On May 24, I talked about a few forms of "false gospels" and said that I would soon write about "some specific presentations of the Gospel that market themselves as complete, but are sadly lacking in the most important areas." Well, today's the day to get this train moving!

Todd Bentley recently sent out two lengthy e-mail teachings about repentance--possibly because he has been getting so much flak about not really preaching repentance in Lakeland at the healing meetings. (I should note that I'm not going back on my promise to minimize picking apart Lakeland--that's not my intent here. Rather, I'm using a clear example of someone with whom we're already familiar.)

In his second e-mail, titled Repentance, Mercy and Healing - Part 2 of 2, Todd wrote a portion that seems to sum up everything he wrote throughout all of both teachings:

By backing away from God even just a little, it means we’ve still fallen away from where we once were. And God is calling us back—"Come, and let us return to the LORD . . .". God is saying (paraphrase): "I want you to return, I want you to repent because I want to bring blessing; I want to leave a blessing behind, My manifold goodness and kindness. I want you to return to Me so that I can bind you up and heal you. If you will return then I can begin to come with the rain of My Presence again. As I begin to turn your captivity around, I want to bring you blessing and fruitfulness. I want you to repent because if you repent, I can give you mercy. And when I can give you mercy, I can give you healing. That is My heart." Hallelujah!

Now I want you to really think about this: is there anything Todd wrote there that was a lie? Was any part of that paragraph untrue?

Does repentance bring us into line with God's blessing? Of course it does. Does God want us to repent? Yup. Does He want to bless us? You bet! So what's the big deal?

Even wth all these truths, I would argue that such a presentation is a form of "false gospel." In my previous article, I talked about a "gospel" that markets itself as complete but is sadly lacking some of the most crucial components. Such a "gospel"--although 100% true--is only 50% of the Truth.

If someone crafts their words in order to withhold the truth from you, you would say that they lied to you even if everything they said was technically true. Even though they technically told the truth, you would call it deceitful. In the same way, a "false gospel" doesn't have to be an outright lie--it just has to fall short of being the true Gospel.

How many times have you ever purchased something at a garage sale or flea market only to discover that it's not at all what you were expecting? Or how about buying a used car and then discovering that you would have to do all sorts of work on it? Or what about buying something new at the store and later finding out that all the most crucial components are sold separately? Do these things bother you? Do you feel scammed? They were presented as though they were complete, and you thought you had paid all you would need to pay--but now reality has set in, and you realize that you were taken for a ride.

This happens so much with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A completely true yet partial "gospel" is presented that only reveals half of the equation. All the most important elements are left out. It's more appealing to present this partial gospel than to tell people about the other side of the coin.

Okay, it's time to get specific and stop making you guess what I'm talking about.

The true Gospel includes everything Todd Bentley wrote about in the quote above. In fact, the two e-mails he sent out about repentance were true. But here's the problem: it's a completely man-centric presentation. Everything is about what man gets out of the bargain of salvation and how it puts you in line with God's mercy, kindness, and goodness. It completely neglects the other side of the equation, which I will present now:

1. We need to repent simply because God is God, and what He says goes (leave hell and heaven out of this one--it's all about God and what He deserves purely by virtue of the fact that HE IS GOD).
2. Repentance involves putting our old way of life to death and embracing a life of utter dedication to our Lord--not because of anything we get out of it, but rather because He IS Lord of all! This may include persecutions, hardships, and more; but we should remain faithful because JESUS IS OUR LORD!
3. Even in the midst of God's love and grace, we must work out the process of salvation with a genuine fear of God--to such an extent that it sometimes even causes us to tremble at the thought of His awesomeness, righteousness, and power.
4. Jesus Christ spent Himself on our behalf, taking the full brunt of God's punishment on Himself. In the oft-quoted words of the two young Moravian missionaries who sold themselves into slavery in order to spread the gospel to an unreached island of slaves, "Does not that Lamb who was slain deserve the reward of His suffering?"
5. We deserve absolutely nothing, and God deserves absolutely everything. We should serve Him whether we go to hell at the end of our lives or not simply because HE IS WORTHY!

