By God's Grace, I'm doing better than I was before Covid. I may be a child of the King, but I'm also still a royal mess. I am His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10) but I'm still a piece of work! Our greatest service will be when we praise Him eternally & perfectly in Glory. It's more about being than doing. 

---------------------------------------------------

Conversely, humanism gives the false hope of human efforts. We now scoff at how the 1st World War was to be the "war to end all wars"......or do we? Many presume that utopia is in reach & humanity can pull "it" together.....whatever "it" is. When I was a young kid, Coca Cola used this obnoxious song & made it famous. It sounds so nice but makes no mention of God, presuming that "I" can fix things. This is only to demonstrate how such a popular & seemingly innocent song can be so demonic. I'm not a prophecy freak, but our planet is probably about to go into its final days & will fall for antichrist. 

​.......For the increase of divine encounters, gut feelings and HIS real peace among the nations.....

Just another witness to His Glory!

​Hello, my friends.......So much goin' on! 

First, more on the rapidly expanding ministry w/the guys from the "T country": In Aug. of 2019, a guy from that country invited a Church friend to a book club, hoping to convert him. Their method is interfaith dialogue. Then, they invited another friend. Then me. Most of my prior dealings w/people "from that other Abrahamic religion" had been w/people from the "I" country, who trend secular, so I'm still on a learning curve about their actual world view. Since interfaith dialogue is mostly the domain of religious liberals whose pretext is global peace at any price, an evangelical focus was likely not what they anticipated from us. By God's Grace, the book club has been redeemed beyond liberal pop culture religion or a method to coax us toward their stated goal. We've been able to engage in serious & honest dialogue about both historic religions w/o compromising any trad faith roots. I think all of us agree that these guys have become some of our closest friends & the Spirit is using us to challenge & clarify long misunderstood theological concepts. We met through most of Covid both in person & on zoom. Other nationalities attend periodically. 

Then, a couple, who were former Gospel workers in that very country & speak the language fluently, joined our Church. The husband joined us & the wife started a women's group. Another from our Church has joined us. Two other fluent former workers will join us! Then, a former member of our Church visited us from out of town over Memorial Day weekend & came. His uncle (by marriage) is ALSO a Gospel worker there as it is his native country. All of the former workers know who he is & some have worked w/him.  He's the ultimate strategically placed Gospel worker.....a nationally known religious figure as he is frequently on TV whenever there is a panel of religious authorities. I'm not done. The second who joined our group has also been called to be a worker in that country. Independent of that, a young woman in our group has also been called to be a worker there! Only recently have the others connected w/us. Wow.....the 6 degrees of separation just became 2.5 or so & shrinking fast! 

The couple who were workers in the country invited the local T community to our Church picnic & 30 came. Because of the forecast, it was called off but called back on again about 2 hrs later. It only started to rain when people were leaving anyway!!!!! After the last guest left, we stayed & prayed & wondered at the mighty works which God seemed to be preparing for our city. Will N. America get its 1st T Church? Hmmmm. Never say never. Remember Revelation 7:9 & that many of the epistles are named after T cities. 

If you can figure out why God concentrated all of these former/future T country workers in our town for what may be such a time as this, pls let us know! We're REEEEEALLLLLLY curious. And, btw, is there anyone on this email list who was or will be a worker there, but we just didn't know????   I mean, you've all got us wondering! Just checking.
.........In other news......I've often mentioned my friend, Mo, in the "I" country. He's the guy I met on the language exchange site who initiated a spiritual conversation the first time we spoke. His new wife has recently been getting into the Word & has joined him on the Skype study. He thinks she's become a believer! He's also talking about his desire for baptism! 

My "A" friend in France texted to let me know that he got the box. When I called him, I encouaraged him to join the Skype Bible study that is being offered to him. The man leading it is originally from his howmeotwn of about 30-40,000! He's reaching A refguees through it. I told him that Bible study is best done in community. Because people from "that other Abrahamic religion" misunderstand the Trinity, (calling it polytheistic), they'll never understand true community. The template for human community is ultimately modeled to the Church via the Trinity because the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are an eternal Community. There are dimensions of true community which these people will always miss despite all their grandstanding about global unity. The God of Abraham was/is a God w/3 Divine persons. Their only example of human personhood is one very lonely divine person who needs creation to validate himself. As a result, many have an identity crisis, distrusting everyone in their culture....but some find true confidants in the Christian community.  Please pray for S. 

BTW, in my last email, I forgot to mention that people in that religion will NEVER put anything above any kind of holy book so I sent everything else beneath it. Just a heads up about how to treat your Bible in their presence. 

Lots of kingdom stuff happening. It all flows together somewhow in Gods sovereign plan. To us, He works wonders in the universe. Psalm 8:3-4 Jeremiah 10:12. To Him, it is just a "puniverse"! HAH!!!! 

For flashmobs and the nations......

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

​Hello, all.....

I'm generally upbeat but just sad about the state of the American Church at large.
 
It's devastating. Josh Duggar has been charged w/possession of child pornography. I don't watch TV, so I've never seen "19 & Counting", but I know that the Duggars were sold to America as the perfect Christian family. Then, there were recent scandals w/the Fallwells, Ravi Zacharias, Bill Gothard, Ted Haggard, etc. And I still grieve deeply about something that hit hard in 2014. A former pastor friend of mine who lobbied for trad family values in his state capitol likely killed his wife. Despite serious medical issues, she "just got up & vanished" early one morning according to him. Even if he didn't kill her, he started dating another woman 6 wks later....scandal enough. His wife's remains were found 2 1/2 yrs later on their large property. Many questions linger. I long for justice to be served but I grieve more than I'm angry. 

It's not for us to speculate on anyone's eternal destiny. The "Hall of Faith" (Hebrews 11) features Lot & Jephtha, to whom we wouldn't give the time of day.....so, ultimately, we shouldn't opine. Their salvation is just another testimony to God's Grace. 

I mention such tragedy to beat the lay ministry drum, one of the main lenses through which I see Scripture. Pastors face more severe spiritual attacks than the avg. believer. If satan can destroy a shepherd, he might destroy an entire flock. And Christian "superstars" experience a wider bandwidth of temptation. When "Christian" = "lay worker", the Church will be healthy....w/o superstars. Too many pastors don't finish well because we expect too much. Times are about to get tough & the laity needs to step it up. There is joy in serving. And emphasis on ".....but the workers are FEW" in Matt. 9:37

Every activity of God is an "Us" thing in the trinitarian context (Genesis 1:26). Immanuel came to be among us (the Church) & Church is inherently an "us" thing as reflected in our Spiritual Gifts poured out in service. If more Church members ministered, we'd alleviate much of the stress on pastors. 

