Minutiae? Or, nation-shaping stuff. You decide.

I keep feeling the need (or guilt) to post here or at least keep reminding you that I am regularly posting on my other blog. Limited time and energy right now has restricted me to only post at my Voices Carry pro-life blog. I’m not giving up here, I promise, I won’t let too many days go by without something interesting here.

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Of course we are all praying about Hurricane Gustav hitting New Orleans today. I have posted a substantial article on where God may be in all of this. I welcome feedback on that. If you want to send money to help, send it to my friend Pastor Dino Rizzo at Healing Place Church. You may recall he and Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge were major players after Katrina. We’ll see how it goes, we may send a work team too.

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Lifelight was this past weekend here in Sioux Falls - billed as the nation’s largest Christian music festival. I only went for a couple hours Saturday. I did post last night on a couple of the extremist abortion supporters who crashed the Lifelight Festival. Pardon the title but the article is even more shocking… eat a queer fetus for Jesus.

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These are a just few of the headlines that caught my attention today and my discussion starters.

One heart, one widow connect suicides of 2 men (I don’t think the woman is the common denominator. I’ve seen suicides flow generationally, in siblings, etc. I would love to hear from our deliverance ministry people/friends on this one… the spirit of death staying with a transplanted heart???)

Bible Courses Allowed, Not Mandatory for Schools (Some of you know that I have been on this for a couple of years and have said this may be the next matter I take up in our city and state. I welcome your involvement.

Vladimir Putin saves TV crew from tiger (I’m looking at Putin and the Tiger through a prophetic, symbolic lens. Interesting.)

‘Founders’ prayer violated Constitution as they wrote it’?? (Thank God for my friends at the Alliance Defense Fund.)

CNN poll shows no post convention bump for Obama (No comment.)

Pondering some headlines

Of recent, my blogging energies have been diverted to the LIFE ISSUE. However, this morning I find myself pondering some headlines. Just pretend we are at the breakfast table, drinking some good joe, reading the paper. Your thoughts are welcome.

Italian Priest Organizes Beauty Contest for Nuns

Muslims begin to copy the megachurch multi-site model

Police cite church for praying too loudly

Tornado hits Denver on eve of convention

Faith-filled convention opens with prayer

What Saddleback’s Pastor Really Thinks About Politics

August frost hits Minnesota and Wisconsin

Church-Going Teens Have Higher GPAs

One legged NYC prostitute knocked from wheelchair dies

A couple local headlines…

No abortion ads in student directories

Kory and the Fireflies to appear at LifeLight Music Festival

A couple crazy video clips are in the news from the Olympics…

Weightlifting accident - elbow bends the wrong way

Cuban taekwondo athlete kicks ref

New CATG Blog - The River

The River is ramping up for a strong start this fall. Check out their new blog.

Michael Phelps before Conception

Jeremiah 1:5 - “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you…“

Psalm 139:13-16 - “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.“

Cartoon Illustration by Patrick Moberg
HT: Jill Stanek

Coke now catering to Muslims

It’s doubtful they’ll be catering to us this Christmas (or Easter) dumping the polar bears and replacing them with nativity imagery or a cross. Pepsi anyone?

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

Though some are probably smiling, I found it quite sad yesterday to hear about Todd Bentley getting separated from his wife. Thousands every day speaking word curses over him (that was the main point of all my blog posts on him) – a demonic full frontal assault all on a guy with a lot flaws and a lot of growth and maturity yet ahead of him. Ministry is extremely hard and even harder when you step out and get radical for God and the Kingdom. The devil plays hardball when it comes to ministry families. And, who knows what was going on with Todd, but so many ministry guys serve Jesus and let their wives serve them. We miss warning signals and convince ourselves that things are better than they really are.

I hope you are moved to pray for Todd Bentley and his family. The God who can heal bodies can certainly touch a marriage. The devil likes to claim victory but God may have something even greater up his sleave in terms of redemptive purposes here. It’s still about Jesus.

I really like Lee Grady and know him from when I had my book published with Strang. His commentary on this matter is good even though I take a different view at a number of key points. I resonated with his statement, “it wasn’t supposed to end like this.” But then again, God is big and can bring good out of bad and whether you do or not, God loves Todd Bentley.

I agree with Grady’s assessment that what we saw in Lakeland was “raw zeal for God” but disagree there was a wholesale casting aside of discernment. I’m sad because it’s a step back perhaps for a lot of people and those I was trying to temper in my posts will surely shift now from being scoffers to gloaters. Those who are already connecting dots between Bentley’s controversial teachings and practices and his marriage troubles will have trouble explaining to me why the wives of the more “orthodox” guys (like Pastor Charles Stanley) sometimes leave too. All eyes on Jesus and we’ll grow from this too.