The true Gospel is balanced. On one side is God spending Himself for the sake of man simply because He wants to. On the other side is man spending himself for God simply because he wants to. On one hand is Jesus Christ being murdered for our sake. On the other side is the reality that we WILL be persecuted for His sake if we truly follow after Him. It's not first of all about what either party gets out of it; but as a result, both parties get to partake in the many blessings that a relationship of love like this entails!

If you have been presented a partial gospel that only focuses on what God has to offer you, then you have been scammed. You've purchased a used car that looks new but only has half the parts. All the parts on that car belong to that car. All the parts of that presentation of the gospel are true...but without the rest, it's a sham.

It's completely okay to study and preach the benefits of Christ's sacrifice and the joys of relationship with God. It's fine to have a ministry of miracles, prophecies, healings, and the like, giving the credit to Jesus Christ. These things are good and true! But if they are packaged and presented as though they are the entire deal, then people will be sadly disappointed when they jump on the bandwagon and then discover the cost of being a disciple and following after Christ.

Such people will run and hide at the first hint of persecution. They'll give up when the storms of life start blowing and it seems like God isn't being faithful to His end of the deal. These "false converts" will rarely be effective in the Church or in the world when it comes to making disciples. But let me show you a more excellent way. Please indulge me, if you will, as I boast in the Lord:

When I share the Gospel, I rarely ask people to make a decision right then and there (except if the Holy Spirit is specifically leading this way). Typically, I describe both sides of the coin. I talk about the cost of being a disciple--what it means to "take up your cross daily and follow after Christ." I talk about repenting from sin and living a radically different life. I talk about the glory of God--His holiness, purity, justice, and awesomeness. I talk about needing to conform more and more to the nature of Christ. And I also explain the blessings of God, the joys of salvation, and the endless depths of a loving relationship with Him. I also tell the truth about persecution, ridicule, slander, and shunning. I talk about the possibility of losing some friends, but I also talk about gaining true friends in the Body of Christ. I put all the cards on the table. Then I tell the person to go home, think about everything that was presented, and decide whether or not it's worth the price.

I can list a good number of people who never contacted me again--some of whom are still actively and consciously avoiding me because they feel convicted for rejecting such obvious truth for the sake of living their own way.

But I can also list MANY strong Christians in my church and beyond who weighed the cost and considered God worthy of their lives. These men and women have matured rapidly in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thesy love the Lord and are constantly going deeper with Him. Their lives are constantly being transformed into a clearer and clearer representation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is clearly at work in and through them!

A partial presentation of the Gospel is certainly more effective at accumulating numbers of "commitment cards" and raised hands. It makes for great reports and publications. A partial gospel generates fast results that look good on paper. But it is very ineffective at keeping people in the Kingdom! And it does a less than acceptible job at making disciples like Jesus commanded us to do! Even though all of it is true, it is a false Gospel, pure and simple. We need to know the Word so we can present the FULL Gospel of Jesus Christ! We need to commit ourselves to full disclosure when sharing the Truth with the lost. And we need to rely on the Holy Spirit in prayer to do the work of convicting hearts and drawing people to the Father. We MUST be ambassadors of the complete Truth!

In some upcoming posts, I'll share more about the false gospels that are so prevalent in our churches today and what we can do differently.

God bless!
--Art--

What can I say? Our Encounter Retreat was awesome! God showed up in powerful ways and ministered His love and power to everyone present in one form or another. Some had a deep inner revelation of our heavenly Father and experienced His love in a whole new way. Some had a God-given realization of their guilt and came to encounter the work of Jesus Christ deeper than ever before. Many of us had dreams, visions, and supernatural experiences. Many people were released from long-time bitterness that they didn't even know they had. Strongholds were demolished. Chains were broken. The all-consuming Fire of God set people dramatically free this weekend!

On top of all this, on our drive home, we called one of the ladies from our small group and found out she had been horribly sick all weekend. We invited ourselves over to pray for her (which she welcomed). Before we had even arrived at her house, her fever lifted for the first time in days!

From there we went to the little city park in downtown Plymouth to have our Wildfire School of Supernatural Ministry and play worship music by the big fountain in the middle. We had fifteen people from our group show up, and we worshipped God for about an hour together in the park.