The 80's rock group, Styx, had many thought-provoking songs, unlike many of their contemporaries. If you don't like this music, which is a high caliber of rock, turn the sound off & read the insights. 

Kingdom work is about God doing the amazing through avg. people. A young man from our Church was invited by a man from "that other Abrahamic religion" to study a book about his religion in a group of men. Knowing little about that religion, our Church friend stepped into that space by faith. Several of us are now part of what has morphed into a book club which discusses both faiths. Most of the regular attendees are from the "T" country. It has now expanded to their entire community. 30 people from that country showed up at our Church picnic last Sunday. More on that next time!

---------------------------

Here's a recap/update on the "A" refugee whom I met on a French train in 2018: When his buddy boarded w/o a ticket, I paid the fine & was able to give them an instant message on redemption!  I'd given him a Bible Chip, but he regifted it while visiting family (also refugees), living in the "P" country next door to his homeland. So, he called in Feb of '20, requesting a hard copy of the Bible in his language, which I sent via the USPS. He messaged on 4/22 of this year (during the time of the fast), asking why I'd never sent it. Apparently lost. So, I sent another copy! He also requested clothes & shoes. A friend who'd been a Gospel worker in that country suspected that he might be a conman. He said, "Let me ask a worker in Europe to call him." Turns out the guy who called him was from his hometown & confirmed his sincerity!!! The gifts & just sending the box via DHL cost a pretty penny, but I don't "tithe" traditionally, so I'm not worried. He's also getting a tin of saffron candy.....much loved in his country! 

Racism isn't the worst sin....nor abortion. Nor homosexuality. Nor.....fill in the blank. The lack of worship is. And our greatest ministry to God is not doing but just being. (Think of Martha & Mary....Luke 10:38-42). So, doing negative &/or positive things will not ultimately determine the kind of eternity we experience.....However, out of our being will proceed works prepared in advance. (Ephesians 2:10) We just step into them. What I love most about the verses preceding Ephesians 2:10 is that we only bring our destitution. But the good works of Jesus will come out of us like fountains overflowing....sometimes when we least expect it. (John 4:14).....A dog does not bark because it has to. It barks because it has "doggish" nature. As Christians, we don't do good works because we have to. They are automatic because we have the nature of Jesus Christ. 

The greater part of the American Church has gone off on various rabbit trails but Covid is clarifying us. Not all bad........Most everyone reading these are deep into ministry, but I encourage all to be frank when they hear whining about how bad things have gotten. To whiners of all political stripes: If you don't like what you see, then go serve somewhere. The government is doing the Church's job very poorly but does it out of necessity.

Pardon me as I shift from a serious topic & end w/a little humor.......I laughed hysterically when I saw this. This is what happens when sheep run from their shepherd. This is why sheep need them. Yes, a metaphor for the Church. This unfortunate ball of fur gave enough wool for 30 sweaters!!!! God obviously embedded humor in sheep. They sound like a bunch of old people whining & complaining when in a herd......ahem....the American Church.....(that's both the urban woke AND the suburban folk). ​

Hey there, voters!

Made you look! Yesssss, gimmicks are fair game to get you to read my stuff! Hah! I'm not above tricking you into thinking this one was partisan. I said I'd never go there in these emails. No, I'm not telling anyone how to vote, but it is nonetheless a voter's guide. People representing the political spectrum get these. I'll gladly divulge whom I'll vote for if you buy me coffee, but would rather do ministry w/you. Party politics is a personal conversation. I'm very layered in my views because I've been all over the political map at diff times. Because there are so many plausible considerations, I guess I'm a "radical centrist" on many of today's hot issues......but there are some issues for which there is absolutely no wiggle room in the life of the voting believer.....But you will have to decide what you think I mean until we have that coffee....because no party is 100% righteous. But know this: I feel very strongly that one of the two candidates comes much closer to biblical values.      

Yes, we should bring our faith & values into the voting booth......because faith & values....yes....even the Mosaic Law is the very basis of our legal system. The notion of absolute Church/State separation would require separating the rule of law from the rule of society. After all, some kind of religion chronologically precedes all law. Can you name one law WITHOUT a religious origin? This is a great mind game to play on secularists. If someone refuses to draw any lines on moral absolutes, why would that person suppose himself to be the arbiter of what is negotiable? How can they purport the premise of human rights w/that logic? Why should there be any truth of ANY kind? If there is no truth, how can truth be repeated? The scientific method is repetition. Otherwise, everything falls apart.


We don't live in a pure Athenian style democracy, so we don't have referenda for every issue. Unless you are 100% on board w/a candidate, you'll have to hold your proverbial electoral nose w/some degree of pressure......There is good & bad in all candidates. Everyone should wrestle w/issues & not let political franchises....(sorry....I...I meant parties) dictate one's views. My "voter's guide" is as follows: Simply don't think selfishly when voting. Vote like Jesus would. I believe that we'll be judged more for why we vote than how we vote. Example: Greed is a heart problem.....not determined by how much a person owns. Greedy voters are on both sides. Many rightists & leftists alike try stretching personal liberty past its intended capacity. Real people suffer because of their selfishness & excesses. Think about it....If our own self interests are paramount, we aren't living life in the Spirit.           

Whenever we get the urge to assert our rights, we should consider the men & women who've died & been disfigured for the original context of those very rights. When thanking a vet, it should also humble & diminish our personal demands & expectations. Military people remind me of Jesus. I love this video. It shows powerful men enjoying their Heavenly Father like uninhibited children. I would dare anyone to ridicule their worship style. Aren't you glad that the American Church is more than little old ladies? Whatever ya do, don't tell the ACLU they were singing this on federal property.
​

​If your guy wins, don't think that revival has broken out in America. Remember that although King Josiah reigned w/great honor, it was too late. God had already determined that Judah would go into captivity.........D. James Kennedy's theology was matched by few, but when he preached that the 1994 Republican mid-term landslide indicated a national revival, he lost me. Yes, he's a fair target  because he broadcast this......We do need more godly officials but a proper political construct will only emerge from spiritual renewal.....Trusting in mere politics is idolatry & government worship. Although we're not a theocracy like Israel, there is a biblical precedent to apply 1 Chronicles 7:14 & call for national repentance. Whatever happens, we should turn back to God. 

Although we're not a theocracy like Israel, holiness matters. And holiness is more important than our personal freedoms, perceived or real. Personal freedom is very secondary to holiness. But we should never see righteous living as the magic sauce to keep our freedoms. 