Overcoming self-criticism

Good post today on Overcoming Self-Criticism from my eldest - Caleb. Check it out.

If you miss me, remember, I’m still posting more frequently here.

Convective Heat Burst hits Sioux Falls this AM

08/03/2008 - KELOLAND NEWS
Early Morning Heat Burst Hits Sioux Falls
What meteorologists call a “convective heat burst” sent temperatures skyrocketing early this morning in Sioux Falls. Temperatures rose rapidly from the lower 70’s to 101-degrees between 4:15 and 4:45 am. A heat burst occurs when warm air from 10-thousand to 20-thousand feet above the surface is forced to the ground. The heat burst also brought strong winds that knocked down some power lines and trees in the Sioux Falls area.

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This has got to mean something. Those in watch and pray mode - I welcome your theories. I was reminded of this prophetic word which recently appeared on the Elijah List;

“For even as you have felt the degrees, the heat throughout the summer - as you have felt the heat throughout the summer, even up to now - there shall be records broken. It shall be a sign: the earth shall boil. For,” God said, “they shall say, ‘What is happening in the soil? Shall we talk about global warming?’ What do those that live on My earth know about what I have structured for the universe? Do not mock Me, do not mock Me,” says the Lord, “with global warming.” For the Spirit of God said, “Things will be shown and will be revealed in these next two years that shall come from the earth, that will prove the creation of man, that shall prove some of the Biblical things that have happened,” says the Lord. “Watch through the summer as the degrees go high and then suddenly low, low.” For God said, “Do you know what it is? It is a sign that I am sending to you…” says the Lord.

I thank God for air conditioning because I slept right through it.

I am posting, just not here - the battle for LIFE has begun

I’m having trouble doing two things (blogs) at once. And though I do appreciate the readership here at GatePost, I’m trying not to feel guilty about the infrequency. The battle for LIFE in South Dakota has begun again and my free-time is mainly focused there. If you miss regular posting here from me you can read the latest from me on my LIFE blog - voicescarryblog.com.

Here are three recent but very important posts that you many find interesting.

Planned Parenthood Gets Religion

Let’s have FUN kicking off our Campaign to Kill

More “Fun” with South Dakota Planned Parenthood’s new slogan - Let Families Decide

My son Caleb put up a nice little pic on his blog that you may appreciate. He gets to vote this year for the first time. You’ll note he’s starting to lean toward one side : ) Caleb has some strong views. I don’t know where he got this from. We move him to KC for school NEXT WEEK - I’m not sure how I feel about this chapter of life coming to a close.

For a few months my son Thomas and I have been looking for a Mustang ($3-4K range) so he can drive to school this fall. He’s pretty set on a Mustang and has been for a while. He’s got some pics on his blog of one that we found ($2K over budget). I know he’d appreciate the traffic on his blog - so be sure to check it out. He finds blogging discouraging because “nobody reads his.” He’d even more appreciate others joining him fasting and praying for this extra “miracle money” to somehow appear so he can buy this car. He knows we won’t be making a covenant with a creditor.

Funny story… I told him the only thing I don’t like about him getting a hot car like this is that he’d get into popularity/girls and his relationship with God would really suffer. He said, “no, if he had this car it would really help his relationship with God because he’d wake up every day praising God and drive down the road with praise music everywhere he went.”

Angry man shoots his lawnmower for not starting

THIS JUST IN: MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man was accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn’t start. Keith Walendowski, 56, was charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed. According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski said he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn’t start Wednesday morning. He told police quote, “I can do that, it’s my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want.” A woman who lives at Walendowski’s house reported the incident. She said he was intoxicated. Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.

If your horse won’t get up, what do you do? Shoot it. I think a man ought to be able to shoot his own lawnmover in his own yard (if he lives outside of town). This made me smile, maybe it will you. Those of you who have been around me know that I like to shoot stuff. Deep down inside every man and boy is a desire to shoot something. Gals, don’t try to understand it. God put it there - it’s a part of that whole protect and provide thing. Mix it with a little anger and alcohol and I’d advise you hide everything that doesn’t start or move fast enough.

Has the messiah come? A satirical look at Barack Obama

Good satire is something I very much appreciate and this is about as good as it gets - and, it touches key areas of interest and involvement for me - Scripture and Society, Politics and Eschatology. Today Gerard Baker put forth this piece in the London Times. I’ll also paste it below. We are living in very interesting times and those who are in “watch and pray” mode are being given much to mull over. Your thoughts and comments on this are very welcome.

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July 25, 2008 - The Times
He ventured forth to bring light to the world
The anointed one’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers
Gerard Baker

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

Watching things grow

I may philosophize here a bit… Watching things grow is both fascinating and frustrating. The fields all around my place are today seven feet tall with corn - we’ve seen days with six inches of growth in one day. The garden is another amazing thing to slow down and watch grow. Early on things were tentative as stressors (even enemies - deer, rabbits, bugs, wind) fought against growth. Weeding, strategically placed bullets, staking, blocking wind, watering, fertilizing all helped the plants press through key stages.

