Here it comes: the moment you’ve been waiting for. Slowly, regally, the waiter in his tuxedo slips out the kitchen door with his tray held high. It’s as though he’s gliding across the floor in a choreographed dance. His eyes are lightly closed in confidence. A towel is draped softly over his arm. The white of his gloves gleams with perfection. There’s something regal about his performance that somehow enhances the anticipation.

The aroma of garlic and herbs wafts through the air. You begin to salivate. This is it! The waiter strides up next to you and the platter flows gently to the table before you. Beneath that shiny silver lid is the steak the whole world has been raving about. People say that once you taste the stake from this restaurant, “everything else is just cow.” You tuck your cloth napkin into your shirt and grin brightly as the waiter twirls his hand over the lid and swiftly lifts it past your head.

As the puff of steam rises theatrically into the air, the corners of your mouth fall with your chin. You don’t know if this is a mistake or some cruel prank. Everything seemed so wonderful, but the plate in front of you doesn’t have a steak on it—or at least you can’t see it if there is one. Instead, you have a six-inch pile of herbs and seasonings.

With your eyebrows curled upward, you look speechlessly to the waiter, but he’s already dancing back to the kitchen. Your gaze returns to the overpowering mountain of seasonings that awaits your consumption.

Finally—perhaps because you concede, or maybe just because you’re curious—you scoop the seasonings one spoonful at a time into your empty coffee mug. After a few minutes of your archeological dig, you unearth the shape of a steak. It really was in there! And now that you’ve worked your way down to the bare minimum, you sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on your meal.

Perfect.

“Is everything to your liking?” inquires the manager as he strolls up to your table.

“Well,” you begin, “It is now. What’s with the heap of spices my steak came buried in?”

“Oh no!” replies the apologetic manager, “This has happened before. I’m so sorry. You see, the master chef prepares the meal to his perfect liking, but there are about fifteen other cooks under his training who sometimes come along and add to his masterpiece. They must have all slipped a little in before your waiter brought it out.”

“I see. Well, it’s alright now.”

You cut your first piece from the tender slab of meat and it melts on your tongue. Yes, it’s true what they said; this is the best steak around—as long as it’s not lost in the seasoning.

Seasoning is great in moderation, but when it overpowers the meat, you might as well be eating shoe leather because it’ll taste the same anyhow. Ever notice how we’ve done the same thing with Christianity?

Jesus came and demonstrated something so simple. Now, two thousand years later, we have added fancy buildings, traditions, rituals, rock bands, stage lights, festivals, potlucks, outreaches, home groups, books, CDs, DVDs, Sunday School, family nights, illustrated sermons, colleges, weekend retreats (take a breath), summer camps, private schools, and more sermons in one day than we could hear in a lifetime. These things aren’t evil—they’re “seasonings” meant to enhance the meat of Christianity. The problem comes when the steak gets buried in the flavor. Sometimes it even gets swapped for “shoe leather” and we don’t even know it.

There are so many churches today that have all the right seasonings, but their meat is not the true meat of Christianity. Christ's true Church is foundationally built on Him alone, and any "seasonings" added to the mix must clearly reveal Him. Anything that distracts us from Jesus Christ is not of God. Even our focus on the Holy Spirit should bring us closer to Christ! Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will "take from what is Mine and make it known to you."

Real Christianity is not defined by the rituals, programs, events, and meetings that we hold--these are nothing but seasonings meant to enhance the flavor of the person of Christ. They should point to Him--not overpowering, but complimenting.

Psalm 34:8--Taste and see that the Lord is good!

I've got a "deep" one for you today, so take your time reading and let it all soak in. This is basic stuff we should all know, but it is rarely taught. It's not that it's controversial--it's that most people don't understand how we're made, so they avoid the subject. Nevertheless, God does understand how you're made--He's the One who did it!

Today's blog post comes from scripture by revelation of the Holy Spirit and time-tested proof. None of this is theory--it has all been proven time and again; so let it soak in (though I do welcome questions, open discussion, and additional insights).
--Art--

You have a body, a soul, and a spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The body is the physical "you"--we seem to all understand this one, so I won't really spend any time on it, except to say that it largely consists of your physical form, your impulses, and your perception. Then there's your soul, which consists of your mind, will, and emotions. Finally is your spirit, which is the part of you that is meant to have communion with God and thereby be the epicenter of authority and life.

The soul (mind, will, and emotions) seems to be the result of your body and spirit coming together. Think about it: ask a doctor where the soul exists, and they will say that it exists in biochemical reactions and nerve cells throughout your body. Ask many Christians, and they will often observe that the soul is primarily immaterial. Who's right? Both. When God made Adam, the Bible says that He formed him from the dust of the ground (BODY) and breathed into His nostrils the spirit of life (SPIRIT), and man became a living being (SOUL).

God's intention is that our "life" would flow from the spirit He placed within us. But when mankind fell into separation from God (a.k.a. “sin”), it was because we had chosen to put the desires of our body and soul ahead of the Truth in our spirit.

This is how most people live on a daily basis. Rather than “life” springing forth from one’s spirit, the person begins to define “life” as being “the experiences of one’s body and soul.” Therefore, we say things like, “My life is a wreck,” or, “Why is life so hard?”

But if real “life” is something God-given that comes from the spirit He placed within you, then how can you say your life is a wreck or that it’s difficult? The truth is actually that your circumstances are a wreck and your situation is difficult; and if you DID have “life,” you would be able to rise up and overcome those struggles!

Before we come to know Christ, we have a backwards way of living. Our understanding of “life” is purely external and relates directly to the body and soul. How do I feel right now? Am I happy? Am I hungry? Are my needs being met? Are my wants being fulfilled? Am I intellectually satisfied? Am I able to make good decisions? Am I healthy? Pretty? Handsome? Ugly? Fat? Depressed? Angry?