And if your guy wins, don't think that government will fix all the problems that the Church has LET happen. We have in us the Holy Spirit's power to fix this mess.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After over a year, 2 other friends & I are still meeting w/the guys from the T country. Other nationalities come periodically. We just finished reading a book which fairly assessed both faiths. Now we're going to explore the names of God for both faiths! 

For the nations and this one......

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

Hello, friends......

Somebody said "God created man in His image & man returned the favor". God also created the Church according to His design.......& man can't help but add just a few teensy-weensy finishing touches.  So, it was encouraging to recently view a doc called "American Gospel" on Netflix. Maybe you heard about it. AG slams the prosperity gospel.....& the real Gospel is presented clearly. Every Christian should watch & pass the word! Then call Netflix to thank them. Apparently, as a result of AG, Todd White repented a few weeks ago! He'd been a prosperity teacher closely linked w/Kenneth Copeland. The prosperity gospel is nothing new......Read 1 Timothy 6:3-10.

Listen to this funny song by a Christian artist who was popular a few years back. It's about prosperity teaching. 

Seems our unfettered freedom has enabled the pursuit of "extracurricular" obsessions in many corners. The prosperity church twists verses on blessing while liberation theology emphasizes escaping poverty, all the while excluding the actual Gospel. Although polar opposites, both position themselves to be economic utopian escape hatches.........And liberalism pushes way past the boundaries of exegesis & Grace w/its numerous moral compromises accompanying.  A false socially-conscious righteousness is enhanced by offering "affirmation" & "inclusion" at the expense of God's Holiness. On the other hand, hyper-fundamentalists often seek to fortify their righteousness by whom they exclude & make jump through hoops. This righteousness often requires dying on every hill at the expense of souls. 

No wonder the world looks at the Church w/suspicion. The Greatest Commission is to worship Jesus but the Great Commission is to make Him famous. And service is how we are to render that. As I understand, the premise of tax exemption is that Churches provide valuable services to the community. (Read 1 Peter 2:12.) Because so many have been ALL about their eccentric hobby horses & have lacked real service, it's understandable why this perk is frequently resented from Main Street to the halls of Congress.  The Church became irrelevant because we chose to be irrelevant.....opening the door to these distractions. Heresy came into the American Church for 2 reasons that I can see: 1) Matthew 18 was not practiced & 2) we are spoiled, frankly. No wonder we get excluded in public life so often. We should not seek persecution, but I think that is what it will take to imprint maturity onto us....& as 1 Timothy 4:1 says, "....some will abandon the faith"....It is scary & exciting at the same time.....If doctrinally sound Christians start serving, we will dominate & the larger ecclesiastical landscape will change as a by-product. This is how cultures eventually are transformed...... 

.....On that theme of transformation.....Refugees/immigrants in western countries are finding Jesus at a rate which probably rivals the rates of the native born. I believe that, just like the jealous Jews of Romans 11:11, these people will make the dead & snoring western Church jealous. I call this "The 11:11 principle". Any future revival in the West will at least be dominated, if not led, by them. I am encouraged by the likes of Nebuchadnezzar, who, in Daniel 4:37, learned to worship the True and Living God......."Comrade Duch" also gives me hope. (Please read the story below. This war criminal reportedly turned himself in after converting to Jesus.)


Comrade Duch, from Khmer Rouge to Christian, alone to ask for forgiveness
Accused realised the enormity of his deeds when he embraced Christianity. For PIME missionary the demand for forgiveness is a “something new” in Cambodian history as people try to see themselves as part of a greater whole. 
Phnom Penh (AsiaNews) – Kang Kek Iew, also known by his nom de guerre Comrade Duch, a former head of Security Prison 21 or S-21, has asked for forgiveness, expressing his “heartfelt sorrow” to the people of Cambodia for his crimes. In doing so he is taking a step that represents a major change in a country still inhabited by divisions, whose people are still reticent to face up to the massacres perpetrated by the Khmer Rouges when they were in power.
Comrade Duch, who ran the infamous S-21 prison where some 17,000 Cambodian died between 1975 and 1979, is the only Khmer Rouge leader to have admitted his role in torturing and killing civilians. 
His step follows a personal journey that led him to convert to Christianity in 1996 after befriending a Cambodian-born Protestant clergyman, a journey very different from that of Pol Pot, the fanatical ideologue and leader of the Khmer Rouge regime, who died without appearing before the court, or the other four leading figures of the former Maoist regime on trial—Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary, Ieng Thirith and Nuon Chea—who have also not owned up to their crimes.
Hun Sen, the current prime minister of Cambodia, is also a former official of the Khmer Rouge regime, and has dismissed with scorn any suggestion that he should appear before the tribunal, saying that before that ever happens he would see it starve of money. 
Kang Kek Iew’s hearing, which was broadcast live across Cambodia, was closely followed by Cambodians, generating all sorts of reactions. Many excused the guilt of the past, simply saying that everyone was just following orders.
For Duch coming to grips with his crimes and his demand for forgiveness began in 1996 when he became a Christian after befriending a Protestant clergyman in a village near Battambang.
Listening to Rev Christopher LaPel’s sermons, the former head of Prison S-21, who had concealed his true identity under the name of Hang Pin, expressed a desire to be baptised.
“He changed totally after receiving Christ—180 degrees,” said LaPel in an interview to Times magazine. “He turned from hatred to love. He said he had never felt love in his childhood or when he grew up. So when he turned to Christ, love filled his heart.”
In retrospect, there were signs pointing to Duch's real identity. “Before he received Christ, he said he did a lot of bad things in his life,” LaPel recalls. “I don’ know if my brothers and sisters can forgive the sins I've committed against the people,” Duch said.
LaPel lost friends and family in S-21 too, but said he had “no personal hatred for the only member of the Khmer Rouge to have confessed a role in the movement's killing machine.”
Fr Alberto Caccaro, a PIME missionary with ten years in Cambodia, said that Comrade Duch’s confession is even more significant now. 
“Acknowledging one’s guilt is how we see ourselves before God,” he said. “Many people were positively surprised by his confession, which strikes a different note from the rest.”
Cambodians have in fact not yet begun the process of reviewing the history of what happened in the 1970s when almost two million people died under the Khmer Rouges before the latter were driven from power. After that Cambodians turned the page in favour of modernity and “focused solely on material interests and individual well-being.”
“People have a hard time seeing themselves as part of a greater whole,” Father caccaro said. “Even in everyday language they tend to hide guilt. Admitting one’s responsibility is a no no—people would rather choose self-indulgence.”
Even thought bringing Khmer Rouge leaders to trail “will not remake Cambodian society,” “individual actions” like that of comrade Duch can be the “starting point for a more in-depth look at history.”
At the same time “we should not turn comrade Duch into some kind of saint,” said the missionary, “but his personal story, the timing of his confessions, and the realisation of the crimes he committed are something new for Cambodia.”
For going beyond mere forms of godliness.......and the nations, 
.....Just another witness to His Glory.