Watching my kids grow is both fascinating and frustrating. There have been days I wish they were further along and days when time flew by and I’ve lamented they grew up too quickly. Watching church growth, or working toward church growth, has taught me more about the patience of God with us than anything else. But on our end, I’m struck by the simple observation that things grow when they are planted. Kids grow better when planted in stable and loving two parent homes (every study confirms this). Churches grow better when people settle in and love and serve God and each other for the long haul. There are many who want to grow, or who think they are growing, but resist being planted. Jesus spoke about us (you-plural) being branches that must abide and remain in the vine (himself).

Most human growth, I’m told, happens at night. Of course, this is a time when no one is watching. Spiritual growth is no different - it happens when no one is watching, and even especially during the dark moments. Interesting how those key growth moments are the moments people tend to pull away from others in the Body.

One of my frequent sayings at CATG is that it’s not God’s Will you be in the same place spiritually you were last year this time, or five years ago. I suggest we “mark the wall” every year and measure ourselves against that mark several times a years. Ask the hard questions, why am I not growing? Make sure you are growing evenly - in wisdom, stature, favor with God and man. We can grow smarter but lose our tender heart toward God. Strategically place “bullets” on that which is stifling your growth. Really, kill it or it’ll kill you. Never pull yourself away from environments that facilitate growth. Monitor your growth in God.

Can God heal Fibromyalgia or is it indeed incurable?

The answer to the question - can God heal Fibromyalgia? - is YES! The Bible says, he forgives all our sins and heals ALL our diseases! (Psalm 103:3) There isn’t one disease or diagnosis that is beyond his ability or desire to heal today. I hope that is a hopeful truth for somebody who is hurting right now.

I’m led to post on this topic today because people very close to me, whom I love dearly, are getting pummeled by Fibromyalgia. We have seen God physically heal people here at Church at the Gate in numbers into the three digits. However, we have only seen what I’d call temporary relief as we pray for healing from Fibromyalgia so far. Also, I’m hearing Fibromyalgia being regularly called out through the Word of Knowledge in healing and revival meetings throughout America - I do believe the Great Physician is giving great and full victory to many people from this devasting infirmity. I have more many more questions than answers - so pardon my ignorance - is this only an American malady? I’ve seen/heard nothing of it in the healing meetings I’ve attended overseas. I want to hear from those of you who have been freed of Fibromyalgia where ever you are.

If you, or anyone you know has been healed by God from Fibromyalgia, please share your story here in the comment section of this post. The Bible says we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY. If you have been healed of Fibromyalgia, please share your testimony for the benefit of others here. If you have experienced any victory from Fibromyalgia through Christian healing prayer, please share that here. If you know of someone who has been supernaturally healed of Fibromyalgia, encourage them to share their testimony here.

Our local newspaper today did a brief story on “Mysterious Fibromyalgia.” (The link is to the original article in the Jackson Clarion Ledger.) The subheading is “Chronic pain brings on insomnia, depression, loss of brain activity and IS INCURABLE.” The last two words paint a hopeless picture. Here’s the opening paragraph of the artcle…

Imagine hurting all over, every day, with a physical exhaustion that never completely subsides, not even with adequate sleep and rest. Add insomnia, brain fog, and depression. The worst part - there’s no cure. Sufferers of fibromyalgia don’t have to imagine that nightmare. They live it. Daily.

The article gives these facts… according to the National Fibromyalgia Association, 3-6% of the population suffers from it. Women are most affected by it. And, there are physicians that don’t believe the disease even exists.

I’ve spoken recently with some of our doctors and it’s a mixed bag - some think it’s a “catch all” diagnosis for something that no one can really explain. One said she never saw these symtoms twenty years ago and now she sees them every day in her office. Others say “its real” and relief can be found in various treatments - acupuncture, chiropractic care, osteopathy, pain meds, etc. but that there is no cure or any real understanding of root causes. I’ve spoken to some of our counselors and mental health people about it - some say they have found it relates to previous trauma or (sexual) abuse. Some of my friends in healing and deliverance ministry also say this is the case, and this is how a demonic spirit of infirmity first gains access - through some trauma or abuse. I was given a Gulf War Vet newsletter minutes ago that says the United States military now lists Fibromyalgia at the top of the list of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder manifestations.

I am no expert, nor am I a doctor. Those of you reading this who suffer from Fibromyagia know light years more about this than I. If you are struggling with Fibromyalgia, I hope you’ll join the conversation here and dialog with others who comment here about their victory. I do welcome you to comment about your journey into supernatural healing and even mentioning how people have prayed for you in not-very-helpful-ways (as long as you stay positive about it). I think there is something to learn from unsuccessful well-intentioned attempts at divine healing.