But when Jesus enters the scene, He gives us His Holy Spirit to awaken our own slumbering spirits and bring us to new life! Suddenly, life is AWESOME no matter what the circumstances are! And as we allow ourselves to be fueled by the Holy Spirit and our own unique, God-given spirit, it begins to affect our soul! We start to have peace in our emotions. We start to make better decisions with our will. Even our intellect (mind) is opened up to understand things the devil had been keeping us blind to. And from there, our bodies even get affected. Even secular doctors have observed the so-called “mind-body connection” in which most diseases are directly linked to negative thoughts and emotions. Jesus saves you—body, soul, and spirit—from the inside-out!

So ask Him today to give you His Holy Spirit and awaken the personal spirit He placed in you. Ask Him to give you the “abundant life” Jesus promised. Ask Him to transform your soul and body by helping you to live according to the “life” in your spirit.

Do not let your life be defined by your trials. Let your trials be impacted by your life! Are you going to be shaken by this world? Or are you going to be a world-shaker?

Jesus said, “In this world you will have troubles, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!”

I just posted the latest free podcast. This one is titled "Witnessing God" and deals with understanding what the Bible promises about the power of God in our everyday life.

"Witnessing" is not "telling people about Jesus" as we have come to use the word--that's "testifying." Rather, it implies personal experience and direct observation. Are you a witness of God?

You can download the podcast from the link above, or go to Podcast Alley to subscribe to the feed.

Have fun!
--Art--

The spiritual realm has a profound impact on the natural realm. Before the world was created, Genesis says that "the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the surface of the deep, and the earth at that time was "formless and void." But now the earth has been created, and it has form and activity. Why? Because instead of God being over the earth, He now exists "in and through all things."

Colossians 1:16,17--For by [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (NIV, emphasis mine).

Even our "smartest" scientists still marvel at the fact that atoms don't explode! The nucleus of an atom consists of only positive and neutral particles, and the electrons orbiting it are negativly charged. Any kid who has ever played with magnets knows that the "like poles" repel each other. Scientists merely credit this to some "mysterious force" which they have labeled "the strong force" as if they understood what they were talking about:

Remember, the nucleus contains neutrons and protons. The neutrons are electrically neutral, and so the electric force won't hold them in. Furthermore,the protons are all positively charged, and so they all repel each other. So if the electric force was the only force involved, you couldn't create a nucleus. You could try to push all those protons and neutrons together, but as soon as you let go, the protons would all shoot away from each other, and the neutrons would drift apart as well. There has to be some other force that holds protons and neutrons together.

Of course, since the electric force is constantly trying to drive the protons apart, the force that holds them all in must be stronger than the electric force. And keep in mind, the electric force gets stronger as charged particles get closer together, and the protons in a nucleus are very close together. As a result, the force that holds protons and neutrons together must be very strong. Well, in a brilliant stroke of imagination, physicists have named this force "the strong force."

The strong force is a force which attracts protons to protons, neutrons to neutrons, and protons and neutrons to each other. (Source: What Holds an Atom Together?)

Physicists have given their observation a name, but we know it is the result of a Person: Jesus Christ, in whom all things hold together! He IS the "Strong Force!" And as the article says, clearly this "strong force" must be more powerful than the electric force!

Pastor Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding California wrote in his book When Heaven Invades Earth that the reality in the spiritual realm is superior to the reality of the natural realm. That doesn't mean that the natural realm is "not real" any more than the "strong force" makes electricity "not real." It simply means that it is a superior reality that is more powerful. Bill Johnson writes in Chapter 4:

Real faith is not living in denial of the natural realm. If the doctor says you have a tumor, it's silly to pretend that it's not there. That's not faith. However, faith is founded on a reality that is superior to that tumor. I can acknowledge the existence of a tumor and still have faith in the provision of His stripes for my healing...I was provisionally healed 2000 years ago. It is the product of the kingdom of heaven--a superior reality. There are no tumors in heaven, and faith brings that reality into this one.

That's why Jesus taught us to pray: "...Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on earth just as it is in heaven." The will of God is a superior force to the will of the enemy. "...The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). Our God defys even the laws of nature--the laws which He created, by the way--to demonstrate His power. This is the source of all true miracles.

It's time that we allow God to expand our faith. We need to be able to admit the reality of that which exists in the natural realm, but we must also, by faith, be ambassadors of Christ who draw on the superior reality of the Kingdom of Heaven, which exists in the spiritual realm.

Let Jesus Christ bring you into such profound relationship with your Father in Heaven that you can trust Him in any circumstance. But it's not just about your faith. Jesus said the tiniest bit of faith is enough to move a mountain, and yet there is even a force superior to your faith: "...faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:3). And it's not even about your ability to love: "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins"(1 John 4:10, NIV).

God's love for you is greater than you could ever imagine, and He loves to give good gifts to His children. If you have a "love" relationship with your Father in Heaven, then ANYTHING is possible! His reality is superior to ours!

Get set free by Jesus Christ. Get to know God. Get filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. And you will begin to encounter the superior reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.!

