Strengthen The Things That Remain

^{Rev 3:2}  Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight.  (AMP)

^{Rev 3:2} Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. (NIV)

Bob Dylan borrowed this text and asked the question, “When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?”

But what are the things that remain? Matthew Henry writes:

Some understand this of persons; there were some few who had retained their integrity, but they were in danger of declining with the rest. It is a difficult thing to keep up to the life and power of godliness ourselves, when we see a universal deadness and declension prevailing round about us. Or it may be understood of practices, as it follows: I have not found thy works perfect before God, not filled up; there is something wanting in them; there is the shell, but not the kernel; there is the carcase, but not the soul—the shadow, but not the substance. The inward thing is wanting, thy works are hollow and empty; prayers are not filled up with holy desires, alms-deeds not filled up with true charity, sabbaths not filled up with suitable devotion of soul to God; there are not inward affections suitable to outward acts and expressions. Now when the spirit is wanting the form cannot long subsist.

Warren B. Smith at the blog titled Herescope, looks at the difference between a succumber and an overcomer, in reference to today’s scripture and others:

Overcomer –one who patiently waits for Jesus Christ’s return, hates evil, tests and tries false teachers and false apostles, labors for the true Jesus Christ with patience and does not faint under pressure (Revelation 2:2-3); one who does not fear suffering and is faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10); one who holds fast to the name of Jesus Christ and does not deny the true faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:13); one who holds fast, is not seduced by false teachers and false teachings and keeps the works of Jesus Christ unto the end (Revelation 2:20-26); one who is watchful and strengthens the things that remain, remembers what he has received, holds fast, and is always ready to repent (Revelation 3:2-3); one who keeps the Word of Jesus Christ, does not deny His true name, and holds fast to what he has (Revelation 3:8-11); one who is willing to be rebuked and chastened (Revelation 3:19).

 

In short, one who is faithful to Jesus Christ and all that He teaches in His true Holy Word.

 

Succumber — one who does not wait patiently for Jesus Christ’s return, does not hate evil, does not test and try false teachers and false apostles, does not labor for the true Jesus Christ with patience and does faint under pressure (Revelation 2:2-3); one who does fear suffering and is not faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10); one who does not hold fast to the name of Jesus Christ and does deny the true faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:13); one who does not hold fast, is seduced by false teachers and false teachings and does not keep the works of Jesus Christ unto the end (Revelation 2:20-26); one who is not watchful and does not strengthen the things that remain, does not remember what he has received, does not hold fast, and is not always ready to repent (Revelation 3:2-3); one who does not keep the Word of Jesus Christ, does deny His true name, and does not hold fast to what he has (Revelation 3:8-11); one who is not willing to be rebuked and chastened (Revelation 3:19).

 

In short, one who is not faithful to Jesus Christ and all that He teaches in His true Holy Word.

At the blog, For His Glory:

When a church is tolerant of sin, when it stops moving forward spiritually, it becomes a sick church, and eventually a dead church. That was the case with another church, the church in Sardis. And here was Jesus’ prescription for spiritual recovery: “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God” (Revelation 3:2 (NIV)

This church in Sardis looked good on the outside, but the fire was gone. So Jesus essentially told them, “Wake up! Stay with me – there is still hope.”

And he says the same to those today who are tolerating evil, who have gone from a little compromising to full toleration rationalization of it. It’s time to wake up.

Chris Crain examines the waking up theme; here is a short excerpt:

Sardis was captured two different times while the watchmen failed to watch.  The city was taken by Cyrus II (547 BC) and Antiochus III (214 BC) by sneak attack.  This church was asleep.  They had missed opportunities.

Spiritually, the church was in a coma (cf. ESV Study Bible) and close to dying, but there was still hope.

Jesus is able to wake the dead.  Jesus gives life to the church.  No man-made program can resurrect the dead.  The church was given life on Pentecost.  The life of the church comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.

When the believer (or church) becomes dull, lifeless and sinful, the Holy Spirit is grieved and the fire is dimmed.

Romans 13:11-12 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Dr. Stacy L. Spencer offers some application:

1. Wake Up! Sometimes, we can fall into a lull or go through the motions and not realize that we are sleepwalking through our best years. Every morning you ought to wake up earlier so you can spend time with God and get to working on your future. You still have time to do it but you have to wake up now.
2. Strengthen what remains and is about to die. There’s something you were doing that was great but it’s in danger of dying because you’ve neglected it. You still have time to get it back because it’s not dead you just have to strengthen what remains.
3. Jesus has not found your deeds complete. Have you done everything that God put in your heart and mind to do? If not, then you are not finished. You can’t move on to the next level until you’ve finished everything on the previous level. Finish what God told you to do so he can take you to the next level this … year.

On the ‘wake up’ theme today, we’re including Keith’s Green video, Asleep in the Light.

Preaching on Sin

We’ve frequently borrowed from the blog Daily Encouragement, but today’s post from Stephen Weber is a classic article he wrote for a blog experiment, Clear Minded.  You can find it and one other article here.

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine”(2 Timothy 4:2). 

“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

Preaching on sin; how the pendulum has swung even in my lifetime on this issue. Many my age and older will recall when sin was regularly addressed from the pulpit boldly and forthrightly. However now there’s (in my observation) far less preaching on sin and a great reluctance among many preachers to address sin specifically.  I have given some thought as to why this is so:

1. Preaching on sin is seen as “legalistic.” Let me address several understandings of legalism as I have heard the word used:

• Legalism is a system where it is preached or assumed that following a certain set of rules is the source of salvation. That is; what we do or don’t do in following these rules determines our eternal destiny. The faithful preacher must forcefully renounce this form of legalism.  The Biblical teaching is that we are saved by grace through our faith in Christ and His finished work.