Before long, it started getting too cold to stay out there, so we went to a local coffee shop called "The Bean" to continue. Within a matter of minutes after we started playing music, a man walked in and looked at us. My girlfriend Robin flagged him over, and he listened as my friends Sara and Katie sang a song they wrote that said, "I want to wake up and find that I've already died and it's not I but Christ who lives in me."

"Hi, how are you?" I asked.

"Have you got a half-hour?" he asked.

"Absolutely!" came the collective reply of all the people in our group.

Long story short, we spent the next several hours listening to him pour out all his struggles and life experiences. During the first hour, our statements were careful to gently point him toward Christ and set the stage for a presentation of the Gospel. During our second hour, though, we spoke of Jesus Christ and His power to save and set us free from guilt and shame. Everyone listened couteously to his stories, and those who spoke always seemed to say just the right thing as the Holy Spirit led us. People shared prophetic words and supernatural "words of knowledge" in practical, loving ways and pointed this man to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Eventually it was closing time and we had to return home. We invited him to our Monday night group, so hopefully he'll be there tonight as the seven of us who attended the Encounter Retreat share testimonies about our experiences!

God is so awesome! If you are willing to welcome His presence in the streets, I can guarantee that He'll show up with power!

I just have to share a story from a good friend of mine--we'll call him Paul--who recently spent some time with some long-time friends of his and shared the Gospel. In his friends' living room, Paul kicked back and talked about the love of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ. This couple hung on every word, captivated with the message he shared.

The next day Paul received a phone call from his friend who said, "I've been thinking a lot about all the things you said yesterday and all the wisdom I heard in what you said. Was there some person whose beliefs have really influenced you and made an impact on the way you believe?"

"Absolutely," replied Paul, "There was actually one guy in particular that has had a profound influence on my beliefs."

"Well, who is it?" pressed the friend.

"Jesus."

I thought this was an awesome example of relational evangelism. I've never really been a fan of preaching in the streets, going door-to-door, or handing out literature (even though God does sometimes use these methods). Rather, my preferred method of evangelism is through personal relationship. Try asking around--see how many Christians you know who received Christ because of a street preacher or a pamphlet and then see how many came to Christ through a personal relationship with another believer. The latter are far more common!

Start with the people you know--your friends, family, co-workers, or classmates. Pray for the Holy Spirit to begin softening their hearts and then act on any opportunity you can find to share the love of Christ! Speak the Truth, seasoned with love. You might be surprised at how effective you become at planting spiritual seeds for God's Kingdom!

Hi everyone. As many of you have noticed, I've been AWOL for the past week. To be honest, I tried posting several times, but I kept noticing how prideful I was in what I was writing, so I just deleted those before posting. God has done many awesome things this week and opened many doors, but I still don't feel I can share all these things without getting puffed up, so I'll wait until I settle down a little :-)

I do, however, want to alert all of you to an organization that just welcomed my ministry on an official level. If you've visited any of the standard pages of SupernaturalTruth.com today, then you've probably noticed the new Awakening America Alliance link on the left-hand side.

I mentioned this organization back on January 8, 2008 when I brought up the national 21-day fast that was being encouraged and organized by the AAA. Well, that fast is over, but this organization is still contending for a spiritual awakening in America!

Each ministry involved is asked to set aside one day each week to fast and pray for those in America who do not know God. I--and any of you who wish to join me--will be officially setting aside each Monday. The objective is to have thousands of people fasting and praying for the lost on every day of the week.

You can read about the Awakening America Alliance's "Purpose and Objectives" on the Documents page of my site. See if you might be interested in joining. I don't receive anything for forwarding you--I just believe this is a worthwhile affiliation! Lets seek God together for a spiritual awakening in America!

Recently our small group has been talking about "vision" and God's desire to multiply His Kingdom in us and through us. As I mentioned a couple days ago, the result has been the planting of a new men's group and ladies' group.

Well today I want to tell you about a new opportunity. I know I have some readers as far aways as Colorado and even Australia, but for now this announcement will only benefit the ones here in southeast Michigan.