Today I was reading Developing a Supernatural Lifestyle: A Practical Guide to a Life of Signs, Wonders, and Miracles by Kris Vallotton, and I came accross a great description of healthy Christianity. He says this:

Like the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, this book is dedicated to developing revivalists who make history. My prayer is that these revivalists become:

• Humble, but not harmless
• Honorable, but not suck-ups
• Dependable, but not predictable
• Bold, but not brash
• Holy, but not hobbled
• Patient, but not passive
• Powerful, but not controlling
• Encouraging, without flattering
• Gentle, but not timid
• Modest, but not docile
• Confident, but not cocky
• Steadfast, but not stubborn
• Teachable, but not tame
• Kind, but not benign
• Discerning, but not suspicious
• Confrontational, but not combative
• Tough, but not rigid
• Submissive, but not subdued
• Serious, but not somber
• Risky, yet wise
• Peaceful, but not careless
• Spontaneous, yet prepared
• Giving, yet able to receive
• Transparent, but able to keep a secret
• Extreme, yet balanced
• Spirit-led, but self-controlled
• Submitted to men, but following God

I would encourage you to look over that list again and see if any of the descriptions stick out to you. If one does, commit it to memory and take some time during your day to meditate on it and see how the Holy Spirit might make it a reality in your own life. I've personally been stirred by a few of these today. I find it interresting how the Holy Spirit can use something so simple to show us where we're not in line with the nature of Christ. Let's be a people of genuine repentance who recognize those areas in our lives where sin still exists and take it to the cross to die with Christ so the Holy Spirit can give us new life!

I was just reading Lou Engle's Blog (from "The Call" and Jhop), and I came across something that stirred my spirit:

I believe history books may well record that 2008 was a year of the great prayer reformation in America. We look back a hundred and fifty years, and 1857 is recorded as the year of the great prayer meeting revival. A million souls were converted, and four years later, the civil war began. The great harvest was swept in, preparing for 600,000 men to die on the battlefields of the civil war because of the shedding of innocent blood of the slaves. It was America’s day of reckoning. I believe that we could be headed into times like these again because of the shedding of innocent blood of 50 million babies. We are in a crisis. America is desperate for revival and righteous leaders to be raised up who will overthrow the covenant of death of Roe v. Wade.

I personally know several ministers who have shared with me in the past few weeks (at separate times) that the Lord has called them to a fast. For some, it's 21 days. For others it's 40 days. For some, it's "fruits and vegetables only." For others it's "water only." Come to find out, none of these people had heard about the article from J. Lee Grady that I posted on January 8.

And what's more, many of these men and women are calling their congregations, small groups, and ministry followings to join the fast that the Lord has proclaimed.

When so many people are hearing the same thing from God--even on a national level--it can only be attributed to God. Lou Engle also shared in that blog post about a pastor in Florida he met who has been called by God to a 21-day fast. God is doing something awesome here! People all accross America are fasting and praying right now for genuine revival!

But most exciting to me is that I can already see the spiritual climate of America shifting. I can feel it even now as I write. In my home church, every Sunday in 2008 has been marked with a more and more glorious demonstration of the fear of the Lord and the power of God. The same has been happening in my small group (as I've mentioned in previous posts). Our little group that took a year and a half to grow to 15 people suddenly doubled over the past two weeks! Tomorrow night we're going to discuss what we see God doing with our group and how to accommodate the sudden growth from the Holy Spirit. In short, I believe we're going to have the opportunity to multiply the Kingdom by starting more small groups in the area that will also grow and multiply.

There is a movement stirring up in America, and God Himself is doing it!

Today I came accross some nuggets of wisdom in one of my all-time favorite books, The Heavenly Man: By Paul Hattaway. It's a biography (written in the first person) of "Brother Yun" who has been instrumental in multiplying and unifying the underground Church in Communist China. Yun has faced imprisonment, severe torture, and ultimately exile over the years; and yet his resolve for Christ stands firm. His life is marked with one miracle and spiritual encounter after the next, and he has the "fruit" in his life to confirm it: thousands of new converts, secret missionary training schools, hundreds of thousands of missionaries who are presently giving their lives for Christ throughout Muslim-dominated countries, and much more.

Anyhow, on pages 296 and 297 of the book, Yun is quoted as saying:

When I'm in the West I see all the mighty church buildings and all the expensive equipment, plush carpets, and state-of-the-art sound systems. I can assure the Western Church with absolute certainty that you don't need any more church buildings. Church buildings will never bring the revival you seek. The pursuit of more posessions will never bring revival. Jesus truly stated, "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his posessions." Luke 12:15.

The first thing needed for revival to return to your churches is the Word of the Lord....Not only is knowledge of God's Word missing, but obedience to that Word. There's not much action taking place.

When revival came to the believers in China, the result was thousands of evangelists being sent out to all corners of the nation, carrying fire from the altar of God with them. When God moves in the West, it seems you want to stop and enjoy His presence and blessings too long, and build an altar to your experiences....All genuine revivals of the Lord result in believers responding with action and soul winning. When God truly moves on your heart you cannot remain silent...

I've seen people in Western churches worshipping as if they're already in heaven. Then someone invariably brings a comforting message like, "My children, I love you. Don't be afraid, I'm with you." I'm not opposed to such words, but why is it that nobody seems to hear a word from the Lord like, "My child, I want to send you to the slums of Asia or the darkness of Africa to be my messenger to people dying in their sin"?

...Just because you have a church building doesn't necessarily mean Jesus is with you. He is not welcome in many churches today. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Often this verse is used as an invitation for salvation, but actually the context Jesus was speaking in was very different. He was standing outside the door of the church in Laodicea, knocking to get in!

I would strongly recommend this book--these paragraphs only scratch the surface of what Yun has to share about his visits to the Western churches (that's us, by the way). Many people in my small group (myself included) have been stirred deeply by the Holy Spirit as they read, and it has revolutionized the way we practice our Christianity. Here's a link to buy it from Amazon.com, which I've found is the best price anywhere.

In summary, 25,000 people come to Christ every day in China alone while we struggle to hold on to the one or two people a year who raise their hands in our church meetings. American churches (in general) have plenty of posessions, rituals, and professionalism, but very little of God's Spirit. It comes as no surprise to me that the economy of China is booming right now while our own dollar is plummeting. We need to return to God as a nation!