• Legalism to many means a varying list of man-made rules regarding all manner of issues such as dress, entertainment, technology, etc. These issues vary by geography, denominational background and age.  Brooksyne speaks of growing up with “clothesline” preaching where the preacher specifically addressed specific dress standards (usually focusing on the women).  She really didn’t understand grace till Bible College. The faithful Biblical pastor will see that any addressing of and denunciation of sin has a solid Biblical foundation and is not merely a cultural or personal preference.

However the man of God must be committed to preaching the whole counsel of God including addressing sin and its terrible consequences. Proclaiming the moral standards of Scripture is not legalism!

2. Preaching on sin may turn off newcomers or “seekers.” That’s true, particularly in this age of relativism in which we live. However the proclamation of God’s truth should not be motivated by this as long as the message also contains the gospel of redemption.

3. We need to focus on the positive and God’s love and grace. Absolutely, but again proclaiming the whole counsel of God will certainly include addressing sin.

4. This behavior is so popular and it’s now legal or “constitutional”. This is a major detriment to sound Biblical preaching. Many behaviors that were once recognized as sinful have become popular and  legalized according to the laws of man.  The law of God is far greater and our mission is to proclaim His law as truth rather than man’s.

5. We are not to judge others and we are to be tolerant of all. These are two of the dominant attitudes of our day. The apostle Paul, in practicing church discipline, passed judgment on the immoral brother and certainly did not tolerate his behavior in 1 Corinthians 5.

6. Addressing these behaviors is hateful and mean-spirited. This is silencing many preachers of righteousness. We are flooded with new meanings for hateful and mean-spirited, particularly if its addressing sins that are politically correct and have growing acceptance in society at large.

7. It will make those who may be involved in the sinful behavior feel bad about themselves. Better to feel bad and hear and hopefully heed a warning than live in ignorance.

8. Pastors may feel they shouldn’t address a subject matter unless they have it 100% conquered. Certainly we should expect our pastors to live a righteous life and not be a hypocrite. As the Spirit deals with them they should repent of their sin, seek to please God, and be an example to their spiritual flock.  However they should proclaim God’s Word even though they may not have fully attained.

A corollary attitude from the pew may be a feeling that the pastor shouldn’t preach on any subject matter unless he himself has no problems with it or any other issue.  You would have to wait for a perfect pastor (none exist) or more likely one who is proud and self-deceived!

9. People just don’t want to hear this kind of preaching anymore. Indeed some don’t. But our call to preach the Word and proclaim the full counsel of God is not based on popularity polls.  But let me speak here as one earnest Christian in the pew (as I normally am now since I am not in pastoral ministry at this time and thus regularly preaching from the pulpit. I feel I speak for many but of course not all.)

• A strong denunciation of sin may not be the most “enjoyable” message but I am challenged and edified when I hear God’s truth proclaimed and sin denounced.

• The issue addressed may apply directly to me.  Ouch! That can bring conviction, a healthy work of the Holy Spirit.   May the Holy Spirit keep my heart soft so that I may feel His conviction and deal with the troubling matter in my life rather than blame the pastor for preaching the Word. My discerning response should not be “this sure annoys me” but rather “is this true according to the Scriptures and what action should I take.”  If it is I need to deal with it and thank God for a preacher who cares enough and is bold enough to bring it to my attention.

10. The pastor may not have it completely right when seeking to apply a Biblical principle to a modern issue. That may be so but if you value your pastor you should also value his counsel, input, and thoughtful study on current matters. Listen as a Berean checking the Scriptures yourself.

11. Even issues very specifically addressed in the Bible may tend to be skirted around or in some cases reinterpreted from what has been their normal understanding. I am also wary of what some new translations and paraphrases are doing with words and traditional understanding of sinful actions.

May God help me and my many pastor friends to truly preach the whole counsel of God!

 

Please note: Certainly I am aware that many pastors continue to boldly address sin and my pastor has tackled many of these topics.

~Stephen C. Weber

You’re invited to visit Stephen’s regular blog, Daily Encouragement.  Click the image below:

 

 

Show Your Power, Lord

Today we flash back to a C201 post from exactly two years ago…

What do you do if the Passover has already passed over, the Red Sea has already parted, and the son has already stood still? Habakkuk no doubt felt like he’d missed Israel’s “glory days.”

^{Habakkuk 3:2(NIV)} LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

We do the same thing. It’s easy to wish that we could see the miracles. Maybe you missed the “third wave” of the charismatic movement in the 1970s; or missed the ocean baptisms of the Jesus movement, also in the ’70s. Maybe you missed the moment at a Creation Festival; or couldn’t attend a particular year of Promise Keepers. Perhaps you weren’t there when that church doubled its attendance in six months; or when that individual was dramatically healed, or another delivered from a particular addiction.

Or maybe you didn’t miss a thing, but feel like nothing compares to Old Testament signs and wonders or first century miracles. Like Habakkuk you say:

^{Habakkuk 3:2(NIV)} LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

But always remember how he ends this particular chapter. Even if life appears to be the opposite of all that you’d like to see, even if, as the Brits say, it’s all gone pear shaped; our faith is not shaken. It doesn’t negate the prayer of verse 2, but in 17-19 the prophet puts things in a larger perspective:

^{Habakkuk 3:17-19a (NLT)} Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!

 

- = – = – = -

My reading of chapter 3 of Habakkuk was inspired by listening to a great sermon by Darren Whitehead, a teaching pastor at Willow Creek.

Who We Are In Christ

I’ve previously run the poster version on the characteristics of Christ followers, but had never seen one where someone had taken the time to provide scripture links for all the various attributes we hold to as the people of God.  So, when I found this at the blog DiveInScripture, I knew I had to reblog it here. (You might want to copy the link and send it to friends. Just copy and paste this paragraph and they can read it at source.)