I seek no controversial debate or attack here, nor do I want to lay a lack-of-faith guilt-trip on those who honestly and desperately desire a touch from God. I have a pastoral heart and desire to see God touch peoples lives. I’ve seen him do amazing things and I know he loves people. I’m throwing this post out there to solicit comments from people who’ve seen God heal Fibromyalgia. The most valuable thing about this post is not in what I have to say, it will be in what these folks share. In fact, I probably won’t offer much in the comments section because again, I’m not an expert and have little more to say. I would welcome comments from people in healing and deliverance ministries who have insights into how to pray for healing for people suffering from Fibromyalgia and more importantly, what are the spiritual dynamics behind this infirmity. The article I quoted above said there is some thought that this is genetic. But even there, I don’t want this to be a medical discussion. I’m asking for testimonies of how God healed people of Fibromyalgia and graceful dialog about the spiritual realities here. I’m hoping hope comes forth.

Here are just a couple “rules” for this post and commenting. I don’t want to hear anything about turning to Buddhism for relief or anything like TM, yoga, Oprah, or anything other than Jesus and Biblical Christianity. If you suggest anything else is our hope, I’ll delete that comment immediately. Jesus is our only hope. If you are among those who’ve given up hope concluding Fibromyalgia is your “lot in life” I’d rather you not share that here either. If you think it’s God’s Will that you are sick, I’d rather that get discussed elsewhere also. Not here. Really, if we are unsure it’s God’s Will we have relief from Fibromyagia we better sort that out before we even go to a doctor seeking relief. With that thinking, taking meds would go against what God wants for you. I don’t like to debate if healing is God’s will and don’t want to open that can of worms here. I just want to pray for the sick and let God be God. I want to hear testimonies of the grace of God. I do know God uses suffering and that there are redemptive purposes for pain but I also know one of the reasons God allows sickness is to reveal himself as Healer.

My sole purpose and hope in bringing this up is to provide a place where one beggar can share with another beggar where they found bread. I’m not the baker. But I know the answer is in the one who multiplies the loaves.

Gate Post - dubbed #72 Blog of the Day on WordPress

There are now over seventy million blogs in existence most of which are created on eight leading blog hosting sites each of which host upwards to one million or more blogs. WordPress is one of the big eight. With those numbers, how is it my blog made #72 on WordPress’ BLOG OF THE DAY list yesterday? I promise it won’t go to my head. Right now I’m figuring it’s a bit like getting the letter that says you’ve been selected to win a million dollars.

Does anyone know what this means?

ABC Nightline features Todd Bentley and Florida Healing Outpouring

ABC Nightline’s feature last night on Todd Bentley and the Florida Healing Outpouring was hardly favorable. Is anyone surprised? Gnat-straining camel swallowers in the Body of Christ were given much to delight and gloat over. The lost watching world was shown what the devil would want them to see. Todd Bentley was surely disappointed. Obadiah 1:12 came to me early this morning… “Do not gloat over your brother’s day of misfortune.” I’m sure few, if any, among those in the seat of scoffers will be restrained by this verse, or any other, for that matter.

I’ve been to the meetings in Lakeland. It was apparent to me the ABC Nightline folks went there to get the angle they were after and they got it. They missed much as well. They found a precious wheelchair-bound girl on the streets of Lakeland who has had multiple unfortunate encounters with the revival’s street evangelism teams who, no doubt with good intentions, invited (and probably pressured) her to the attend the healing meetings. She shared the pain of people being insensitive to her. I could fully relate as my father-in-law has been wheelchair-bound for nearly 60 years since he contracted polio at age 14. My wife has numerous stories growing up of being in places like the parking lot at Billy Graham Crusades being accosted by people on the way out that told him he’d “get up out of the chair if he only had faith.” This isn’t what the street evangelism teams told the girl in Lakeland, but the effect was the same. I attended the street evangelism training in Lakeland last month and yes, they do need to give people a briefing on sensitivity to the feelings of the infirmed before they send them out.

But, the faithful hitting the streets in Lakeland have something the rest of the church doesn’t, that being… boldness. They are not sent forth with a spirit of timidity, but rather full bold faith in the power of God. Can a person walking in apostolic boldness simultaneously walk in great sensitivity? Yes. But this is a grace that doesn’t typically come initially. Boldness must be tempered by wisdom and discernment. Rather than criticize the street evangelism teams, we need to pray that they walk in wisdom and power, love and compassion.

ABC Nightline could have worked harder to find positive encounters out there on the street - like the lady I heard about when I was there who was planning to commit suicide the day she met a loving couple from the revival in a grocery store parking lot. That lady was baptized in love and hope in that parking lot and gave her life to Jesus Christ.