Hello, all.......

Hopefully, you've been finding creative ways to minister at this time. Zoom, etc. are blessings! 

The topic of human rights is amped up again. Of course, our own Civil Rights Movement rose out of our ugly history w/slavery.  But, did you ever consider how people in the First World still benefit from slavery? If we talk about slavery in our past, we can't ignore slavery in 2020......Speaking of tech luxuries like Zoom, you're quite possibly benefitting from what amounts to Congolese slave labor this very moment. Your cell phone/computer likely has rare earth minerals mined by slaves in the Congo. What should've been a national blessing had a lot to do w/the Congolese civil war, which claimed over 5 million lives. The sin of modern slavery is still deeply entrenched in our world & we're all sullied by it. I really hope you read the article below.....

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/12/phone-misery-children-congo-cobalt-mines-drc

I'm not minimizing America's original sin, but only aim for the big picture.......Slavery has tainted all of history...........Don't forget how America long depended on China for cheap stuff. Pardon my speculation, but might there be resentment for how corporate America has conducted business? Is it payback time for cheap labor's race to the bottom?.....not to mention China's extreme pollution? (Ever heard of the "oxygen bars" in China.....where people pay to breathe a few minutes of fresh air? Our throw-away society contributed to this.)  Could this be one of the reasons they now steal American intellectual property w/no compunctions? And could it be that the lack of communication on the Corona virus was partly fueled by all of this?......We don't think twice about how we benefit every day from those human rights abuses....because that slavery is offshore & out of sight. We have helped create Socialist & Capitalist monsters, alike........Yet another reason we should be giving the lion's share of our gifts/offerings to Christian humanitarian work. ALL AMERICAN CHRISTIANS, REGARDLESS OF COLOR OR FINANCIAL STATUS CAN GIVE TO GOSPEL BASED HUMANITARIAN WORK.....WE ALL HAVE AMERICAN PRIVILEGE THAT WE SHOULD BE USING TO BENEFIT THE 3D WORLD.  Not suggesting vows of poverty, but vows of generosity. We have enough buildings. It's time that Christian America heeds James 5:4. 

​The pic above is of a group of believers from the "I" country in a Greek refugee camp. The de facto pastor is my friend, who hosted me in the "T" country next door last year before their little Church relocated. I got connected w/him via his cousin, who attends the local I Church w/me. Last Sunday, I was encouraged to hear what he's doing now. Most of the camp's 150 I residents are believers now, coming out of "that other Abrahamic religion". W/many residents from so many places, there's constant chaos in the camp as there's little oversight. There have been murders & rapes in the camp....even perpetrated on young boys.  This horror goes unreported in the news. Pray for them. 

They've been pooling their money to rent a small house outside the camp for 250 Euros a month. Such a small amount.....but very affective when strategically used. It's their Church. The details are unclear, but our "I" Church will be paying the rent & supporting him as he can't work due to Covid. I suggested that our next step might be to see if we can't generate industry/economy in that camp w/some interest-free micro-loans. As little as $100 can buy something like basic tools for a refugee. Micro-loaning also preserves dignity, as they already feel so much shame. If we do this, it won't be right away but if anyone knows how to start something like this, pls contact me. 

For the nations, the rights of workers everywhere and more bang for the buck......

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

Hello, friends......

Whenever I go on a rant, my friend, Curt, calls me B-rant. Get ready for a B-rant. I'm ticked. Jesus' sacrifice calls us to Social Justice but even more so to Spiritual Justice.....that we may carry His Gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15) 

The Church is AWOL.....If you don't like this song, ok....but at least read the lyrics. I first heard it a year before the Rodney King riots. After that, it rang prophetic w/new meaning. It inspired me to do inner city work from 1995-2001.

​Some kids from the apartments
Were out playing in a field
When they came across a clubhouse in the sky
But the big kids pulled the ladder up
Once they got inside
And the little kids below began to cry
In the valley city families struggle to survive
Minimum wage becomes their self esteem
And the real estate developer
Took over their hillside
A thousand homes like only in their dreams
One of these days
We might understand
The last will be first in the end
And if we wait too long
For them to come down to the rest of us
There's gonna be a fire in the tree house
Children ought to play together
Someone throw the ladder down
Small children and their mothers
Brave the winter all alone
They pray their sun will shine another day
I know they call it the homeland
But it must not feel like home
Go on and hang your heads, Daddy's far away
One of these days
We might understand
The last will be first in the end
And if we wait too long
For them to come down to the rest of us
There's gonna be a fire in the tree house
Children ought to play together
Someone throw the ladder down
Children ought to play together
Someone throw the ladder down
Must we beat our brothers down?
Must we make our sisters frown?
If we look into their eyes
Surely we will recognize
Our own true flesh and blood
Our own flesh and blood
Our own


I AM FURIOUS WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT AMERICAN CHURCH!!!!.......We do so little w/our vast resources. Maybe Churches should be taxed as we don't earn our keep in the city! (We live by Grace in the Church but we should never expect the same from the world.) Many "Social Justice Christians" engage in activism w/o James 1:27 action......& some equate "wokeness" w/salvation. When my eyes were opened, I didn't just introspect & lament......but got a plan & went!  White privilege & policing issues are facts.  But apologies & pledges to be kinder to black people w/o action will always result in business as usual. There is a time for demonstrating, but pop culture presumes that activism will heal. IT....DOES....NOT!!!!! Immigrant & refugee ministry is now my focus.....there's only so much time in the day. But this cannot go unremarked. 

I'm angry at the looters, shooters &vwhite supremacists. But more obnoxious are SJC's in the Church who'll march w/a sign but not walk w/a child through their challenges. The Spirit has spoken to THEM about needs yet they are AWOL when it comes to real ministry. Activism w/o action is an industry.  Urban ministry is mostly an urban legend. 

If I'm wrong, why is there little change in our urban cores? What is the ratio of protesters to mentors? Hmmmmm. I AM COMMITTING TO BEING VERY DIRECT FROM NOW ON.  FYI, compassionate people from that "other Abrahamic religion" have moved into our vacuum/territory. A friend from that religion, who's a physician & chairs the local house of worship for the "I" community, helped w/a charity clinic affiliated w/his religion at an inner city Church last Saturday. He's a missionary to the Church....to pull people into his religion. The Church should take notice!