My brother Dave is a "Charismatic Catholic," which I deeply respect even if I don't agree wholeheartedly with every doctrine coming out of Rome. I've said before that if you're going to be Catholic, at least consider the Charismatic Renewal where the Holy Spirit is very much present. And this may come as a suprise to you, but I think there are a lot of things they're getting right that the Protestant churches are not--although neither side is without faults. Maybe I'll share more on this another time.

But he recently wrote in his blog, "Why is there a constant need for revival among Evangelicals? Why do they constantly need shaking up? Why can't they keep the fire burning? Renewal should be a constant movement toward the heart of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Salvation is a process, the soul is a garden that must be cultivated. Take up the cross DAILY! Work out your salvation with fear and trembling."

That's 100% correct! But then he went on to say something I would consider mostly true, "The Sacraments, devotions, fasts and feasts of the Church help the Catholic do just that. They were inspired by the Holy Spirit but are useless ritual if not practiced in Spirit and in Truth. I would attribute these factors as the strength of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. We know it is a work of the Holy Spirit to strengthen the Church, and in fourty years He has done just that--CONSISTENTLY. Sometimes slower than we want, but it's all in God's time. No hot/cold roller coaster, just a gradual warming as God's Fire spreads throughout the Church."

While I respect his position, I must say that Jesus doesn't ask for a gradual warming, He REQUIRES that we be red hot! He told the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:15-17, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

We "Evangelicals" crave revival so passionately because we know that anything short of the fire of God is simply not enough! The trouble is that when God sends revival, the Christian's typical response is to stick around--much like the first disciples did in Jerusalem after the Holy Spirit came, and God had to send a great persecution to get them to start spreading out! As my brother has said, true revival should not be a fly-by-night thing. But I would argue that the "flash in the pan" is not because we don't have Sacraments, devotions, fasts, and feasts, but rather that we do not "GO!" Our revivals come, then we all flock to the location for a "refreshing"...but we never take that fire home with us!

Furthermore, true "revival" is something that IS maintained. If Jesus had resurrected and died again a couple days later, people would have a hard time saying that He was truly "revived." But just as Christ's physical body was revived permanently and ascended into Heaven to rule with all authority and power, so too must the Body of Christ on earth today be permanently revived to take our place in authority with Christ! To that same Laodicean church, Jesus said, "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne" (Rev 3:21). What do we need to overcome? Being lukewarm in our deeds!

True revival is summed up in Ephesians 2:6--"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." We must take our place of authority and relationship with the Father by living the resurrected life (which comes from the Holy Spirit). And we must exercise that authority on earth (heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, etc.) and cultivate our relationship with Father God.

This is how true "revival" is maintained. So I challenge every reader to cease thinking of "revival" as being a mere stirring of emotion or sudden surge of salvations. Rather, start to see it as "resurrection life," which is necessary if we are to truly "work out our salvation with fear and trembling."

P.S.--My brother responded to this post in the comments section, and it deserves reading. Click the "comment button" below.

Hi folks,

Today I recorded a song based on Ephesians 2:6 and Revelation 3:21. You'll find "Take Me Up" on the Music page where you can download the mp3.

God bless!
--Art--

Hi everyone,

I spent the whole day helping some friends record their music, and while they were here I asked if they would help me record a song of my own. It turned out great (if I do say so myself)!

So there's a new addition to the Music page. Look for the song "Tearing Down Every Stronghold," which I just posted today.

Enjoy!
--Art--

Some time ago I started looking into the five ministries listed in Ephesians 4:11-13...

It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (NIV).

First of all, notice the word "until." Jesus gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers:

• UNTIL we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Christ,
• UNTIL we become mature, and
• UNTIL we attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Now ask yourself, honestly: Has the general Christian population reached any of these conditions? It does say, "...until we all..." Have we all achieved this yet?

My humble opinion: Nope.

So what's my point? Simply that this is Scriptural evidence that there are still apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers today. It's a little confusing, though, because our terminology has changed with time and culture. Today our Church leaders have names like, Pastor, Priest, Missionary, Bishop, Reverend, Cardinal, Parson, Rector, Monk, Pope, Chaplian, and even Doctor. These are man-made titles and organizational positions that help us maintain structure in our Christian organizations; but the true Church is not an organization but rather an organism (see my post on January 12).

But regardless of a person's title, these five forms of ministry have not changed in the Church. According to the above scripture, apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, pastors, and teachers exist "to prepare God's people for works of service." Another version says, "...for the equipping of the saints." And the Scripture also reveals that these ministries are appointed and given by God Himself--not a school, denomination, organization, institution, or agency.

Chances are, if a person goes to the trouble of becomming a minister, it's because they feel called by God to equip people--so don't think I'm stomping on credentials here. Yet the question arises: before they went to school, were they pastors? Before they got a degree, were they teachers? For that matter, what about after they went to school and got a degree? Is that the indication that they are ready?

The fact is, the Prophet Samuel found a little shepherd boy named David and anointed him to be the king of Israel as directed by God. Several years later, that anointing came into fruition, and he accepted his God-given role. Just as receiving the "calling" did not make David a king right away, we should understand that it is not up to man to determine when a person is ready to enter ministry. It is up to God.

If you feel called by God into ministry, the best thing to do is start looking for Him to release you into that ministry. Don't try to run off and do everything right away because--like David--it might not be time yet. But also, don't wait until you have all the earthly, man-established "requirements" either. Just as it is true that not all "reverends" are true "pastors," "prophtes," "teachers," and so forth; neither are all pastors, prophets, teachers, etc. necessarily "reverends" with institutional education and documentation. Anyone--regardless of education--can be used by God as a minister. All that matters is that God appoints you.