 Loved by God Jhn 3:16
 Forgiven Col 1:14
 Confessing the Lordship of Jesus Over Our Lives Phl 2:11
 Saved by Grace through Faith Eph 2:8
 Loving God with All of our Hearts, Souls & Minds Mat 22:37
 Born Again Children of God Rom 8:16
 Delivered from the Powers of Darkness Col 1:13
 Redeemed from the Hands of the Enemy Psa 107:2
 Called with a Holy Calling 2Ti 1:9
 Created in His Image Rom 8:29
 Not of This World Jhn 17:16
 Of God’s Household of Faith Gal 6:10
 In Love with God 1Jo 4:19
 Seeking First His Kingdom & Righteousness Mat 6:33
 Abiding in His Love 1Jo 4:16
 Healed by His Stripes 1Pe 2:24
 Free from Fear 1Jo 4:18
 Crowned with His Loving Kindness & Tender Mercies Psa 103
 Redeemed from the Curse of the Law Gal 3:13
 Free from the Law of Sin & Death Rom 8:32
 Heirs of Eternal Life 1Jo 5:11-12
 Heirs to the Blessings of Abraham Gal 3:14
 Heirs of God & Joint Heirs with Jesus Rom 8:17
 Blessed with All Spiritual Blessings Eph 1:3
 His Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus Eph 2:10
 Strong in the Grace That Is in Christ Jesus 2Ti 2:1
 In Rightstanding with God 2Co 5:21
 Established in Righteousness Isa 54:14
 Living in His Kingdom Col 1:13
 Humbling Ourselves, Casting All Cares Upon Jesus 1Pe 5:6-7
 Getting Our Needs Met by Jesus Phl 4:19
 Able to Be Partakers of the inheritance, Giving Thanks to the Father Col 1:12
 Studying to Show Ourselves Approved of God 2Ti 2:15
 Awakening to Righteousness & Sinning Not 1Cr 15:34
 Commended to God & the Word of His Grace Which Is Able to Build Us Up Act 20:32
 Believing God’s Word Mar 13:31
 Blessed Because We Hear the Word of God And Keep It Luk 11:28
 Abiding in Jesus & His Words Abide in Us Jhn 15:7
 Always Meditating on God’s Word Jos 1:8
 Living by Every Word That Proceeds from God Mat 4:4
 Rooted & Built Up in Him & Established in the Faith Col 2:6-7
 Building Our House Upon the Rock Mat 7:24-25
 Being Transformed by the Renewing of Our Minds Rom 12:2
 Increasing in the Knowledge of God Col 1:10
 Letting His Truth Set Us Free Jhn 8:32, 36
 Covenanted to God Hbr 8:6, 10
 Filled with All Joy & Peace in Believing Rom 15:13
 Doers of the Word Jam 1:22
 Sons & Daughters of God Gal 3:26
 The Body of Christ Eph 1:22-23
 Laborers together with God 1Cr 3:9
 Servants of the Most High Act 16:17
 Having the Mind of Christ Phl 2:5
 Walking in Newness of Life Rom 6:4
 Led by His Spirit Rom 8:14
 Trusting in the Lord Acknowledging Him in All Our Ways Pro 3:5-6
 Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ Gal 3:27
 Partakers of His Divine Nature 2Pe 1:4
 Walking with Love & Living by Faith 1Cr 13 & Rom 1:17
 Predestined to Be Conformed to His Image Rom 8:29
 Pressing on to His High Calling Phl 3:14
 Allowing the Greater One to Dwell in Us 1Jo 4:4
 Letting Our Request Be Known to God Phl 4:6
 Asking in the Name of Jesus Jhn 15:16
 Receiving the Request We’ve Asked For Mar 11:24
 Receiving All the Promises of God 2Cr 1:20
 Fully Convinced That What God Has Promised He Is Able to Perform Rom 4:21
 Believers Mar 9:23
 Abiding in His Rest Hbr 4:3
 Walking & Acting Like the Word Is True Jam 2:17-18
 Holding Fast Our Confidence Which Has Great Reward Hbr 10:35
 The Elect of God Col 3:12
 Filled with the Holy Spirit Act 2:4, 2:39
 Complete in Him Col 2:10
 Going in His Name Mar 16:15-18
 Strong in the Lord & in the Power of His Might Eph 6:10
 Filled with the Knowledge of His Will in All Wisdom & Spiritual Understanding Col 1:9
 Not Moved by What We See Rom 4:19
 Strong in Faith, Giving Glory to God, Not Wavering with Doubt or Unbelief Rom 4:20
 Imitators of Jesus Eph 5:1
 Walking As He Walked 1Jo 2:6
 Praying without Ceasing 1Th 5:17
 Walking by Faith Not by Sight 2Cr 5:7
 Casting Down Vain Imaginations, Bringing Every Thought into Captivity to God’s Word 2Cr 10:4-5
 Holding Fast Our Confession of Faith Hbr 10:23
 Calling Things That Be Not As Though they Were Rom 4:17
 Fighting the Good Fight of Faith 1Ti 6:17
 Reigning in Life Rom 5:17
 Exercising Our Faith & Patience Hbr 6:12
 Considering Jesus, the Apostle & High Priest of Our Confession Hbr 3:1
 Observing & Doing the Lords Commandments Jhn 14.21
 Putting on Love Col 3:14
 Loving Our Neighbors As Ourselves Mat 22:39
 Walking in the Wisdom of God Jam 1:5
 Kings & Priest Rev 1:6
 Givers Luk 6:38
 Intercessors 1Ti 2:1
 Wearing God’s Armour Eph 6:10-18
 Doing All Things through Christ Who Strengthens Us Phl 4:13
 Daily Overcoming the Devil 1Jo 4:4
 More Than Conquerors Rom 8:37
 Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb& the Word of Our Testimonies Rev 12:11
 Exercising Our Authority Over the Enemy Luk 10:19
 Destroying the Works of the Devil 1Jo 3:8
 Convinced That Nothing Can Separate Us from the Love of God Rom 8:35-39
 In Everything Giving Thanks 1Th 5:18
 Establishing God’s Word Here on the Earth Mat 16:19
 Receiving Abundantly, Above All We Ask or Think Eph 3:20
 Walking Worthy of the Lord Col 1:10
 Telling Everyone about Jesus Rom 16:25
 Thinking on these Things Phl 4:8
 Giving God All the Glory Rom 16:27
 Blessing the Lord at All Times. Continually Praising the Lord with Our Mouths Psa 34:1
 Definitely Looking For His Soon Return 1Th 4:15-18