The vision God gave me was to develop a School of Ministry that is free for all participants. And it's not supposed to be "just another program" that fills peoples' heads with knowledge but never applies it! Instead, this will be an opportunity to get out onto the streets with other Christians to demonstrate the supernatural power and love of God.

And so, over the last week--after much prayer, fasting, and counsel--the Wildfire School of Supernatural Ministry has been launched! We'll be meeting every 1st and 3rd Sunday afternoon to discover our spiritual gifts and take to the streets to minister to the lost!

So if you're interested in attending, please let me know.

For more information, please go to www.WildfireChristianity.com.

The pictures attached to this post are of a couple friends of mine who my girlfriend Robin and I got to baptize in bathtubs recently. Our small group has been blessed to be leading people to Christ on a regular basis. These pictures were taken a couple months ago (a few weeks apart), and the man and woman being baptized are today radical followers of Jesus who come every week to our small group and have seen multiple miracles happen in and through their lives since coming to Christ. In fact, the young woman who was baptized only a couple months ago got to help guide another girl to Christ last week as she drove her home from our small group meeting!

I want to encourage every reader--if you have not already--to be baptized. And not only that, but I want to encourage you to feel free to baptize others! Philip did it in a little pool of water (Acts 8:36-38); and John did it in the desert region--specifically the Jordan River (Mark 1:4). And you don't have to be a member of the clergy to perform a baptism:

John 4:1,2--The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples (NIV).

Jesus put the ministry of baptism in the hands of the disciples! And who are the disciples?

John 15:4-8—[Jesus said:] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! My TRUE DISCIPLES produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father (NLT, emphasis added).

You are Christ's disciple if you remain in intimate relationship with Him as evidenced by the "fruit" in your life. "Fruit" is simply evidence of the life within. If you are demonstrating the power and nature of Christ through the Holy Spirit in your life, then you are His disciple!

Today's post is all about baptism--specifically the spiritual and supernatural dimension that's involved.

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Ever heard of "water baptism?" This tends to be a matter largely disputed among denominations--one group says you can baptize babies; another group says the person must be old enough to make a conscious decision to follow Christ. One group says all you need to do is sprinkle the person with water--another says they must be fully immersed.

While I personally favor the idea that you should be fully immersed in water (and only when you can make a decision based on personal conviction), I do not believe I have the right to dictate whether or not God honors other forms of baptism--actually, I think He does for the most part.

In the book The Heavenly Man, Brother Yun recounts one of the times he was in prison for his faith. Long story short, through a miraculous course of events, the Holy Spirit used Yun in such a way that his cellmates (there were many prisoners in a cell) started coming to Christ all at once--falling on their knees and repenting! And since their water was strictly rationed, they only had a few drops of water available to baptize each one. Yun reports that their lives dramatically changed that day, and for days they all walked around with tears in their eyes. From then on they shared the Gospel in the prison yard and many prisoners came to Christ! Can you rightly argue that their "sprinkle" baptism is any less valid than someone who was fully immersed in water? I can't!

The method of baptism is less important than the spiritual dynamic behind the ritual. However, the full symbolism is only seen in total immersion: dying with Christ, being laid in the grave, and then being raised back up in new life.

Baptism is all about new life. According to John the Baptist and Jesus, baptism with water is a baptism of repentance. "Repentance" means to utterly change direction--a 180 degree turn. It is to dramatically change your way of life, your way of thinking, and your way of acting. It is not just to "turn away" from sin; it is also (most importantly) to "turn toward" God. Baptism with water is often called "the baptism of repentance" (Mark 1:4).

But righteousness comes by faith, not by baptism; so why do we need to be baptized? Well, why do you need to pray? Why do you need to fast? Why do we need to do anything? It’s a matter of relationship with God. Peter seems to imply that baptism is a form of prayer—an appeal to God.

1 Peter 3:21b—Baptism is not a removal of dirt from your body; it is AN APPEAL TO GOD from a clean conscience (NLT, emphasis added).

Maybe that’s why Luke’s account of Christ’s baptism reads like this:

Luke 3:21—When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And AS HE WAS PRAYING, heaven was opened…(NIV, emphasis added).