Clergy must recruit; Laity must serve......Not a time for marches, another sermon about racism, or opps to alleviate poverty &    desperation during Christmas. The world is on fire!......The finest pulpit moment of my former pastor was, "If you aren't willing to serve in some kind of ministry, please.......find another Church....we're crowded."  Professional clergy aren't here to produce a product.....That's not why people go into ministry.......Sadly, our pastor committed suicide....We'll never know the details about what happened, but this is certain: There's an abnormally high suicide rate among pastors. Many unbiblical expectations. My admonishment is also to guard the health & well being of my friends in the clergy. To the paid field workers: I want you to run & not grow weary. (Isaiah 40:31) Enjoy the service to which God called you & finish well. 

Many stony hearts exist in America as the AWOL Church hasn't done a good job clearing stones from the field. (Mark 4:3-8).....Sometimes we're despised w/good cause. But such stones can become altars to His Glory. Renewal can be our's!    

When caring adults mentor children, adults' hearts melt. Kids are a gateway to their communities. I once got so close to a family that the mom instructed me to spank her kids if needed. I told her, "That is out of the question".....But it was amazing to know that there were people in that community who loved & trusted me that much! 

I'm preaching to the choir. Most who read these blogs already minister, but I'm calling on all to get very vocal about the AWOL CHURCH. A powerhouse of social change will rise up when all of this activist energy is channeled toward REAL service.

We only deserve the stability of democracy when when we are ready & willing to preserve order w/our mercy, grace & saltiness. The default mode is tyranny. 

For the nations and the revival of our urban core,

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

​Hello, friends......

Recently, a friend's mother passed. She was 97 & still sharp as a tack. Jim & his sister played a video of her reciting the 91st Psalm from memory at her funeral, which I viewed online. It was almost prophetic as it was just what everyone needed at this time. The virus was just beginning to be seen as an imminent threat.  She would've been overjoyed to know that so many were encouraged by it. 

We speculate about God's purpose in allowing (or possibly actively unleashing?) Corona. For starters, this isn't the first pandemic. Tragedies of monolithic proportions have been w/us since Eden's banishment. That we've lived in this sustained bubble of 1st World stability should shock us more than this "new normal". This kind of thing likely typifies human history more than we realize. 

I've been thinking about how God might be speaking in this. After some conversations, I think it's more complex than the "forced Sabbath" I suggested last time. Could it simultaneously be judgment?.....Re: the Church, I see it as somewhat of an extended (discomforting) Sabbath. I'm relating this to the exilic yrs in Babylon. It was chastisement time for Israel as they had ignored the Sabbath years (Lev. 25:4, Lev. 26:34-36).....for overworking the fields. Is God telling the Church that we've been too materialistic? That we put work & success ahead of worship? That some overwork?

Despite the horrors of the virus, there are some bright spots which are accompanying this "Sabbath".......if that's what it is. Sabbaths were/are to be pleasant & these are some positive effects that I'm seeing in this storm: 1) We're forced to trust in God's goodness & adequate provision....It took faith for the agrarian children of Israel to suddenly stop for Shabbat, esp. during certain seasons. (Ex. 20:8-10) This was designed to yield joy. Hopefully, a "better vision for God's provision" is emerging......2) In this season, we should get to know family & friends better. 3) It should be a time to unify the Church across denominational lines. 4) This will stretch the faith of poor Christians to rely on Him more & stretch the faith of wealthy Christians toward increased generosity.  5) It will make us more grateful......which will make us more frugal. 6) We are hopefully learning that our self-worth doesn't come from careers or job performance. 7) Learning to be patient......Personally, I had lots of plans that have now been trashed. 8) I spoke with Mo in the "I country" today. Despite the many deaths there, he was grateful. God's creation, which usually groans, has been given a brief reprieve. For the first time in his life, the air in Mo's city (the capitol) isn't smoggy & he can see for miles. He can breathe more easily & the birds seem to be chirping more.........In summary, this downtime is forcing us to do everything the Sabbath was designed to do. BTW, Mo had a Bible study w/Michael over Skype today. Mo asked him if he could help him find a Church in the underground network. I'm so excited to have been part of his coming to know Jesus!

I'm not persuaded toward a specific eschatological view, but this really could be the "beginning of sorrows". (Matt. 24:8) This could be chastisement for some in the Church but concurrently judgment for the world. Whatever the doctrinally correct end times scenario, my God will provide. 

I've mentioned before about a woman in "the T country" w/whom I speak periodically over WhatsApp. She's of Greek & Armenian heritage, yet came out of "that other Abrahamic religion", which is odd. She's very depressed. Her face is expressionless even when I've prayed w/her a couple times. She lives w/her parents, who reject her because of her faith. She knows no other Christians in her area & the nearest Church is far. So, oddly, because of the virus, I can now relate to her forced solitude on some level. I finally convinced her to listen to Steven Davey on the Bible Broadcasting Network. She liked the sermons!........Then, I got even more pumped when someone gave me the name of a couple who are field workers there. W/the woman's permission, I gave her number to them. The husband is a native T believer. They agreed ahead of time that they'd contact her. According to him, there are a mere 8,000 T believers (out of a total of about 84 million) in his country. There are many "I" & "A" refugee believers, though. 

I wanted to close by saying something about Easter....It is ultimately about our resting & was another kind of rest for Jesus (Hebrews 1:3)......When the Qesis of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was still in STL, I sometimes attended their Church for Orthodox Christmas/Easter services. (I'm sure some of the parishioners thought, "Looks like another one of those guys who only comes on Christmas & Easter! Hah!!!!)   I've always appreciated the unique perspectives they had. The Qesis translated the line from a traditional Easter hymn for me. The gist of it was something like this......"The serpent was cursed & forced to crawl on his belly & eat dust after he tempted our first parents. Don't forget that we are mortals & will leave behind our dust. A resurrection to Glory will ensure that the serpent will not eat your dust." 

For resting well and the nations, 

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

 

Hello, bros and sisses......

Feb. is Black History Month. During this time, we reflect more deeply on racial recon. We've come far but have some distance yet to go........As we're all image bearers, I've often wished that DNA tests were mandatory. Yes, there'd be legit fears of big brother, but racist people of all colors would soon be forced to discover any "racial impurity" in their bloodlines. Can you imagine how social change might result? 

It seems our perception of what defines black & white culture is driven a lot by shallow pop-culture entertainment. Continuously reminded of our differences, we often become mere passive consumers of a vicious agenda in which we are intentionally divided. I use the term "culture" for lack of a more suitable word. The joke is on us, folks.....because pop-culture doesn't actually rise to the level of "culture" & is an insult to the word. We've been marketed a very managed image of what life is to look like according to our respective skin tones. Do we remain a divided society partly due to this? I think so. Our goal should be a theme of unity which honors God in our ecclesiastical life. Some of us are doing better at this than others.     