One final word of advice: do not try to promote yourself. If you truly are an apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist, or teacher, the Holy Spirit will confirm your ministry Himself and people will be naturally drawn to you. Those who have to convince others of their role do not have that role. If God has appointed you, He will affirm your ministry; but if you have appointed yourself--even with good intentions--the Spirit of God will stand against you, and you will be judged along with all those you lead astray. We need a healthy fear of God if we are going to follow Him in ministry.

James 3:1--Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly (NIV).

Well, it turns out that my time spent a couple weeks ago in that online atheist forum was actually a training ground set up by God. This Saturday, eight of the people from my small group went to Applebee's and ended up talking to our waitor until 12:30 AM! He opened with a political question, and the Holy Spirit moved the conversation to spiritual matters within a matter of minutes. As it turns out, this fellow was a die-hard atheist.

But what was great is that almost all the arguments he brought up, I had already faced less than two weeks ago in the online setting--so nothing came as a surprise, and I was also aware of what arguments from the Christian side would be useless to bring up. I find it awesome how following the Holy Spirit will inevitably lead to experiences that train you for the next place He leads you.

Long story short, my girlfriend Robin and I frequent that restaurant and see this waitor often, so now the lines of communication are open. We'll definitely be seeking him out.

Please pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal the truth to him--we have a couple people in our small group who used to be atheists, so I know God can do it!

And here's a little practical advice for the next time you're in a restaurant and you share the Gospel with a waitor or waitress: Always leave a generous tip! We need to show the love of God tangibly more than we need to explain His love verbally.

A few posts ago, I reported the deep moving of the Holy Spirit in our small group last week and mentioned that it stirred us to action. Last week we felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to have this week's meeting at our local Denny's restaurant. We just felt that God was going to do something, but we didn't know what.

Well, long story short, after a couple hours of genuine Christian fellowship, a young lady named Jessica approached our table and said, "I couldn't help but hear you guys talking, and I wanted to tell you about something we're putting together for this summer."

As soon as I saw her, I could sense the Holy Spirit saying, "This is why I brought you here tonight." That got my attention.

She handed me three pages of passionate vision from God. They detailed a movement of young adults that she feels God has called her to be instrumental in starting. Also included were some detailed notes on an event she wants to put on this summer.

I thumbed through the notes and read just the vision statement. In it I saw things that match perfectly with my own heartcry for this generation, and I readily offered my gifts and talents to help this event take shape. It also turns out that she lives just minutes away from our small group's usual meeting place, and she accepted our invitation to come next week.

So I'm understandably pumped about this right now, but I make no apologies for my excitement. As this event takes shape, I'll share more in my blog, so stay tuned. And if you happen to be in the Southeast Michigan area this summer, it would be great to have you as part of this event. I'll keep you posted!

I have a great deal of respect and love for all Christian churches because they serve as rallying-points for the saints to worship collectively, receive solid teaching of doctrine, meet other Christ-followers, fund missionary endeavors, organize large-scale community service, and more. Churches as we know them are part of God's plan in mobilizing His people to impact the world.

But there's a problem. At some point these organizations began to define our Christianity rather than the Holy Spirit's activity. The Bible calls us "the Body of Christ." That's an "organism" not an "organization." Organizations are great, but if we miss the inner application that comes from the Holy Spirit, we're nothing more than a moral social club. When it comes down to eternity, Jesus isn't going to ask you what church you attended--He's going to judge you on whether or not you knew Him personally. I should mention, though, that this is not an invitation to go live your own customized brand of faith--fellowship with the "Body of Christ" IS fellowship with Christ, and the Word of God is clear that we need to be with other believers. The problem arises when our definition of "faith" becomes purely horizontal and lacks anything vertical. In other words, it is earth-based rather than heaven-based.

What we're left with is a world who knows Christians as "those people who go to church" rather than "those people who know God." Dr. Bob Roberts, Jr., wrote in his book, Transformation:

The church has been stripped of its influence in the West today, not because it has lost its wealth and position in society--it hasn't--but because the church has lost its credibility. On the whole, we can hardly change ourselves, much less the world. We cannot consistently live the message we herald to the world, but never have we been more effective at religious marketing of products that help us appear as if we are living it. As a result, the growing perception is that the church is religious but not spiritual. It has style but not enough substance.

Unless we make a shift in our mindset from "going to church" to "being the church," we'll just continue to be fake-smiling, suit-wearing, wallet-emptying, song-singing, liturgy-quoting, pie-eating, religious drones who sit in pretty little rows week after week like canned vegetables in the refrigerator--never changing.

Is this what Jesus died for?

If you're interrested in joining the 21-day fast described in the post below, please visit:

http://www.awakeningamerica.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=6

I would recommend that you look into the site even if you're not interrested in the fast! God is moving, and we should all be made aware of what He is doing!

Wow! At last night's small group meeting, the 13 of us present encountered a powerful move of God! We started with someone saying how odd it was, while watching a TV documentary, that there was a white-collared Priest (denomination unknown) stating there is no Hell. My friend said, "I can't believe there are people in authority who would be so oblivious to the truth!"

Of course, I saw right away the correlation between this statement and the blog post I made yesterday about true and false prophets. Not only that, but several other people I know have been sensing the Lord speaking about His judgments and the necessity for there to be a "Fear of God" in America today. God is thundering from heaven, and those whose ears are tuned have heard the warning.

But the move of God last night merely started there. Before long, one of the long-time members of our group openly confessed how distant she had been feeling from God. It seemed at first that it was just her problem, but suddenly you could see conviction settling in on the faces of several others of us present.