Following Jesus Into: The World, Love, Death

Today I spent some time studying the blog of Jeremy Myers.  Jeremy was a pastor in a conservative church until he had an epiphany that caused him to take a second look at the traditional church structure.  While not everyone will agree with all his conclusions, I think we can be challenged by his writing to think a little (or a lot) outside the box.  The following are teasers from three recent blog posts he wrote, you’ll need to click the TITLE of each to read the full article…  (If you’ve only got time for one, choose the middle one!)

Following Jesus into the World

In my book, Skeleton Church, I suggest that church is best defined as “The people of God who follow Jesus into the world.” Jesus wants to take the church out of our buildings and into the streets and parks of our towns to love and serve the people who are there.

What will this look like in your town and your community?

…Nobody really knows what church will look like ten, twenty, or a hundred years from now. Even the path to get wherever we are going is full of questions and uncertainty…

[click the title to continue reading]

Following Jesus into Love

There are several characteristics which define and identify those people and churches who are following Jesus into the world.

First, they will be known for their love.

Christians should be the most loving people on earth, not just by what we say, but by what we do. People should not have to be told that Christians are loving, but should tangibly see our love in what we do for others daily.

One of the best ways to reveal this is not just in loving one another, but also in loving those whom others hate.

In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus tells His disciples that they must be characterized by love for their enemies. They must love them, bless them, and pray for them. In a world that wants the death and destruction of our enemies, those who love, bless, and serve their enemies are viewed as traitors…

[click the title to continue reading]

Following Jesus into Death

Followers of Jesus will be characterized by death and resurrection.

We all want to experience the resurrected life of Jesus, but before we can rise to new life in the future, we must die to ourselves and die to our past. The church that does not die chooses instead to live in a vegetative state on artificial life support.

We cling to the past, to the traditions and to the forms of church handed down to us from the eras of Constantine, the Reformation, and Industrialism. Churches that cling to these past forms are still living, but without any real life. This fight to keep from dying allows us to survive, but only as the living dead.

It is when we embrace death that we rise again to new life…

[click the title to continue reading]

^{Luke 9:57} As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

—

^{Matthew 16:24} Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

 

Church Year in Review

The church annual business meeting is a both longstanding tradition, and requirement

Over the next few weeks, several churches in my part of the world are holding their annual meeting.  Though required by law, it’s also a good opportunity for churches to step back and see the ‘big picture’ of church life, consider what God is doing through their efforts, thank God for His provision and look forward to the future.

The danger of course is to reduce meetings like this to statistics; to pie-chart and bar-graph church life to extremes. I doubt the first century church did this kind of record-keeping, and the Apostle Paul — who had a great mind when it came to understanding justification and atonement — was somewhat fuzzy on if or when he had baptized people.

Ohio pastor Paul Clark at the blog Vision Meets Reality doesn’t post very often, but back in December he linked to his church’s annual report which begins with 13 measures of a healthy church:

1. People are coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Our missions program is expanding locally, nationally and globally.
3. People are making public professions of faith through baptism.
4. Attendance in worship services is increasing.
5. The worship experience is vibrant, enthusiastic and intergenerational.
6. There is broad participation in serving throughout the ministries.
7. New ministries are beginning as God imparts vision.
8. Guests are being connected to church life.
9. Covenant membership is increasing.
10. Our budgetary needs are being met.
11. Leaders are being developed and placed in ministry roles.
12. Scripture is central to our message.
13. Staff relationships are healthy.

That’s the kind of church I want to be a part of; though I think the eleven hour round trip would take its toll after a few Sundays. Although he pastors a larger church, I believe these goals are viable at some level for churches of all shapes and sizes.

What else does a healthy church look like?  Here’s how The Message translates two familiar passages:

^{Acts 2:38-39}Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”

 ⁴⁰He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”

 ^41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.

 ^43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.

 ^46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

…

^{Acts 4:31}While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.

 ^32-33The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.

 ^34-35And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.

Tim Chester: Communities of Performance versus Communities of Grace

Tucked away in the November, 2008 archives of Timothy Chester’s blog is a fascinating distinction between two types of Christian community. He writes:

In performance-oriented churches people pretend to be okay because their standing within the church depends on it. A ‘sorted’ person is seen as the standard or the norm, and anyone who is struggling is seen as sub-standard or sub-Christian. In this kind of environment to acknowledge that you’re struggling with sin is difficult and distressing.But this is the opposite of grace. Grace acknowledges that we are all sinners, we are all messed up people, all struggling, all doubting at a functional level. But grace also affirms that in Christ we all belong, all make the grade, all are welcome, all are Christians (there are no lesser Christians).

Imagine such a church for a moment:

• Here is Andrew: he sometimes uses po rn because he struggles to find refuge in God.
• Here’s Pauline: she sometimes has panic attacks because she struggles to believe in the care of her heavenly Father.
• Here’s Abdul: he sometimes looses his temper because he struggles to believe that God is in control.
• Here’s Georgina: she sometimes has bouts of depression because she struggles to believe God’s grace.