Just as the modern Church has failed to set the tone for the arts, it has not led in the arena of ethics & recon. So, in its vacuum, we've seen the rise of an activism dominated by secular values.  As the Church has failed to be consistent in bringing tangible solutions bearing Gospel Hope, we've seen the emergence of organizations like Black Lives Matter. The founders are absolutely godless & are rendering a negative impact on the Church.......Something that hit very close to home about a year ago: A local BLM activist almost got away w/hosting a trans speaker as part of a larger event at her own Church.....(which is affiliated w/a biblically faithful denomination). Blasphemy in the ranks of leadership! At the last minute, the elder board found out & stepped in.....& then the denomination. An acquaintance from the inner circle of that Church told me once that there was much activism but little actual ministry being done. 

BLM DOES have a form of godliness. But it does not promote Yahweh worship. It does not promote the flourishing of the human family. It has weakened the mission of the Church w/that form of godliness.....& snuck theological liberalism in through the back door. There are godless parallels on the right....trust me. Sadly, there are many pro-lifers who gladly voted for klansman David Duke in his Louisiana Senate run. 

Racism is offensive to you & me but can you imagine how it offends/insults God? Racism is an affront to His very image but, in theory, could have also temporarily derailed the Great Commission to Africa. What would've happened if Philip had decided he just didn't want to talk to a black guy in Acts 8?  (God would've sent someone else, but you get my point.)   The Church must lead past mere talk & sentiment or things will only worsen. There is indeed a time & place for civil disobedience but the emphasis should be on serving as God leads. In heaven, there will be no racial strife. Just Revelation 7:9. 

Few realize it, but racism & slavery ties in w/how & why we got abortion in this country. Below is a doc called Maafa 21. It is lengthy but shows how the evils of slavery & abortion are connected.  


https://youtu.be/I6XfU8KVkzI

​In other news, a friend from our Church was recently invited by a group of men who follow that "other Abrahamic religion" to join them for a study of their holy book. They are from the "t" country & are very devout. Within a few weeks, he invited another friend & eventually me. I'm so glad that others in our Church are catching a vision for the nations! 

For reconciliation, a return to actual culture and the nations.....

Just another witness to His Glory.....

Hello, saints......
In the last blog, I challenged the eurocentricity of our Christmas.  I'll do it a diff way today. I'm also going to show how, through ancient Judaism, God seeded Ethiopia & other areas of Africa in preparation for the Gospel. 

January 7 is Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas (Julian calendar). God prob kept the birth of His Son a secret so the day wouldn't be venerated above Him. In the Orthodox world, Easter is most prominent. 

In 2000 I was blessed to form a friendship w/the Qesis (priest) of the local Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Often, Orthodox Churches are more about nationalistic pride, (Russian, Greek, Armenian, etc.) but I sense this guy is a believer. I visited his Church a few times. I remember one Easter, he said from the pulpit, " I'll say something in English for our American friends visiting. We love our Ethiopian traditions but they're 2d to the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Some of their theology is messy but many of them are true believers. They hold to Miaphysitism.....(that Christ's 2 natures are united as opposed to a dual Divine Nature). In our 1st meeting, the Qesis educated me for 2 hrs on Ethiopian traditions as they relate to so many Jewish things. A lot of what I said was..... "What did you just say? That is simply amazing. Could you repeat that?" 

EO tradition claims that, during the time of King Manasseh, 40,000 Jews emigrated to Ethiopia & mixed w/the local tribes. Then there were later emigrations, apparently. (Hence, the vibrant "Beta Israel" Jewish community, many of whom have left for Israel in recent yrs.) The EO also claim that King Solomon & the Queen of Sheba had a son named Menelik, who became the the first Emperor of Ethiopia. Historically, Ethiopian Jews weren't exactly temple adherents but the Mosaic Law was central. To this day, the terms Jew & Christian are interchangeable for the EO. In contrast to Israel, there was no resistance in coming to their Messiah after the conversion of the Eunuch in Acts 8.....(I hope this isn't confusing. There is a Jewish community which practices Judaism & an Orthodox community. The Orthodox identify simultaneously as Jewish & Christian.....because they ARE both, even hereditarily, to some degree.)  I'm not sure how they see Law & Grace, but my Dispensational boundaries were strrrrrrretched. (I still lean Dispensational.)......Before this, I was absolutely closed to Reformed ideas. I dismissed Presbyterians as uniformly anti-Semitic & promoters of "replacement theology". Certainly, there are extremes, but to this armchair theologian, the EO became a living museum of Reformed theology. It made me curious & prompted me to investigate. I know it's a bit of apples to oranges, but for the first time, I considered how, in at least that unique context, it might be possible to see Israel & the Church as one!  

The centrality of Israel in Dispensationalism is a conversation stopper for people in "that other Abrahamic religion". I'd already discovered that I would need other theological narratives when speaking w/them. So, learning about Reformed Theology has helped me navigate the Israel issue. As I say......"I'm not Reformed. I'm not deformed. I'm not Pentecostal. And I'm not Re-pentecostal".....(a Repentecostal is a Pentecostal who's lost his/her salvation & come back home. LOL"  

Worth noting is the existence of other African people groups which either have Jewish blood or whose customs were heavily influenced by Judaism.....The Abayudaya of Uganda....the Lemba of South Africa....the Igbo of Nigeria....(Some think that "Igbo" is a corruption of "Hebrew"). The Kalenjin of Kenya, originally from ancient Egypt, had many Jewish customs, historically. A friend who preaches on the radio in Kenya (from here in our town), told me about this history. His father, who recently died, was a first generation Christian out of this quasi-Jewish culture. 

In a few weeks, I'll tell more about how the Qesis helped me w/a Black History Month event we put together for some inner city kids. 

I'll close by sharing a video of some very relaxing & etherial liturgical EO Begena (harp) music. This is a "Bray Harp", which produces a natural distortion for you musicians out there. Various forms of the Bray Harp were also used a lot in Europe even into the Renaissance & Baroque eras. Legend says that Emperor Menelik brought the Begena to Ethiopia from Israel. An acquired taste, but beautiful. It is easy to see how the evil spirits were driven from Saul if this is what David played. (1 Samuel 16:14-23) You thought I was done harping on Christmas, didn't ya?.....Get it? Harping? ​

Hello, friends......


I challenge tradition when it's for the mere sake of tradition. Most of our cultural associations with Jesus are eurocentric and often contrived. I've been building on an alternate narrative for a while about Messiah's birth because maybe some of our immigrant friends feel left out of the story that is so much their's, too.....