ABC Nightline found a local shop keeper who viewed the revival negatively. Maybe they should have interviewed the mayor and city council members and got a comment or two on the fact that Todd Bentley, who for 100 days has brought 5000-10,000 people daily to the city, is responsible for bringing millions and millions and millions of dollars into the city’s economy. I’d guess there are mayors all over America who would love to have something like this grace their city. Instead they predictably dug up Bentley’s dark past but neglected to report on his dramatic conversion to Jesus Christ and subsequent dozen years of ministry to the poor, the orphans and hurting worldwide.

ABC Nightline is incapable of any sort of favorable story on anything remotely Christian. I’m not even convinced they are telling the truth when they reported “not one single miracle could be independently verified.” Wow- that went across the airwaves turning the hearts of many against what is happening in Lakeland. But, I can point them to a verifiable miracle. I’ve even seen doctors on the platform in Lakeland standing alongside the healed to testify. Those stewarding the revival apparently need to spoon-feed stories to the media in their media packet but even then, Jesus spoke of a deep-seated societal unbelief, so deep that people won’t even be convinced when the dead are raised right before their eyes. ABC Nightline has a deep-seated disbelief for sure. The light is veiled from their eyes.

But hello, again, getting ABC Nightline to do a favorable story on anything Christian is about as likely as getting the Code Pink gals to do a favorable piece on the Iraq War. ABC and every other main stream media outlet has a distinct and secular (which means godless or without God) agenda. They are the spokespeople for the godless left and are keenly aware that the only thing standing in the way of gay marriage, abortions and decency in broadcasting is THE CHURCH.

I deal with the media here far more than I like because my role in the abortion battle in our state. More times than I can count I’ve found it maddening that the pro-life position is maligned and misrepresented by the media. We hand them facts and stories and testimonies on a silver platter and they don’t even do a story. We got 100 pro-life doctors together for a press conference in ‘06 and we had to beg the media to even show up. Yet, Planned Parenthood propaganda gets released and the media parades it across the headlines. Do we not see that these are the same types “reporting” on what is unfolding in Lakeland. They operate in the same denomic spirit. These are the very people who feed the global warming fears with story after story and fully ignore the vast amount of scientific expertise that says its all hoax and false alarm. Are we surprised they found nothing to verify in Lakeland? I’m not.

Many in my world believe an end-time revival is coming that will spread, in part, due to God touching the main stream media. I first grabbed onto these prophecies in the late 80’s when I lived in Kansas City. I still believe them to be true. However, I also know as we more fully enter the end of the age, the world will rage against the people of God. The people of God will be singled out for ridicule and reproach. Jesus said woe to you when men speak well of you. In other words, if they like us, we apparently aren’t much like Him (Jesus). The same hungry and hurting people who liked and flocked to Jesus are the same people who like and flock to Todd Bentley. The same people who feverishly tried to nail Jesus to the tree are the same types trying to nail Bentley today. That’s interesting to note isn’t it?

If you haven’t been to Lakeland to take this all in first hand, here’s one additional important thing ABC Nightline missed. They missed that there is more going on here than one sees on the stage. Most Christians can only imagine what it would be like to stand in such an atmosphere of faith. In this economy, people who buy airline tickets to get closer to where they hear God is moving are desperately hungry people. God always honors that hunger. Being in a tent with 5000-10000 people with that level of hunger places a heavy draw on heaven to visit earth. I’d rather be in that atmosphere any day than among the “Bible Deists” whose only hope for well-being is that their doctor will continue to dish out their antidepressants week after week. I’d rather be in the room with people who bought airline tickets to get a touch from God than sit in all these scoffing churches with people who aren’t hungry enough to drive a couple miles to church more than 2-3 Sunday mornings a month. This ABC Nightline story could have covered the OBVIOUS spiritual hunger in our land. They could have interviewed people who have given up hope on the pharmaceutical and health care industries, people who have no hope but God.

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I hope you’ll also read my other posts on Todd Bentley and the Florida Outpouring. My main focus in all of these is that we ought to be really careful that we are not calling unclean what God has called clean. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:2
Revival in Florida - Todd Bentley and the Seat of Scoffers part one
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley and the Seat of Scoffers part two
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley and the Seat of Scoffers part three
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley and the Angel Emma
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley, Violence and the Kingdom of God
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley, the manifestations of the Spirit or Kundalini?
Todd Bentley, C. Peter Wagner and apostolic alignment at the Florida Healing Outpouring
Florida Revival - Todd Bentley answers his critics, Dr. Gary S. Greig gets healed and provides an independent theological witness
A parody; the doctrine police take a break from straining gnats at the Lakeland Healing Outpouring to take aim at Psalm 23
Florida Healing Outpouring - Is Todd Bentley a New Age Mystic?