Communities of Performance	Communities of Grace
*the leaders appear sorted	*the leaders are vulnerable
*the community appears respectable	*the community is messy
*meetings must be a polished performance	*meetings are just one part of community life
*identity is found in ministry	*identity is found in Christ
*failure is devastating	*failure is disappointing, but not devastating
*actions are driven by duty	*actions are driven by joy
*conflict is suppressed or ignored	*conflict is addressed in the open
*the focus is on orthodoxy and behaviour (allowing people to think they’re sorted)	*the focus is on the affections of the heart (with a strong view of sin and grace)

When they [Abdul, Paulina, Georgina and Andrew]  come together they accept one another and celebrate God’s grace towards each other. They rejoice that they are all children of God through the work of Christ. And they remind one another of the truths each of them needs to keep going and to change. It’s a community of grace, a community of hope, a community of change.

---

In a later post, Chester noted that communities of performance impede mission; that is to say they prevent real ministry from taking place:

Communities of Performance	Communities of Grace
*talk about grace, but communicate legalism	*people can see grace in action
*unbelievers can’t imagine themselves as Christians	*unbelievers feel like they can belong
*don’t attract broken people	*attract broken people
*the world is seen as threatening and ‘other’	*people are loved as fellow-sinners in need of grace
*conversion is superficial (people are called to respectable behaviour)	*conversion is radical (people are called to transformed affections)
*people are secretly hurting	*people are open about their problems
*people see faith and repentance as actions that took place at conversion	*people see faith and repentance as daily activities
*the gospel is for unbelievers	*the gospel is for both unbelievers and believers

Comfort Praying

Today’s thoughts were jointly posted in abridged form at Thinking Out Loud under the title,

Praying Out of Habit, Not Belief

I’m currently 50 pages into Called to Controversy, a biography of Moishe Rosen, the founder of a high profile U.S.-based ministry to those of Jewish background or ancestry.* I’ll review the book in detail later on, but I was struck by a story of an interaction between Moise and his father, Ben.

Busy as he was, Ben [Moishe's father] set aside an hour or so each evening to teach his sons his philosophy of life. Moishe recalled this as, “a combination of the Jewish sense of culture and achievement and his own brand of homey diligence.” He said, “Dad periodically made sure we could recite our Hebrew prayers and he stressed business principles that, had we written them down, would have made a valuable course in any business school. He taught us how to deal with people, how to determine the value of an item, and how to buy and sell.”

Regarding the prayers, Ben never hid the fact that he did not think much of religion in general. Moishe knew that if his father believed in God at all, it was not the God of the Jewish religion. At one point he asked, “Dad, why do we say these prayers if you don’t believe God is listening?”

“Sonny boy;” his father replied, “We say the pledge of allegiance to the flag because we are Americans. I don’t think the flag can hear us, do you? We say the prayers because we are Jews. If we don’t do these things, how else will people know we are Jews?”

And so Moishe learned from his father that the Jewish religion, though not necessarily to be believed in, was to be respected and practiced because it was part of what made people to be Jews.

(pp. 20-21)

This got me wondering if there are those within the fold of Christianity whose attendance at worship, or the recitation of perfunctory (because the children are watching) prayers is no different.

• “Of course we go to Church on Sunday. How else will people know we are Christians?”
  

• “Your great grandparents helped build that church, we will always have a part in it.”
  

• “No, I’m not sure God is listening to my prayer, but hey, I say the Pledge of Allegiance don’t I?”

• “Of course we’re Christian. Our family has always been Christians. But that identifies us socially and culturally, it doesn’t mean we believe the Bible.”

There’s probably more of this posturing going on in local churches than anyone of us would like to believe or care to admit. But those caught up in this may not be intending outright deception. They are probably simply enjoying what I would call “comfort” praying and “comfort” church attending and “comfort” Christian identifying. It feels good. It fits like an old, comfortable shoe. But it lacks authenticity.

^{II Timothy 3:5 (NLT)} They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

The full context of the verse is that this trend increases as “the last days” get closer. But the passage isn’t about predicting a trend.  Although prophetic in nature, the passage is a warning! Why “steer clear” (The Message translation) of such people?

^{The Message – I Tim 3:6-9}These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself “truth.” They get exploited every time and never really learn.

In other words, the passage seems to be saying that for anyone But that’s the opposite of how we view things.

We view the people who are nominal Christians or apostate Christians or social Christians as somewhat innocuous; non-threatening. To be sure they need to be restored to the faith, but their presence — while it weakens a local church overall — isn’t exactly detrimental. They are simply disappointing to the rest of the local church congregation, right?

But the Bible calls such people dangerous.

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Is Your Church Up To Code?

The week leading up to the April tax deadline is always a stressful, hectic week in our household and this past year it proved especially — pardon the pun — taxing, and one particular day had been more stressful than most

As I was driving to bank, I passed a large historic church. At the entrance to the church they had hung a large banner celebrating their 125th anniversary, but my very tired mind didn’t process the details correctly and instead out of the corner of my eye morphed the sign into the type of banner that a manufacturing plant hangs outside to announce that they have met the criteria for the International Standards Organization. As far as I was concerned, the banner said, “I.S.O. 9001 Certified;” until I did a double-take and more carefully noted the church’s anniversary.

That got me wondering though what it would be like if our churches had to meet I.S.O. standards. What if there was an independent body out their testing to see if we’re meeting our objectives, conveying our message accurately, using only the best “materials,” getting our “product” to the community efficiently, etc.?  What if they tested the purity of our hearts, the soundness of our doctrine, the motives behind our actions? Would your church be able to meet a world standard of performance? Would mine?

And what about the extent to which the church is made up of individual people.  What if they tested my life and work? Would I be awarded a banner to hang outside my home saying that I meet the standard of what it means to be a representative of Jesus Christ?

I believe that God calls his Church to excellence. We should aim for nothing but the best, regardless of whether or not we are a church of 200 or 300 or 400, or a church of “two or three gathered together.”

This is one of three “think” pieces today at C201

Know Any Revilers?

Usually the search for material to include here runs anywhere from five to fifteen minutes. This time around, I was a full hour looking for something that would satisfy my “depth meter” and I was finally rewarded with the discovery of a blogger who is more Christianity 301 than 201.  Scott Nassau lives in Los Angeles and specializes in Hebrew/Jewish studies.  He doesn’t blog often — this is his third most recent piece and it appeared in February — but the posts are worth waiting for, I guess.  This one was originally titled Why ‘Reviler’ is an Important Word.