Please allow me a little grace as I speculate.....I just want to start conversations. After all, the story of a mere 3 wise men gets repeated yearly, unchallenged. (I am open to anyone's scrutiny on what you are about to read.) Here goes....I suspect that Herod and all Jerusalem with him were disturbed (Matt. 2:3) because hordes of smelly gentiles from the remnants of the Per$!an Empire were pouring into town.....Wierd star gazing Zoroastrians at that!.....From that loathed far country, which was a bitter reminder of their captivity. Throughout the former empire, there likely remained a lot of partially true stories about what God did among the Jews in Daniel's time. Stories surely got spread even further along trade routes. I argue that the arrival of the Magi was a preview of Revelation 7:9. All of the modern major world religions with the exception of !slm, which would arise centuries later, were already rooted in the East. (But some of the raw materials of !slm were already present.) If you include !sl@m, these Eastern religions represent the vast majority of our modern human family. It seems God used their pagan astrology to draw the Magi to Bethlehem with the star. Not surprising.....I have heard of God even intervening in people's acid trips and bringing them to Himself. What an ingenious God! 

Also interesting is that Daniel calls Nebuchadnezzar "king of kings". (Daniel 2:37). Familiar with that term, the travelers were going to see the ultimate King of kings, who will be the One to rule every nation. 

I propose that there were many seekers from many provinces responding simultaneously to the star. I imagine spontaneous meetings on the ancient highways of the East. Imagine the sheer joy upon discovering their common destination. Imagine the conversations over public wells as their animals drank....."Where are you headed, my friend?......Are you going to see the King, too? Shall we travel together?" Perhaps along the way, while comparing their partially true stories, they pieced together a better understanding of Who the King was. The Holy Spirit orchestrates like this. There are modern accounts in persecuted lands of spontaneous praise and worship sessions assembling in forests. Nobody knew why the Spirit directed them there until they were there. A spiritual flash mob!!!

"The East" seems to be somewhat associated with godlessness. Remember when Cain was exiled to the Land of Nod, which was East of Eden? I don't know Hebrew, but from what I read, Nod is connected with aimless wandering. Maybe for the first time, aimless wanderers wandered in a straight line to the House of Bread. As the bumper sticker reads....."Not all who wander are lost!" Nod your head up and down if you agree. Nod the other way if you don't. Either way, we are family. 

I'm still considering the dimensions, but most of the Jews in Acts 2 coming to Jerusalem for Pentecost were "Eastern"....having settled in the provinces of the former empire. Maybe some had corrupted forms of Judaism as many   didn't seem to speak Hebrew. They came and heard the Gospel in their own languages via tongues. The Jews in Daniel's time, although in utter rebellion, left enough of a lasting Gospel witness to lay the foundation for the Magi coming. Israel's disobedience prompted God to let the smelly goyim (and some lowlife shepherds) see Messiah first. Could be apples to oranges but maybe this was an Old Testament preview of Romans 11:11........Speaking of Romans 11:11, I believe that if there is to be revival in the West, it will start among the least likely people who have recently moved to Western countries, where the Church is liberal, dying or dead. I expect a groundswell that will take the nominal/historical Church by surprise. Many will say, "What just happened? I want to be part of that!!!! Sign me up!" Our eurocentric Gospel has soured many on our message.

Watch the above video. This is the af tribe where the t....ban came from. Truth is stranger than fiction. Are you sitting down? The t....ban might actually be of Jewish heritage. They almost uniformly extreme and feared by other tribes. I know a guy from this tribe in STL who volunteered to me without prompting that his people might actually be Jewish. I am still puzzled, but they are not shy about it. It would be just like God to someday raise up these very dry bones and make them worshipers of Yahweh again! 

On another topic....the Mormon missionaries contacted me again after several months. Jaather Adams and I visited them last night at their "church". Their Scriptures are incongruous with the Bible. It would be akin to saying that the National Enquirer is necessary to interpret a medical textbook. Recently, I heard Reformed apologist James White speak. He said that the Mormons have a new translation of the Bible and cautiously declared, ".....it's pretty good!" Perhaps, just like the Worldwide Church of God now upholds doctrinal sanity, someday the LDS will move that way! Call me if you would like to join us. 314-221-7132.

The shirt I am wearing below is a one-of-a-kind made by a graphic designer friend. He liked the Christmas voicemail I used to have and said, "I'd like to put that on a shirt!" I love incarnation hymns and eggnog but I argue that God kept His birthday a secret because He didn't want people idolizing the day.....which they have (if you noticed). I think the Orthodox Church has this right as Easter is their big NT festival. 

For mercilessly messing with tradition and the bringing the nations to Messiah, 

Branta Claus

Hello, saints......

I spent some time in Milwaukee last week. Beautiful city, but be warned.....many downtown intersections have no signs!!! Been pondering Isaiah 40:4/Luke 3:5.....in 4 ways......1) The origins of MLW: The 3 towns which became the city were once engulfed in a tense rivalry. The roads were intentionally built to complicate bridge building over the river. Several of the modern bridges still sit at a weird angle & will prob stay weird until the New Heavens & New Earth when "Every path will be made straight". 2) According to locals, that city has the unflattering distinction of being the most racially divided in America. Implicit in these verses is that someday, there'll be perfect racial harmony.  3) I saw my friend, Michael, an "I" evangelist, marry his bride in a fundamentalist church. He left a very conservative life in "that other Abrahamic religion" about 10 yrs ago. He even has self-inflicted scars on his back from a ceremony which commemorates the death of the prophet's grandson. He now preaches the Gospel, of all things! Who'd a thunk? But w/God, all things are possible. (Matt. 19:26) A most unlikely conversion & a most unlikely marriage proves that reconciliation across racial & cultural boundaries can happen even while the nations rage against God (Psalm 2) & each other. This marriage was a preview/metaphor for the Isaiah verse. 
.......About Michael: He was the pastor of an I Church.....(out of Liberty Baptist in Sydney, Australia). We met in 2017 but didn't maintain contact.......Anyway, changing gears.....around January, I started talking w/a new friend in Michael's home country via Whatsapp. We'd met on interpals.net.
​
Before calling the first night, I prayed for the Lord to prompt "Mo" to initiate spiritual questions. He did, even showing me his Bible. We continued twice weekly. Eventually, he began bringing it to read at the hotel where he worked the night shift! 

Below is a screenshot of what was hanging on the wall behind him.....Appears to be the architect of the '79 revolution & the current leader.