I said, "I hope this doesn't sound inconsiderate or like I'm just brushing you off, but I think what you're crying out for here is a group-wide issue. You're feeling this way--and many of us are feeling this way too--because we haven't truly been being the Church! We've let you down--we've let each other down. This cry of your heart for the fire of God and the presence of God is not your own--it's His!"

Another person chimed in, "I need to pray more. I haven't been praying at all."

I said, "Well, let's act on that right now and all of us pray...And I want to push you a little and ask if you'd open for us."

What followed was group-wide, passionate prayer and open repentance. People began crying out for God's presence and power. We openly confessed our sins and received the forgiveness of God. We got to watch as the Holy Spirit moved in every person's heart. Even the newest believers in our group were speaking prophetically and praying for the more seasoned Christians. The power of God moved in our midst and stirred us up to action. In fact, we all made a commitment to take action for God's Kingdom this week. We even planned some time when we could go out and minister as a group.

But I don't think this was all a coincidence. Yesterday--after writing yesterday's blog post--someone sent me the following article from Charisma Magazine's editor, J. Lee Grady. I steadfastly believe that the events of last night and the similar happenings at my church on Sunday are the direct result of the 21-day fast called for in this article. Read the article and see if you don't see the correlations. Hundreds, and perhaps even thousands of Christians are fasting and praying right now for revival in America, and I believe we're already reaping the benefits--even though we didn't know about the fast until a few days into it.

I want to encourage you to join me and the many others in entering into this special season of fasting and praying for America. It doesn't matter if you're late joining--what matters is that you care enough to join at all.

God bless you as you join us in seeking God for more movements like the one I shared above! I pray that His power will move in your own churches and small groups even more powerfully than He did in ours!
________________________________________________

A DESPERATE CRY for REVIVAL in 2008
-by J. Lee Grady.

...Never in my 15 years at Charisma have I known a time of such intense spiritual turbulence. God is shaking everything that can be shaken, including our Christian colleges, our megachurches and our most prominent ministries.

At a time when a U.S. senator is investigating the financial practices of six well-known preachers, I sense that God has taken out His holy plumb line to conduct His own detailed inspection of every church and ministry in this country. He wants to unleash a nationwide revival, but He must bring His correction first.

These are desperate times that require desperate measures. That is why I have joined with the Awakening America Alliance to call for a solemn 21-day fast that runs from January 1-21. Here’s a list of the things I’m praying for during the next three weeks:

1. The fear of God. Holiness was so tangible among early Christians that false prophets were blinded and greedy liars fell over dead. As a result of God’s judgment on Ananias and Sapphira, “great fear came over the whole church” (Acts 5:11, NASB).

Where is this sense of “shock and awe” today? How can Christians be so cavalier about divorce or so flippant about adultery? How can television preachers sleep at night after robbing God’s people with manipulative fundraising appeals?

We celebrate His mercy but ignore His severity. We need a thunderclap from heaven and a display of Elijah’s fire to remind a wayward church that God will not be mocked.

2. Integrity and purity in the church. Our movement hit rock-bottom in October when charismatic pastor Donnie Earl Paulk of Atlanta announced to his stunned congregation that a DNA test had proved he is not the nephew of Bishop Earl Paulk but is in fact his son.

That such unspeakable depravity was permitted to thrive for decades at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is an indictment against the elder Paulk and all leaders who refused to challenge his behavior when they first learned about it years ago.

This and other recent religious scandals have so tarnished our credibility that we have become a curious freak show. Many unbelievers now associate ministers with wife-swapping, wife- beating, no-fault divorce, gay affairs and $10,000-a-night hotel rooms. We need a Holy Ghost housecleaning.

3. A return to evangelism. In the 1970s we were less sophisticated but so much more zealous for Jesus. We handed out tracts and witnessed to everyone. Sharing our faith was the priority. Yet most people in churches today have never led anyone to Christ.

We are no longer contagious. Spirit-filled believers spend more time chasing “financial breakthroughs” than lost souls. We have rejected sacrifice and compassion and embraced a counterfeit gospel that produces bored, selfish spectators.

4. Godly leadership. As we head into an election season it’s obvious that our nation is facing a leadership crisis. But this leadership vacuum is not just in the political arena. Many of our spiritual fathers have disappointed us, either by their own moral failures or by their refusal to confront sin.

I pray that God does not give us the president we deserve in 2008. If we cry out for mercy, perhaps He will upset the current slate of candidates and put someone in the White House who can model Christian integrity. May He also give us spiritual shepherds who care more for the flock than for the crowd’s applause.

5. A national spiritual awakening. There were seasons in America’s past when sinners became so convicted of their sins that they collapsed under the weight of their guilt. During the days of revivalists George Whitefield and Charles Finney, huge waves of conversions led to a widespread transformation of society. Drunks became sober, prison inmates sang hymns, stingy business owners stopped oppressing their workers, atheists surrendered their unbelief and rebellious children returned to faith.

Can such a movement happen again? It must or our country will descend into its darkest hour. I urge you to join me in this solemn fast. Pray with desperation for the five topics outlined here. We can’t settle for anything less than a heavenly visitation.

~J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
SOURCE: http://www.charismanews.com/

One of my side jobs is to entertain at children's birthday parties as "Mr. Art." Anyhow, this Saturday I was invited to perform at an Indian Restaurant. As soon as I set foot in that building, I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, "Pray for these people--I'm doing something here." So I did. But the story doesn't end there.