I was recently prompted by my friend Joseph Barkley to look up the word reviler when he referenced the word in passing during his challenging sermon. While I like to think of myself as erudite, I was perplexed by my inability to provide a precise definition for the word. In the last few months I spent many hours studying for the GRE and have enjoyed the influx of new words I have added to my repertoire. Reviler was not one of those words. So I looked it up, and discovered that it refers to a person who criticizes with abusive language or in an insulting manner. If this were the extent of my research then this would not provide a very entertaining account.

In English Bibles, this word appears infrequently. The only two instances occur within Paul’s list of various vices (1 Cor 5:11; 6:10). The lists do not provide much context for understanding the meaning of the word; they simply indicate that a reviler does not accurately reflect God’s character and will not inherit God’s Kingdom. In these lists, Paul employs the Greek word loidoros, which simply refers to a verbally abusive person. The word also appears a few times in the Greek translation (LXX) of the Hebrew Bible, all of which refer to a quarrelsome or contentious person (Prov 25:24; 26:21; 27:15; Sirach 23:8). The original Hebrew word madon, the basis for the Greek translation loidoros, refers to strife, quarreling or scolding. The Proverbs teach that a quick-tempered person provokes strife, but the one who is slow to anger calms a quarrel (Prov 15:18; if so inclined, a quick glance at a few of these Proverbs will lead to some very entertaining reading, Prov 16:28; 17:14; 18:19; 21:19; 22:10; 23:29; 25:24; 26:20-21; 27:15; 28:25; 29:22).

By this point I have certainly bored every reader with this overly technical detail for a seemingly insignificant word. Yet the two related Greek words in the New Testament may help elucidate this issue further. First, the noun loidoria refers to speech that is highly insulting or abusive (1 Tim 5:14; 1 Pet 3:9). Peter tells the community of faith not to return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others (1 Pet 3:9). The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible uses this word to depict God’s anger with Israel when they complained and grumbled while in the desert (Ex 17:7; Num 20:24). Proverbs describes the person who spreads insults as a fool (Prov 10:18). Second, the verb loidoreo refers to the act of verbally disparaging a person (John 9:28; Acts 23:4; 1 Cor 4:12; 1 Pet 2:23). In the Septuagint, the verb continues to describe contentious or vituperative abuse, but can extend to an altercation, resulting in physical harm (Ex 21:18; see also Gen 49:23; Ex 17:2; Num 20:3, 13; Deut 33:8; 2 Mac. 12:14).

The underlying Hebrew word riv, behind the nominal and verbal Greek words, has a wide range of meaning, including both legal and nonlegal quarrels. The basic meaning of the verb relates to striving. In non-legal applications, the verb can describe either a physical brawl (Gen 26:20-22; Ex 21:18; Judg 11:25) or a verbal quarrel (Gen 31:36; Ex 17:2; Num 20:3). In legal situations, the verb describes the process of bringing a lawsuit against another party (Ex 23:2; Is 3:13; Jer 2:29; Mic 7:9). The nominal form of the word can also describe both non-legal disputes (Gen 13:7; Is 58:4) and legal litigation (Ex 23:3-6).

So why spend so much time discussing the tedious background to a word typically overlooked in modern vernacular? The reason? Obviously, Paul thought it a serious enough offense to mention it along with other vices; therefore, it is an important subject for those who seek to exemplify godly character. Unfortunately, the lack of understanding of this word has caused God’s people to either overlook vituperative speech or, even worse, passively accept such behavior as appropriate.

Sometimes the religious community can be the biggest perpetrators of reviling speech. Some Christian leaders (I will not mention any by name) are notorious for singling out certain sins and verbally assaulting those who struggle with said vices; yet, those who condemn others in an abusive manner are equally guilty of offending God’s righteous standard. At this point, some may take issue with me, thinking that I am advocating an amoral approach. This is entirely not true. When looking at God’s standard for holiness, we cannot simply choose to focus on certain sins that offend us and then decide to ignore the others. We are all broken, which means that we do not have the right to verbally assault others merely because we think their behavior is more offensive to God than our own. One of the reasons Paul includes revilers in his vice list is because it misrepresents God as an emotional demagogue.

A reviler is not only a person who verbally assaults others, but it also includes those with a contentious attitude. God expresses his anger with Israel for their cantankerousness when they grumble against him in the desert, because it illustrated their ingratitude (Ex 17:7; Num 20:24). Incessant complaining dishonors God, because it indicates that we are not thankful for the innumerable blessings God has provided for us. A quarrelsome attitude is equivalent to bringing a lawsuit against God, accusing him of wronging us with some great injustice.

Why is reviler such an important word? It is significant, because it deeply offends God. I know that it is very easy to justify our discontent or overlook our verbal assaults on others, but, if we are serious about reflecting God’s holiness, we cannot treat this behavior as acceptable. On our refrigerator we have a magnet challenging us to remove Lashon Hara, the Evil Tongue, from our midst. In regards to reviling, I think that magnet is appropriate. We can emulate God’s character not only by our actions, but also through our speech.

~Scott Nassau

Advent: A Time for Waiting

This morning our pastor read a quotation from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters from Prison in which he compares the time of waiting for the coming of the Messiah to being in prison and awaiting release.  There are actually two relevant quotations available online, and I want to share both of them:

“A prison cell like this is a good analogy for Advent: one waits, hopes, does this or that—ultimately negligible things—the door is locked and can only be opened from the outside.”