I believe water baptism is a form of prayer designed by God as a prophetic declaration to the kingdom of darkness that "this person belongs to a different King!" Baptism is a form of spiritual warfare!

Do you need to be baptized in order to be saved? Well, the thief on the cross next to Jesus didn’t get baptized, yet Jesus responded to the man’s faith and conviction by saying, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Salvation comes by faith, not by baptism.

But if you’re going to start living as an ambassador of the Kingdom—helping "God’s will" happen on earth—then you should be baptized. Baptism gives you authority over Satan and his demons. Come to think of it, the Orthodox Church has an icon (picture) of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist and demons fleeing from the water. There is a very real spiritual dynamic to baptism--it's not just a symbol as many people believe.

Water baptism is a public confession of faith done in submission to the order of God. Not only is it a confession before man, but more importantly it is a confession of faith before the entire kingdom of darkness! We are often taught that baptism is for the church's sake and therefore must be performed with the church present. I don't see this anywhere in the Bible--in fact, I see the opposite. I see John baptizing in the desert (Mark 1:4) and Philip and the Ethipoian stopping at a pool of water by the side of the road (Acts 8:36-38)--who knows, it might have even been a puddle left over from the rainy season! Grated, there were always people present to witness the event, but there does not appear to be any requirement as to who those people were. The Ethiopian was baptized in front of the people in his procession, but it does not appear that any of these people were Christians! Nor do they appear to be repentant or else Philip might have baptized them too!

In a very real spiritual sense, a person does receive a certain grace from God when they are baptized.

On the other side of the coin, the more you question baptism and whether or not it’s necessary, the more you are questioning God’s order. The enemy will go to town on that one! They’ll know you’re not in line with the heavenly King or His authority.

The word "Kingdom" literally means "King’s domain," and the King’s domain is everywhere that His authority is expressed. Jesus told His disciples, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you." And Jesus said that we should pray for God's Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth just like it is in Heaven. Water baptism is the first step of submission to God’s authority and is therefore the first stage of His Kingdom coming to the earth through you! The question is: Are you helping the process or hindering it? Are you submitted to His authority or arguing against it? Are you looking for every reason not to be "baptized" in the way we've discussed here, or are you excited about the opportunity to publicly demonstrate your love and obedience to Christ?

Are you like the rich young man (Mark 10:17-23) who counts the cost of repentance and decides it is too much trouble? Or are you like the Ethiopian Eunich (Acts 8:6-40) who was still in the process of hearing the Gospel when he said to Philip, "Look! There's some water! Why shouldn't I get baptized?!" Apparently the man didn't need to be taught any further because when he came up from the water, Philip disappeared as the Holy Spirit miraculously transported him to Azotus!

The emphasis the Bible places on baptism should give us a clue about how important it really is! So go get baptized and start to live in the authority you're given! And furthermore, look for opportunities to baptize others!

Matthew 28:18-20--Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"(NIV).

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!

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.

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!

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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--

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?

Yesterday was Christmas. And as much as the bulk of American Christian voices out there like to complain about how Christmas is suppressed and Christian values are in peril, I want to share a different angle. Namely this:

Christmas happened. That's right! The "liberal media" didn't get their way and destroy our celebration of Christ's birth; the atheists didn't burn down our manger scenes; and the pagans didn't toilet paper our Christmas trees. Nobody marched into our churches and shut down our gatherings. No one was hauled away and tortured.

No one, that is, in our country at least. The most recent issue of Voice of the Martyrs Magazine (Christmas 2007) had a story about Iranian Christians in a secret meeting huddled around a chocolate birthday cake to celebrate Christ. In Iran, Christians are heavily persecuted and risk imprisonment, torture, and even death for their beliefs.

All over the world--in 51 different nations--Christianity is illegal. Christians in these hostile areas don't waste their time with petty protests and boycotts. They just keep spreading the Gospel like wildfire. In fact, in the same magazine I just mentioned, it was reported that the lowest statistical conversion rate of people in Iran accepting the Gospel after hearing it is 70%! In countries like Iran, the Church faces a harsh, heartless government who is convinced that Christianity will undermine their rule. And they also face the Islamist extremists who hold the belief that "Christian pigs must be slaughtered."