Yesterday at church--about an hour away from that restaurant--I was talking to my friend Sara who leads the music with me. She told me all about her recent day of "following the Spirit" in which she an a friend just drove around to wherever they felt the Holy Spirit was leading them. By the way, they had some awesome adventures interacting with people of different faiths and were invited to come back and speak to the dean of a Muslim school, the Rabbi at an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue, and to a Seik temple raising event--so pray that God continues moving in those areas.

But one of the things they did was go to some Indian restaurant, sit down at a booth, and pray for the people.

When she told me this, I was amazed and said, "That's so weird--God had me praying for an Indian Restaurant on Haggerty Rd. near Ford Rd. in Canton.

"No Way!" she replied. Turns out, it was the exact same restaurant!

I'm not sure what God's doing there, but I want to ask all of you to pray for those people as well. Who knows what sort of awesome miracles God might choose to perform! Who knows how many people might come to Christ!

One of the signs that God reveals through His people is the raising of the dead, and it's happening all over the world right now. Surprised?

I just watched a video of Pastor Bill Johnson from Bethel Church in Redding California; and in it, he said something that gripped me: "Why did Jesus raise the dead? Because not everyone who dies dies in God’s timing….It’s time we adjust our theology to be consistent with the person of Jesus Christ. He messed up every funeral He attended, including His own."

Why do we in the church just explain death away? "Oh, it must have been God's will." Instead, we should be pursuing God for radical demonstrations of power in the earth! I'm sure there are a million reasons why God sometimes doesn't raise the dead even after prayer, but that should not deter us. God is a person and He is sovereign, but He invites us to reason with Him. In the Scriptures, we see Moses reasoning with God and convincing Him to relent from the judgment of death He had decreed:

Exodus 32:9-14--"I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."

But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' " Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened (NIV, emphasis added).

This is the kind of reasoning I'm talking about. My time spent in that atheist forum was eye-opening. I saw people crying out for a sign and no sign was given them. No matter how many testimonies I shared, it wasn't enough. No matter how much credible evidence I offered, they found a loophole to shoot it down. What these atheists need is not evidence, but rather first-hand experience! We, the Church, need to be demonstrating the power of God--not just in our churches, but in the market place! Why? Because the atheists won't come to your church!

Christians all over the world are demonstrating the power of God no matter where they go. It's happening in America too, but far less frequently. Whether you (like me) are a person who looks for opportunities to demonstrate God's power or you fit the status quo of mediocre Christianity, we need to collectively repent as a nation for our overall apathy toward the Great Commission that Jesus gave us.

Let's go into all the world! Let's heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and cast out demons! Let's prophesy, work miracles, and free the oppressed in the name of Jesus! And let's do the more practical things too--feed the hungry, care for the widows and orphans, give to the poor, and care for the stranger! And let's do all of it in the name of Jesus!

This world needs to see a movement of Christians who are demonstrating the love and power of God--not just some isolated instances and anecdotal evidence. Let's BE the Body of Christ and truly reveal Him in America!

Well, I spent all day participating in the discussion that ensued from my post on the atheism forum (mentioned in my last post), and a lot of great support for Christianity was shared. Nevertheless, it's impossible to convert people with words alone--even Jesus knew enough to put action to His words.

And that brings me to the last post I made on this forum. It was made in response to one of the people who finally seemed to accept my argument but still refused to embrace my convictions. Anyhow, I want to share it here becuase it is further proof that we as Christians need to be active in the world. I want to encourage you to step out in faith. Don't just share your faith in words--take a risk and see if the Holy Spirit will work through you supernaturally!

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

One last post...

"J" said: "A real, true, believing Christian, as we know, can heal the sick. It's one of the signs of such a person. Yet there are hospitals and clinics and homes around the world full of sick people."

You're right. Point taken. But this only proves the low activity of Christians, not the lack of our existence or of God's.

"J" said: "Where are all these Christians you seem to think are all over the place? How are they spending their spare time? Why not just donate an hour and so, and clean out the local oncology ward of their local hospital?"

You're right again. In countries like China, these Christians are constantly spending as much time as possible spreading the gospel and working miracles (including while they're in prison). In America, sadly, this is less common--partly because the Christians at large are lazy and partly because of the overall lack of faith.

In Mark chapter 6, Jesus found Himself in a location full of people with very little faith. It states, "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith." Therefore, the operation of miracles is not 100% dependent on the Christian but also on the potential recipient. I'll take responsibility for my own occasional inaction, but I can't be accountable for the lack of faith in others.

"J" said: "Are you a "real Christian?" You seem to make that claim. Then what are you doing fiddling away your time here, when you have a gift that could spare others misery, pain, and sorrow? Why aren't you out healing the sick, instead of proselytizing?"

Point taken. I hope this doesn't sound cheesy and fake, but you've inspired me to "get back out there" and continue doing the things I've been sharing in this forum. Nevertheless, I don't consider this a waste of time--your eternal destiny is a lot more important than somebody's earthly comfort. Sorry if that sounds heartless--I just want you to know that you and the others in this forum are not a waste of time.

"J" said: "Does your God actually credit you more with preaching, rather than actually helping people? That, to me, is hardly an admirable attribute. Either in you, or your God."

Actually, in God's sight, preaching is helping people. What could be more helpful than trying to show a handful of people a life-saving truth? If we were in a plane together that was in an unrecoverable tailspin, and I knew about a stash of parachutes, it would be heartless and wrong of me to wander the cabin healing stomach aches instead of helping you all into parachutes. Is it better for us all to die comfortably or to escape destruction and then deal with improving the quality of life? It makes more sense to deal with the eternal issue first so that we're secure no matter what happens.

Furthermore, the purpose of preaching is not to spin my wheels but to plant seeds in your hearts that you might remember one day when it matters. And those seeds are meant to multiply (according to the Bible) so that there are even more people out there healing the sick and so forth. I can't do it on my own, but a whole group of us certainly could! I invite you all to explore real Christianity a little deeper because I'm convinced that you all have a purpose and a destiny for which you were created.