—Lutheran theologian and anti-Nazi martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Letters and Papers From Prison (1997) as quoted in the blog, A Boat Against The Current.

and

“Advent is a time of waiting. Our whole life, however, is Advent—that is, a time of waiting for the ultimate, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when all people are brothers and sisters and one rejoices in the words of the angels: “On earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.” Learn to wait, because he has promised to come. “I stand at the door…” We however call to him: “Yes, come soon, Lord Jesus!”  “

   –Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), A Testament to Freedom: the essential writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Geffrey B. Kelly, F. Burton Nelson, eds., HarperCollins, 1995, p. 186 as quoted in Christian Quotation of the Day.

While exploring however, I found an interesting sermon manuscript in the blog of First Presbyterian Church in Lodi, Wisconsin about how at least one denomination is changing its approach to the observance of Advent…

I know that if a lot of you had your way, we would be singing Christmas carols in worship by now.  That’s the way it used to be.  The carols would start with the first Sunday in Advent so that most of the popular ones had been sung by Christmas Day and we could then move on to the new year and think about something else.  Singing Christmas carols during Advent helped put us “in the mood” for Christmas and all of its trappings – most of which were unrelated to the real meaning of Christmas in the first place.  And I noted this week as I crammed in a little Christmas shopping that in at least half of the stores I entered, the background music wasn’t Christmasy at all.  By the music, you wouldn’t know Christmas was around the corner even though the decorations around you would tell you differently.  My guess is that there are those store managers and owners who have decided to set aside playing Christmas tunes this time of year in order that they would not offend anyone’s sensibilities.  Most of the music played in commercial places is of a secular nature anyway, with little if any allusion to the coming of Christ.

But somewhere in the last 50 years or so, Presbyterians, United Methodists, Lutherans began to take a second look at what the time of Advent means and what kind of music is appropriate for it.  The Roman Catholics have always held to the strong sense of Advent – a time of waiting for the Christ to come.  So, I suppose, in some sense, the so-called main-line churches have given a nod to the Roman Catholic Church, acknowledging that in this instance, they are right to take the position they have.  Advent is a time for waiting, for anticipating with hope the peace, joy and love that will prevail with the coming of the Christ.  Advent is also a double entendre – has  a double meaning:  we anticipate Christmas because we know the Christ child was born 2000 years ago; but we also anticipate during Advent the coming of the Christ for a second time.  And so we wait.  We hold off on our Christmas carols during Advent and we sing songs that reflect our anticipation of that coming.  And to satisfy those of you who prefer the familiar carols, we provide Advent lyrics to the favorite and familiar Christmas tunes.

But we wait.  And often we are impatient about it…

This is about the first one-third of the sermon transcript. I invite you to experience the rest of what the writer has to say.

A Church Where Freedom Reigns, A People Full of Grace

Occasionally there are worship song videos posted here, and I can’t think of a better time to do one than today, in light of all the reading we’ve had here this week.  If the videos aren’t your thing, this is a good day to carry on with parts 2, 3 and 4 of yesterday’s readings. 

Re. Yesterday:  For the record, I believe very definitely that “the buck stops” with the Bible as the final authority for those who follow Christ.  But I’m also understanding where the writer — an Eastern Orthodox person for whom tradition is placed in high regard — is coming from in reference to solo scriptura.  I hope that studying this material provides you with some things to think about.

The music video is from Eddie Kirkland from North Point Community Church.  This may not be your musical style, but listen once anyway and note the marriage of powerful (loud!) music with powerful (dynamic) lyrics.  This is a great opening song for any church that’s doing contemporary worship.

If you see something online that C201 readers should know about, be sure to click the “submissions” tab so that we can consider sharing your ‘find’ with everyone. If you have a blog of your own and have written something of a devotional nature or a Bible study nature that you’d like to see picked up here, click the same “submissions” tab.

Christianity 201 is a melting-pot of devotional and Bible study content from across the widest range of the Christian blogosphere.  An individual article may be posted even if some or all readers might not agree with other things posted at the same blog, and two posts may follow on consecutive days by authors with very different doctrinal perspectives.  The Kingdom of God is so much bigger than the small portion of it we can see from our personal vantage point, and one of the purposes of C201 is to allow readers a ‘macro’ view of the many ministries and individual voices available for reading.

Prayer Postures

This is a section from Mark Batterson’s new book The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, releasing this week in hardcover from Zondervan.  Mark serves as the lead pastor of National Community Church, one church with seven locations in Washington, DC.

Physical posture is an important part of prayer.  It’s like a prayer within a prayer.  Posture is to prayer as tone is to communication.  If words are what you say, then posture is how you say it.  There is a reason that Scripture prescribes a wide variety of postures such as kneeling, falling prostrate on one’s face, the laying on of hands and anointing someone’s head with oil.  Physical postures help posture our hearts and minds.

When I extend out my hands in worship, it symbolizes my surrender to God.  Sometimes I’ll raise a clenched fist to celebrate what Christ has accomplished for me on the cross and declare the victory He has won.  We do it after a great play, so why not during a great song?

During the most recent Lenten season, Parker and I got up a half hour earlier than normal to allow a little extra time to read Scripture.  We also decided we would get on our knees when we prayed.  The physical posture of kneeling, coupled with a humble heart, is the most powerful position on earth.  I’m not sure that the kneeling position betters my batting average in prayer, but it gets me in the right stance.  All I know is this: humility honors God and God honors humility.  Why not kneel?  It certainly can’t hurt.

One of my favourite prayer postures I learned from the Quakers.  I lead our congregation in this prayer frequently.  We begin with hands facing down, symbolizing the things we need to let go of.  it involves a precess of confessing our sings, rebuking our fears, and relinquishing control.  Then we turn our hands over so they are facing up in a posture of receptivity.  We actively receive what God wants to give – joy unspeakable, peace that transcends understanding, and unmerited grace.  We received the fruit and gifts of His Spirit with open hands and open hearts.

There is nothing magical about the laying on of hands or bowing the knee or anointing the head with oil, but there is something biblical about it.  There is also something mystical about it.  When we practice these prescribed postures, we are doing what has been done for thousands of years, and part of thinking long is appreciating the timeless traditions that connect us to our spiritual ancestors.