But in America, it seems our greatest threat is that Lowe's is selling "Holiday Trees." What a great wave of persecution it is that we are facing! And what's this? The city won't set up a nativity scene on their public land? We're doomed! And, oh my! The restaurant we're in will only play "Frosty the Snow Man" and "Rudolph." What an assault on the Church!

I think not. To be honest, there are times when I wish there were more persecution in America. Then we would see more real Christians spreading the Gospel instead of spreading propaganda and aggravation. We would see Christians shining shamelessly for Christ rather than standing up glaringly for their religion's posterity. It appears that America uses our "freedom of religion" as freedom to be religious.

So next year, America, feel free to boycott all the companies that don't support Christmas. That's your right. Feel free to write your city a heartfelt letter about how much you would like to have a nativity scene in front of City Hall. And by all means, crank up the volume on your favorite Christ-centered Christmas CD and roll down your windows (no matter how cold it is)! But don't waste your time complaining! That's against the Bible, and it is anti-Christ.

Philippians 2:14-16--Do EVERYTHING without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...(NIV, emphasis mine).

Jesus is not revealed when we become obnoxious protestors. He is revealed when we reveal Him! People won't get saved because they see a nativity scene; but they will fall to their knees and repent if they start encountering the supernatural in our midst!

1 Corinthians 14:24,25--But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" (NIV).

What will you put more emphasis into in the coming year? Convincing the world to let you be a Christian, or convincing them that they should know Christ too? Is it more Biblical to ask God for the "gift of protesting" or the "gift of prophecy?" What will be your response?

I want to personally repent on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Christ who have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Not that Christ was born, but that He lives TODAY and His Spirit is alive TODAY because 2000 years ago He came to the earth, died on a cross, rose to life, and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father! I don't care how much you fight for the Christmas traditions to be maintained--if you're not living in unity with Him today, you have absolutely nothing.

As much as Christmas is a time to come to terms with the miracles surrounding the physical birth of our Lord and all the prophecies that He fulfilled, it is also a time to recognize that He is still alive today and has given us His Holy Spirit. It's more important that we reveal the current Christ than it is that we reveal the infant Christ. That's not to say that we shouldn't celebrate His birth; but it is to say that our complaining stands in direct opposition to His nature. It's okay to stand up for your beliefs, but don't try to take the speck of dust out of your brother's eye until you've removed that big ugly plank from your own eye!

Until the American Church repents for all the complaining, angry letters, strife-building e-mails, and judgmental exclamations that we spread around like dung every Christmas, Jesus will remain hidden and persecuted by those who claim to support Him most: you and me. But if we will cease from these sinful reactions, turn our hearts toward God, and start walking in true Christianity, our words will be effective and our actions will have the power of God to back us up. Why would we settle for anything less?

Tonight I went out to dinner with some friends, and someone mentioned how displeased they were with the Christmas performance at a local "mega church" they attended recently. If you're not familiar with the term, a "mega church" is an organized Christian fellowship whose membership has reached into the thousands. Unfortunately, this is often because something gets compromised. (By the way, I've posted a video about the ineffectiveness of seeker-sensitivity on this site).

As it turns out, this friend of mine said that the Christmas play was amazing and had some powerful scenes. It even included a crucifixion scene that brought her to tears. But when it came time for the pastor to pray at the end, he gave a very watered-down "altar call." Something like: "If you want to be happy and get out of your bad circumstances, come forward."

Jesus never promised happiness and peaceful circumstances. Rather, He offered us joy (which is a state of being that transcends emotion) and comfort in the midst of trials. Jesus said, "In this world you WILL have trials and tribulation; but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!"

The true "Good News" (or "Gospel") is not one of health, wealth, and happiness. It is indeed one of inner peace; divine love; supernatural power; uncompromised purity; and radical, unshakable faith. But it nevertheless includes trials, temptations, persecution, and sacrifice. According to Megashift, by James Rutz (see book reviews for more info), some 25,000 Christians are murdered every month as martyrs for refusing to deny Jesus Christ.