I want to be found STEADY until the end

It’s amazing how music connects with the seasons of the heart. There probably hasn’t been one point in my Christian life where I couldn’t quickly point to a song that was really ministering to me at that particular point in time. It’s like jumping from lily pad to lily pad in how I grab on to this song during this season and find myself resting on another one in the next season. Right now, my whole family is “stuck” on the song Beautiful by Phil Wickham (but they tell me Grace Kim does it best). There is a major anointing on this especially when Grace starts singing the ah-ah, a-ah-a -ajhh, ah-a, ah-a-ah, ah - hauntingly beautiful! You don’t get this on Phil’s YouTube version.

The song I’m stuck on right now is Justin Rizzo’s Found Faithful - particularly this line… “I want to be found faithful, I want to be found steady, until the end…“ If you have a few minutes to be quiet, listen to it here from the OneThing conference in KC last December. I think I’ve been singing it in my head since then.

Those who know me know I value steadiness and steady people. Inconsistency in the Body of Christ is stifling Kingdom momentum. People, be steady. So many are tossed to and fro - they are hot one day and cold the next - they are fully committed today but you don’t see them tomorrow - they are rowing with you one moment but then something spooks them and it’s all you can to do keep them in the boat.

Steady people stay put. They are dependable and fixed. You can build something lasting and strong with steady people. Unstable people underneath whatever you are building for God is a disaster waiting to happen. Steady people are not thrown off course by offense. Steady people hold a lot of weight. In Galatians 2:9 Paul referred to James, Peter and John as “pillars” in God’s House. God gave me a word a couple years ago that I was to ask him for pillars.

In the history of architecture, pillars came to be as people got creative about expanding the size of their dwellings. Pillars are essential if you want to go up or out with a structure. Do I need to connect the dots for you? The Kingdom of God expands up and out. Pillars are steady and unmoved and they are essential if we are ever to do the big things God is calling us to do.

Steadiness comes with spiritual maturity. It is evidence of being anchored in God and his Word. God is steady and the more time we have with him the more stable we become. Be one who remains, abides - in the secret place and in public. Be fixed and rooted. Faithfulness is one of the fruit of the Spirit. Let it be said of you that you are steady, stable, consistent, reliable, fixed, unmoved, faithful, and planted.

Justice Loves Babies - new promo video

This is a great book! We were blessed during our 12 city Urgency Tour in February to have Danielle and Darlene drive from KC to Church at the Gate here in Sioux Falls to personally deliver 300 copies of Justice Loves Babies so we could give them out to South Dakota pastors. God, raise up a children’s prayer movement for the unborn!

More info and ordering information here.

Barack Obama says fatherhood begins at conception, but not life?

Barack Obama says fatherhood begins at conception. Big thanks to Tony Perkins at the Family Research Council for putting on YouTube an important follow up question that the media surely won’t be asking.

This speech was given by Sen. Obama at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. Nothing out of the ordinary there, he and Hillary Clinton are speaking in churches every weekend. Hmm. If I were to invite John McCain to speak from my pulpit how long do you suppose it would before the IRS would get complaints? That’s soon to change… September 28th here we come! It’s a new day!

Culture is downstream of politics. Politics is downstream of righteousness. Righteousness is downstream of a relationship and intimacy with God. The church is called to connect people with God and release and equip them to see to it the Kingdom leaven permeates the entire loaf of society. This is the flow, the stream, we read of in Amos 5:24 - “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” We need Amos-like prophets to rise up in America again and cry out for justice for the most vulnerable in our society - the unborn. Martin Luther King Jr. was that voice a generation ago crying for justice for those not considered “fully human” back then.

Five kinds of kindness

Ted Haggard always used to talk about how some churches make happy people sad and turn nice people mean. Two churches in the same town could come from the same denomination and have the same doctrinal statement but one is small and full of tension and the other is full of people and life. I’m tempted to blow this next sentence up to about 120 in terms of font size so we don’t gloss by it… It’s not about doctrine, those who have been with Jesus don’t emerge with correct information about him, they emerge with his loving heart. The church is missing the mark in a huge way on this point.

I’ve already elaborated on one of five kinds of kindness - 1) Reciprocating Kindness. Here are four more for your consideration.

2. Random Kindness - Jesus was indiscriminate with his love. I know he was strategic, but I’m not sure everything he did was calculated. Do you calculate how many kisses you’ll give your spouse today? Probably not. They just happen and they happen more the more your heart is full of Jesus’ love for people. This kind of kindness is the most fun. It’s a blast randomly blessing people. And you’ll discover it’s really not fully “random” as God so often will sovereignly see to it that you “touch” someone who desperately needs love and encouragement today. Be careful of favoritism, especially the trap of being nice only to those who believe just like you.