Again, thanks, everyone, for a lively debate. I hope to meet you in heaven one day!
--Art--

The Atheism Debate

I just spent quite a bit of time reading through a long online discussion on atheism vs. Christianity and made my own lengthy contribution to the debate. I believe the stance I took is good for all of you to read, so I've included a good chunk of it here.

I want to encourage debate on this site as well, so feel free to comment!
--Art--

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MY RESONSE TO THE DISCUSSION ON ATHEISM VS. CHRISTIANITY:
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Hi everyone,

I just spent about the last hour or so pouring over the original article and most of the discussion that followed, and I found it all really intriguing.

The original article was well thought-out and intellectual. The author really put a lot of work into developing his argument, and I’ve got to give him credit for that. But unfortunately, it appears to me that he made the very same mistake that he accuses Christians of making: choosing a belief and then disregarding all evidence to the contrary.

Personally, I’m not a historian or theologian, but I still base my own faith on facts that have been proven over and over again. And what history exists, I am willing to accept as reliable even if there are some questionable aspects among the accounts.

There are also differing accounts of things that happened as recently as the Revolutionary War, but we still agree that it happened and that the colonists won! Why? Because of what exists in the present. No one will ever be able to settle a 100% accurate account of the whole war, but we can still observe the present-day effects of it.

Christianity is the same way. We could argue the events and chronology of 2000 years ago until we’re all blue in the face, but none of us will win because none of us can prove something so distant. Truth be told, I’ve read a whole lot of books that intellectually, historically, scientifically, and anthropologically prove the case for the Bible’s historicity and authenticity; so this isn’t a cop-out. I know the evidence exists even if I can’t personally do it justice. I just prefer to look at the present-day evidence to prove the reality of God and His Holy Spirit.

For one thing, there’s the ratio of new Christian converts to present-day martyrs. It is estimated that some 25,000 Christians are murdered every month worldwide for refusing to deny their faith. It is also estimated by many reliable sources that in the country of China alone, 25,000 people come to faith in Jesus Christ EVERY DAY! The worldwide statistics are actually 25,000 every 4 hours!

All over the world (I believe in 52 different nations) Christianity is either illegal or heavily persecuted. Christians face severe torture, family disownment, hate crimes, imprisonment, confiscation/vandalism/destruction of property, and even death; and yet more and more people continue to become present-day followers of Christ. And these are the countries where Christianity is spreading the most and bonified miracles are happening most frequently.

People in these nations know the risks associated with being Christians, and yet they continue to meet in secret gatherings and would rather die than deny their faith. Why? Because it’s real and they know it.

In America, we’re largely ignorant to these statistics. The problem is that we have “freedom of religion,” which I’ve found is merely the “freedom to be religious.” In other words, most of the “Christians” in America are not Christians at all–they’re just people with a lot of beliefs based on dogma and tradition. Unfortunately, they do not have a present-day relationship with the God they profess. I think this is apparent given all the insulting comments littering this discussion made by people claiming to be Christians. Such people are not representatives of Christ and do not know Him.

And that brings me to my second point. I believe the biggest detriment to the Christian side of this discussion is that true Christianity (as Jesus demonstrated it) is severely misrepresented in the world today. People like to rally around the ideology of the Bible, but they don’t apply its teachings to their personal lives. As a result, the most common example of a “Christian” is sadly someone who does not represent Christ at all. As a side note, I’ve found that this tends to be the most common trigger that drives many people to investigate atheism. So if you’re a Christian, take a look at your life and see if Christ is living through you. 1 John says that anyone who claims to be in Him must walk as Jesus did. And Jesus Himself taught us to prove by our actions that we have really repented from sin and turned to God.

Thus, the second present-day evidence is a transformed life. Such people are hard to come by, but they’re out there (I’m one of them). There’s not enough room to tell the whole story here, but I was personally set free from an addiction to pornography and lust that plagued me for years. And not only that, but I’ve gone from extreme outbursts of anger (and even nervous breakdowns) to being a peacemaker. I’m not perfect, but I can honestly and humbly say that Jesus Christ lives through me supernaturally, and He can live through you just as easily.

The last present-day evidence I’ll mention are the countless miracles that happen every day worldwide. I’ve personally been miraculously healed of more “incurable” problems than I deserve: a heart murmer, scars on my face from 2nd degree burns, chronic sinusitis, Attention Deficit Disorder, a degenerative tooth disease, tendonitis, and even a broken back to name a few. And I’ve seen many miracles too (I’m not talking about coincidences; I’m talking about things like thunderstorms parting in two at the command of a Christian in the name of Jesus).

I could go on, but I think I should start winding things up.

In short, I’ve come to find that atheism is a matter of beliefs, but Christianity is not. That may sound surprising to you, but consider the logic:

To be an atheist, you must believe that there is a non-spiritual explanation for everything. There is no way to prove this because there are so many “unexplained” things happening through Christians all over the world (including Christians raising the dead in more than 50 countries over the last 25 years alone).

To be a Christian, you start with a belief; but if you pursue it, that belief becomes solid knowledge. You can believe me or not. You can accept the present-day evidence or deny it. You can accept the biblical accounts or deny them. But it all remains in the realm of belief until you encounter it.

That’s why I say atheism is strictly a matter of belief–there’s nothing to encounter. Christianity, however, has a God who is to be experienced and encountered on a moment-by-moment basis. Whether you believe in Him or not is actually irrelevant. God doesn’t care if you believe in Him. He cares if you know Him.

Are you willing to test the belief?