Real Christianity is not something to be taken lightly or toyed with. We need to present the truth. The more the Church at large lies to people about these false "results" of salvation, the less people will look for the true results: freedom from sin, freedom from self, freedom from the devil, and freedom from the world.

New Age Practices vs. Real Christianity

I recently heard a story about a local woman whose child was in the hospitol with an incurable disease. A friend of hers, who practices a form of New-Age beliefs called "Reiki," came for a visit; and after "channelling the powers of the universe," placed her hands on the boy. Guess what? He got healed, and now the mother is studying Reiki as well.

Now, when this story was shared in a roomfull of Christians, you could sense the thick uneasiness and displeasure among the group. Why? Because they knew that any miraculous work that is not done in the name of Jesus Christ distracts people from God instead of drawing them to Him. And speaking from experience (not just doctrine), such activities regularly open people up to be influenced by evil, lying spirits.

But the chief problem didn't exist in the Reiki-follower's actions. That's all she knew, and you can't blame her for having compassion on the boy. The problem is actually with us. Where were the Christians who could have gone into that room and laid their hands on the boy in the name of Jesus Christ? Where were the Christians walking in supernatural power and relationship with God? Where were the ambassadors of Christ?

Now, let me tell you another story: A few months ago, a couple friends of mine and Robin's had been experiencing some bazaar demonic manifestations. The young man had two boys (ages 3 and 5) from a previous marriage who kept seeing things; and his girlfriend was living with him. There were audible voices in the house, things moving when no one was in the room, and the boys were having nightmares. It even developed to the point where the man was quickly awakened in the night with a sharp pain in his arm, only to find a bite mark.

Long story short, five of us (all Christian young adults who meet in a weekly small group) were invited over to their house to deal with the matter. The Holy Spirit showed us that the spirits would not go away unless this couple stopped living in darkness. In the same way flies are attracted to manure, demons are attracted to spiritual darkness.

Anyhow, we told them not to make a haphazard decision right away, but rather to talk it over and make the choice together because they would both be affected. Then we prayed in the name of Jesus that the evil manifestations would stop so that the two little boys wouldn't be terrified to be in the house anymore. But we warned them firmly that if they continued to live in darkness, the results would only be temporary.

That night, in a house that had become peaceful for the first time in months, the two of them talked it over and decided they needed to take this step with Christ. The two young boys--ages 3 and 5--came back from their mom's house and also commented on the change of atmosphere. The youngest--who had been seeing one of the evil spirits--kept walking around the house saying, "Where's the little girl? I can't find the little girl..."

Since then, the two of them come every week to our small group and sometimes even host the meeting at their house. I got to baptize the young man in our friend's bathtub a few weeks ago, and then the young woman chose to get baptized a couple weeks later! They both repented of sexual imorality and totally changed the ways they related to each other. Guess what? Their relationship improved dramatically. In fact, the young lady reads her Bible every night, and a couple weeks ago her boyfriend tied a ring to the bookmark ribbon for her to find. They're getting married in June!

And it doesn't stop there: As a result of God's power and the work of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, the young man got dramatically set free from an addiction to pain killers when he received Christ, and the young woman has been free from smoking for the past month and a half since she forgave her dad for things he had done to her family. They're an awesome testimony of God's power!

So here's the scoop: there are two distinct differences between Christian works of power and New-Age works of power. First is the source. The Christian's power comes from the Holy Spirit and is limitless; the New-Age-follower's power comes either from their limited human abilities or from weak evil spirits. The second difference is that when someone gets healed by someone in New-Age, they and their family are more likely to drift away from the one true God and get more and more entrapped in separation from Him. On the other hand, when God's power is at work, people get utterly transformed inside and out. Their hearts change, their addictions evaporate, and their physical circumstances are even affected.

Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble; but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!" Becoming a Christian doesn't mean the world suddenly becomes perfect. Rather it means that you have a relationship with the One who IS perfect! And He's the one for whom you get to be an ambassador. You too can have opportunities like my four friends and I--and you too can have a relationship with the One who is infinitely stronger than any demon, power, or circumstance!