3. Radical (or Ridiculous) Kindness - I also thought to use the word wreck-less because so often we are timid and miserly with our kindness. It’s as if we are bringing someone a small gift in our really nice car - we don’t want to scratch the car now do we? Radical kindness gives them the car and walks home. It’s about being willing to go out of your way and gladly letting the needs of others inconvenience you. Radical kindness is costly. Is it said of you that you are EXTREME-ly kind?

4. Rabid Kindness - I’m trying hard to keep the “r’s” going so I know “rabid” falls a bit short. But I’m trying to express a contagious kindness. In the presence of kindness, more kindness comes forth and soon an environment is saturated with Jesus’ love. But somebody has to start it off. Parents who are negative and nasty toward others produce kids of the same nature. The opposite is also true. I believe we are responsible for the environment around us, to see that it’s salted with kindness.

5. Real Kindness - Kindness is like a round peg in a round hole. It fits and feels right all the way around. However, when we come at people with insincerity, its evident and obvious on each end. I’ve had to reflect on this one more than the others because I want to say even if you don’t feel it in you to be kind, fake it. But that is disingenuous. So here’s a better way… don’t fake it, force it. Force yourself to repress your nasty nature and let the nature of Christ in you to come forth.

And here’s a key to being REAL-ly kind - eye contact is a connecting point for real kindness. Pulling off the interstate last week I rolled up to an old man with a cardboard sign. The kindness of Jesus came over me and I rolled down the window to hand him a $20. He reached out to grab it and I held the bill for a moment which caused him to look up and make eye contact with me. I let the love flow through my eyes for a moment and then told him the source of that love. He stepped closer to my car door, got teary, discovered trying to say something to me his voice choked out, and so he just hugged my entire arm. Somehow the eye contact thing communicated to him that God sees him and loves him. It was an interesting moment. Perhaps I’m making too much of this but I really had the sense that deliverance power was present in that moment and had I taken a few more moments the fullness of God’s love and power would have come on the unsuspecting brother.

Imagine the brother getting laid out in the Spirit right there beside the road, people would have thought it was a drive-by shooting…. and I guess it would have been a drive-by of sorts!

Which candidate would you want to kiss your baby?

That just may be the million dollar question this fall. More on this matter over at my Voices Carry blog.

Reciprocating Kindness

I’ve been reflecting on kindness for a couple weeks - it’s a rare thing to find on the internet especially. Although I’m posting this on the internet, my real aim is to stir up more kindness in the Body of Christ - in our church, in your church.

A few of us have been talking about how so few of us reciprocate kindness. You know what I’m talking about… we invite people over, they never invite us over. We call them, they don’t call us. I believe kindness is a form of mercy and the Bible teaches that we can stop the flow of mercy if we don’t share it ourselves. Kindness that comes to you must quickly flow through you. We kill it when we keep it. It has a short shelf life.

To reciprocate means to return in kind or degree. I’ve been thinking of the reasons we don’t reciprocate kindness. I hope you can add to my list and that you’ll be brutally honest…

1. We are too busy or tired, or we assume they are (Are you giving off a vibe that you are too busy for somebody? Maybe it’s like the pretty girl who never gets asked out on a date. Maybe people are incorrectly assuming your social calendar is already full and so they don’t call you. I struggle with the flip side of this - fatigue - how many more people can I call? Really, I’ve answered 50 emails since my kids left for their two week internship a week ago last Sunday, and yet I haven’t emailed them. If we can’t meet our family commitments, how can we do anything more for others?

2. We are embarrassed to have people in our home - too messy? Or, we don’t have the money.

3. We’ve been hurt or rejected before

4. We possess a sense of entitlement, others are there to bless us.

5. We don’t want to open the door to one who needs more from us than we are willing/able to give.

6. We are unaware of what we have to offer

7. We are irritated by other aspects of those being kind to us.

If you are one who has extended yourself to others and kindness has not been reciprocated back to you, how do you keep from being offended?

Irena Sendler or Al Gore? And the winner is…

Last month on my pro-LIFE blog I paid tribute to a spectacular lady named Irena Sendler. Irena Sendler saved 2500 babies and children from the Holocaust. Her pro-life mantle is up for grabs. You can read my comments here and here. My friend Bob Ellis in Rapid City just plopped this YouTube clip on his blog - thanks Bob for finding it. Irena Sendler was nominated last year for the Nobel Peace Prize but was beat by Al Gore. I have so so so much to say about that travesty but I’ll let you just think it yourself.

Mad at God? Struggling to forgive others? Read “The Shack”

If you are mad at God, struggling to forgive others, otherwise discouraged, sad, miserable or stuck spiritually, I encourage you to read The Shack by William P. Young. (It came out last year and I’m just now getting around to reading it.) Actually, everyone who wants to know more of what God is like and what God is thinking would benefit, but I especially commend The Shack to those who’ve known pain, loss or who’ve been hurt by others. The author himself suffered great loss as a child.