​I decided that Bible studies would be handled best by a former adherent to his religion from his country. Soon after praying to find that person, I heard Michael's testimony on "Unshackled", a Christian radio program. (Heard on Bott Radio Network & Bible Broadcasting Network.) Hey! I know him!!!! No answer after 2 texts. So, I called Michael's Aussie pastor/mentor at Liberty. He said, "He's moved to Wisconsin. I'll give you his new number."  So, I called & put him in contact w/Mo, who's now in his Skype Bible study. Mo got saved a few months ago & will go to a neighboring country for intensive Bible training for 4 days in Oct....& (I think) to be baptized.. Then Michael said, "Hey, I'm getting married." I went & got to play "skypemaster". I held up Michael's iPad so his friends/family in his home country could watch! Wow....God's Spirit is just zinging around ze globe & I'm giggling like a dizzy little kid spinning around in a playground! 

I got to see his Aussie pastor again. He came w/his friend (also Michael) & his wife from Papua New Guinea. This man, whose tribal name was "Mande", gave up his inherited chiefdom of a 5,000 member tribe in order to become a pastor. Aussie pastor is the quintessential Fundamentalist......very solemn & serious (but the world needs more no-nonsense people like this.....for real). We don't see eye to eye sometimes, but many have been baptized through his ministry, so I decided he's an ok guy (Hah!). It was a great reunion & I intro'ed Aussie pastor to Mo, his "spiritual grandkid" on WhatsApp! Now, don't think I'm getting sentimental or anything, but I actually got a little misty eyed at the wedding.....not so much because of the wedding itself.....but just at how His Providence continues accelerating. I don't know if many of you know this, but I was an agnostic once. What a gift Providence is now! Each time it's like God is saying, "Psssssttt! Hey.....over here......it's Me again!" 

I really liked the Church (Falls Baptist in Menomenee Falls). Stunning music. An orchestra/choir of about 60-70 played/sang old hymns, which I love. They played at both of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's inauguration ceremonies. 

American KJV Fundamentalism is rarified & clarified....can be enough to make you terrified........if you come as the odd man out & "unpreparified"....lol.....(BTW, I have always been an odd man.....hah!). But I did go prepared since one of my agendas is denominational reconciliation (within reason).  I told everyone how I knew Michael & was very open about my broad ecclesiastical associations, taking time to explain how God is ACTUALLY moving through Calvinists & Lutherans & Pentecostals! OH MY!....... Imagine that!  Must've been like fingernails on a chalkboard to some!. Also, I got to practice my motto: “I'm not Re-formed. I'm not de-formed. I'm not Pentecostal. And I'm not Re-pentecostal." Obligatory grins from some & chuckles from at least a few! Love to break down man-made sectarian walls & make people laugh in the process!  (This is my 4th application of Isaiah 40:4. Thought I forgot, didn’t ya?)

For the nations and "subversive" tactics.....(nyuk nyuk nyuk!)

Just another witness to His Glory.

Hello, Everyone.....

Was at a conference on Honor/Shame at a Lutheran seminary 2 wks ago. I'm just scratching the surface of this topic but we all need to understand it. Met a lot of new folks from the Lutheran world as it's new to me.  

I met a Tamil pastor originally from India who's rebuilding a Church that was dying in Queens, NY. About 35 German Lutherans remained. Now, 150, most of whom have converted from other religions, call it home. Just like in Romans 11:11, I see new immigrants coming to faith in Western countries as a wakeup call to multi-generational "in name only" Christians. I call that “The 11:11 principle” & contend that revival in the West will be immigrant led. For this reason, we should pay more attention to the nations that are here. 

One of the professors at the seminary will teach a class on Honor/shame next Fall. And next year’s conference will be called “The West and the Rest: What the West can learn from the Global South”. Love it! 

At the conference, I met a Liberian student who's acquainted w/Joshua Blayhi (formerly “General Butt Naked”), the cannibal warlord turned evangelist. I mentioned him last Dec. after having met another student who's also acquainted w/him. Through the inner city work I started & ran (about 20 yrs ago), I organized an Ethiopian-themed event for Black History Month in 2000. A few wks after that event, I quickly got an inspiration for 2001. The goal was to find some locally based reconciled African Christian men from people groups which have ongoing open conflicts. 
The thematic concept was to be based on the vision & hope of reconciliation among individuals & tribes in the African context.....The endgame was to facilitate conversational models for reconciliation among those in the American gang culture. It never happened, but after viewing the documentary, “The Redemption of General Butt Naked” a few yrs ago, (very disturbing...proceed w/caution) my hope was reawakened for such an event. I vaguely remember praying a quick prayer that Blayhi might come stateside to speak someday. So, I now have 2 Liberian contacts if anyone would like to run w/this! If Joshua Blayhi could tell his story here, it could have great impact. 

Lastly, I've told you about Mo, the guy from the "I country" w/whom I connected on WhatsApp for mutual language practice. From our 1st conversation, his spiritual hunger was obvious & he revealed, unprompted, that he owned a Bible. He even started bringing it to the hotel where he works the night shift after we started talking......(YES......in the I country!)......HE READ IT, right under the watchful gaze of "YOU KNOW WHO"!!! (Reminds me of Psalm 2)....This is a screenshot of the front desk area of the hotel where he works:

​I connected him w/an I pastor whom I met in Australia 2 yrs ago.........Mo joined the pastor's Skype study. He seemed closer to Jesus w/every conversation. Then, one day, we spoke while I was waiting for a flight. He was in tears & very depressed. Someone from his country had just scammed him out of some $, promising work in the Georgian Republic....& his girlfriend had suddenly emigrated. I was concerned that he might harm himself, so I texted the pastor, who already knew. Turns out that Mo had become a Christian a few days prior!!!!! The depression had been a spiritual attack. The next day we spoke & he was full of joy. The sorrow had lifted!!!! (Psalm 3:3) Praise God!!!!! Since none of you has any idea who he is, I can say this: I'm super glad that the girlfriend is gone because they were talking about getting a "Sigheh".....(temporary marriage), which is legal & common in I for couples who want to "try each other out". It is also doubles as legalized prostitution. 

In other news, I'll be reconnecting w/a friend from the A country whom I call "R"....(not even his real initial). We met at the gym, where many from his country exercise. We agreed to start trading language lessons but it hasn't happened yet. Soon thereafter, a friend who's on mission initiated w/me about him. THEN, I was chatting w/some new friends who'd been secret workers in his homeland & now minister among the locals. They just happened to know him. They told me that, of all the local A's they know, he'd likely have the most spiritually pliant heart! Wow...confirmation or what?  About 4,000 A people are here. Most of these guys were translators for the US military during the war & are therefore mostly men of peace!!!!! Pray for my wisdom. 

For the nations   

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