The church I pastor is absolutely orthodox in belief but somewhat unorthodox in practice.  Meeting in movie theaters makes it difficult to have a lot of High Church traditions.  The movie screens are our postmodern stained glass; the smell of popcorn is our incense.  But just because we don’t practice a lot of extrabiblical religious rituals doesn’t mean we devalue biblical tradition.  Just because we believe the church should be the most creative place on the planet doesn’t mean we devalue tradition.  We aren’t religious about religion, the human constructs created over the generations to surround our faith with rituals.  We do, however, hold religiously to the timeless traditions of Scripture.

 

Post 600: Forgetting What You Look Like

Today is the 600th post at Christianity 201; though regular readers know that I write only a small fraction of them.  I thought I should write number six hundred, however…

Have you ever been in church and the pastor is preaching and after awhile it occurs to you that the whole sermon seems to be directed at one particular person’s situation?  It’s almost embarrassing.  It’s like everyone knows the minister is referring to Dan or Shirley or Marg or Jason, so why doesn’t he just go all the way and use their names?

But then, mysteriously, you’re drawn into a long conversation with Dan, Shirley, Marg or Jason a few weeks later, and you get the distinct impression that the sermon hasn’t changed a thing in their life; that whatever it was that made it so blatant to you and everyone else that it was about them, seems to have misfired or otherwise not taken root.

I suppose there are a number of possibilities here, of which three are:

• They were tuned out for most of the sermon; not paying attention
• The pastor’s remarks registered, but they assumed it applied to someone else, never considering it might be them to whom the sermon was most directly speaking
• The application and needed next steps registered, but were eventually dismissed or forgotten
• perhaps the cost of change or the price of obedience was simply too high

The Bible tells us we’re not simply to be hearers of the word, but doers of the word; but sometimes we mess up the hearing part which cancels out the rest.

 ^{James 1:22-24 (The Message)} Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like

Imagine not knowing what you look like.

People do this everyday however.  The middle aged man steps into his souped up sports car, turns the music on the sound system up high, and believes he is still 18.  He starts flirting with his assistant at work and with the receptionist at the dentist’s office, and forgets he’s graying; that he has a wife and kids.

He needs a mirror.

The woman who goes out to lunch to with four friends and then spontaneously offers to pick the tab for everyone’s meal before they embark on an afternoon of shopping, slapping down the credit card at store after store, forgetting that the bank has already canceled her other credit card because of too many missed payments, and her income prospects for the foreseeable future are rather dim.

She needs a mirror.

We all need a mirror.   An accurate one.  One that doesn’t distort the truth.  The clearest, most focused mirror is God’s word.  It shows us what right living looks like.  It tells us where we’ve messed up.  What we can do to get back on track.  What it will take for us to stay on track.  You can read more about this four-fold purpose of scripture by clicking here.

…Now then, imagine the same scenario, but it’s more like a bad dream.  The pastor preaches a similar sermon, but everyone turns around stares directly at you.  But weeks later your life is unchanged.

What would your excuse be?

Their Church Doesn’t Look Like Our Church

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Hebrews 13:3

Mental exercise. Imagine it’s Thanksgiving Day. You’re seated at the table at home with your family. You’re looking at the biggest feast you’ll have all year. It’s nice and warm inside, snappy cold outside. The house smells wonderful and all of your favourite relatives are there. The recent Thanksgiving church service was great. Fantastic music, good sermon.

Got the picture? OK. Time for some cut and paste.

Cut the turkey, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, salads, pie and all of the food on the table. Paste in spicy chicken, rice, dumplings, stir fried vegetables and fresh fruit.

Cut your house and paste in one that’s half the size or smaller. Or a 3 bedroom apartment containing 6 beds. Cut the new dining room suite and paste an old table and a bunch of chairs that don’t match.

Cut your TV(s), VCR(s), DVD(s), computer(s), game system(s), stereo(s), iPod(s), portable(s) and paste one small b&w TV and an AM/FM radio.

Cut the local Christian radio station and paste silence.

Look around the room and cut half of the kids. They died in infancy, so they’re not there. Paste in the woman next door and her 3 children. Paste an empty chair for her husband. He was arrested 6 months ago for telling somebody at the factory about Jesus. She hasn’t been allowed to see him for two weeks, but she keeps trying every day. In the last half a year she’s aged 10.

Cut your church building and paste an empty lot.

Cut the recent church service and paste 8 people in a living room reading the Bible while one keeps peeking out the window.

How many Bibles do you have in your house? Cut them all. While you’re at it, cut every book by Max Lucado, every worship CD, everything recorded by the Gaithers, every poster, card, plaque or T-shirt that has scripture or the name of Jesus on it. Paste one very worn and much mended paperback Bible that has somebody else’s name written inside the cover. It was given to you years ago by a Canadian “tourist” when he was told that you’d given your only Bible to somebody who needed it more. You’ve since heard that it was ripped up into sections to be shared. You’re very happy about that.

Got the picture now?

OK. Bow your head to say grace. “Thank you God for…” What? That none of it’s true? That, try as you might, you can’t even really imagine it?

Sunday November 13 is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. For our brothers and sisters for whom it is true. Take time to find out what you can and do what you can to support these Christ followers.

There is much we can learn from them.

~Ruth Wilkinson

The following groups are actively serving the persecuted Church. We urge you to use the links below to get more information about these groups and to visit their Web sites. They are your key to active involvement with the persecuted Church.

Christian Freedom International Christian Solidarity Worldwide Christians in Crisis Compassion Radio Fishhook International Gospel for Asia Greater Calling International Christian Concern Iranian Christians International

Jubilee Campaign Mission India Open Doors Persecution Project Foundation The Voice of the Martyrs World Bible Translation Center World Evangelical Alliance The Last Harvest