If you have a hunger to plummet the depths of God, skip seminary and spend a few days with this book. Really, from one who has been to seminary, and read the book, I recommend the latter (and not just because it’s cheaper). William P. Young, aka Willie, has been given a deep and profound revelation of God, the human condition (suffering), and even some new light on the mystery of the Trinity. Prophetic people will discern the voice of God throughout. There are layers of depth here, one read is insufficient. Young is either a seer who has been in the Realms of Glory himself, or God dictated some of the detail of that environment to him. It’s fully fictional, and a number of you know I’m not much for fiction, but this transcends fiction - I found it to be theologically sound and hugely stretching at the same time. I’m hesitant to pronounce something a “classic” before time bears out that fact. However, my sense is this book will occupy a special place for some time far removed from the ocean of Christian fiction out there today.

Expect The Shack to help you set religious expectation aside and usher you into greater intimacy with God. This book is about the Presence of God and the purposes of God. It uncovers God’s heart for relationship with us. The dimensions of love are sketched out here. The Cross and why Jesus died are explained in paradigm shifting ways. The judgments of our own heart against God and others are exposed, as is the shallowness of our understanding and the self-centeredness of our complaints.

I hope the book becomes a movie, the website says it’s so, but I’m not sure this is capture-able in that format. It’s a revelation, maybe with a capital “R”. It’s a mystic book - in the good way of testifying to a genuine encounter with God.

The Shack hit #7 on Amazon.com sales. That’s remarkable really. Here’s my theory… God is involved in this book and we are heading into tough times here at the end of the age. The Bible says many will fall away under the pressure of the End Times. That is, people now standing with Christ will become bitterly offended by him… how could a “loving God” allow such trauma to come upon the earth? My sense is God is preparing people for these times by releasing a revelation of intimacy and greater understanding to the Bride of Christ.

Florida Revival - Todd Bentley answers his critics, Dr. Gary S. Greig gets healed and provides an independent theological witness

So far I’ve cranked out eight posts on this subject - perhaps I should have waited as Todd Bentley just produced his own seven page response to his critics and those concerned. Perhaps far more valuable is this (which some will miss because its at the end of the paper - so I’ll paste it here)…

Dr. Gary S. Greig, PhD., a former Associate Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Regent University School of Divinity, and Senior Editor, Theology and Acquisitions for the Regal Publishing Group. In his letter, this biblical scholar and theologian shared that the Lord had healed him of sleep apnea while entering into worship while watching a telecast of the Lakeland Outpouring. He wrote that the Lord prompted him to write and send us an independent theological witness to help as many leaders and believers as possible understand that the Lakeland Outpouring is from God. That by writing this theological response to questions and criticisms in: Biblical Reasons to Receive God’s Glory and Give it Away in Power Evangelism, that as many as possible would receive “biblical permission” to get on board and fully commit to receiving the Lord’s glory and anointing, and to give it away in power evangelism. This paper is written at a high level of scholarship for pastors, church leaders, and theologians yet is understandable to the layperson. The Lord told Dr. Greig to “sow into the revival,” not by publishing this 55 page booklet in a conventional way, but by donating it to Fresh Fire Ministries to use as we will, even if it’s just as an encouragement to the ministry.

Big thanks to Dr. Greig and praise God for touching this man. This is huge and an answer to my prayers! I encourage everyone to read it, especially those who are honestly searching all this out right now. More of this and we’ll see evangelicals start to open up to the move of God. You can download Dr. Greig’s booklet here.

Now, here’s Todd’s paper:

Lifting Jesus High!
Bringing Biblical Light to Your Questions about
the Lakeland Outpouring & Todd Bentley

June 8, 2008

Dear Friends,

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for hearing my heart on some of the issues that seems to be causing division and some confusion in the Body of Christ.

A parody; the doctrine police take a break from straining gnats at the Lakeland Healing Outpouring to take aim at Psalm 23

I offer this parody to compliment what I’ve already written on the Florida Healing Outpouring, Todd Bentley and all the anonymous heresy hunters online who stay in the shadows slinging arrows (Ps 64) at others in the Bride of Christ. (Shadows remember, are a form of darkness).

In any case, someone sent me what it might look like if the same types presently picking on Todd Bentley and the Florida Outpouring were to turn their guns toward Psalm 23. Enjoy. Who knows who wrote this but I thank them. In case you are wondering, the reference to “straining gnats” comes from Matthew 23:24 - “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

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HERESY HUNTERS INSTITUTE, INC.
Address unlisted

Dear brother,

Thank you for sending us the questionable document. We are always glad to examine any teaching materials that may adversely affect the Church. We do think that this material is dangerous and certainly want to warn the Body of Christ concerning its subtle false doctrines.