Christians Murdered in India, Violence Continues - Pray

Please be in prayer over the violence against Christians in Orissa, India.  A Hindu extremist leader who for decades incited hatred and violence against Christians and missions work was assassinated this past week and other extremists are blaming Christians, though the blame likely belongs to Maoist rebels.  At least half a dozen Christians have been killed.  Many homes, churches and even orphanages have been attacked and burned (see picture above).  Thankfully the police are doing a little to try and stop this violence, but in the past they have turned the other way and allowed the violence to continue, attacks from this past December and January are evidence that this is not a new problem.  I scanned some Indian news sites, and I'm discouraged at how the picture is painted of a clash between the two groups.  Its also sad to read some Indian people's comments and see how misinformed they are about Jesus and Christians and how some of them think these Christians are to blame.

Gospel for Asia has helped keep me up to date on what is going on and I encourage you to pray about this, keep praying and even consider fasting.  

See full article and video here

Don't forget our persecuted brother and sisters.

The bible instructs us to "Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)

God, would you please bring protection over those who worship you there in Orissa and thwart the plan of the enemy to harm them and shake their faith.  Holy Spirit, lead your church to respond with forgiveness and love, remind them that the battle is not with flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities.  Thank you Jesus that you have the victory, no matter how bad things get in the present,  remind your children in Orissa that you reign and that their hope in You is not in vain.  Please soften the hearts of these hindu radicals, reveal yourself to them.  Thank you for the awesome work you've been doing all over India, and may your saints there persevere no matter how much opposition they face.  Amen.

Lame

Besides the fact that this is not a very well done commercial, the information given here carries no weight as to why one should vote for Obama, its so shallow.  Plus, who are these people to try to use their "religious" positions to sway our vote for one candidate over another?  shame on you Brian McLaren.  Especially when this particular candidate supports what this second video shows us.  Don't be deceived, Barack tries to paint it as a woman's right to choose, call it whatever you like, but it all boils down to this...

(Warning this is extremely graphic, but I don't care, because I can't see how any follower of the Author of Life could overlook, downplay or support this action in anyway and it is time we all really see what abortion is and know that the One we worship certainly doesn't approve)

  

Is Christianity a Religion?

I came across a preacher named Voddie Baucham the other day and went to his website and blog after listening to a sermon. I have to say, I think he is right on in so many ways.  He really seems to seek truth and love God's word, regardless of what others might say. Anyways, I know I've been on a kick lately of linking to a lot of other people's stuff, but why not just point you to the source instead of trying to copy what someone else has already said better than I could.

I have to confess at one point I was one of those that would agree with a statement that ignorantly said Christianity isn't a religion. However, it is important we actually think and analyze these kinds of statements, that are more like a Christianese fad than a deep theological consideration, and not them confuse our life of faith.  Worshiping and being "religious" is exactly what God wants us to do and be, but religion/life according to how He defines and commands it be, not how man has often perverted it to be.  Check out what Voddie has to say, I was very challenged by this and I hope you will be too.

"There is a common mantra that has been around for a while, but which seems to be picking up steam. It goes like this: “Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” We’ve all heard it before. However, how many of us have bothered to evaluate this ubiquitous saying? I believe we must do just that. We must evaluate this mantra, and the syllogism by which it is frequently accompanied:

Religion is man’s attempt to reach God
Christianity is God’s attempt to reach man
Therefore, Christianity is not a religion.

I believe this syllogism is not only invalid, but patently false..."

Click here to read the rest.

Desert Song

Here's yet another powerful testimony from our brothers and sisters at Hillsong Church.  I know that they put on great productions and all that.  Some people may say they think its too much or that it leads to people's walk with Christ to amount to nothing more than singing and being emotional, and neglecting all the other things we're called to as followers of Him. Though I think there is a danger that people could just get into the "happy clappy" worship services without really worshipping and not doing anything else in regards to living for Christ, I don't think that is where Hillsong is coming from.  Just in the making of their last CD/DVD album, some of these leaders and singers have gone through incredible trials and yet the glory is going to God, and I believe that this is praise and worship founded on the Rock, not something that is fluffy and shallow.  Check out this testimony, it will probably make you cry, and then consider the words to the song that follows, "All of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship."  Consider the weight of those words when coupled with Jill's testimony, consider the worth of our God who receives that kind of offering and praise in the midst of a most devastating loss.

Taking Worship Music for Granted

I was visiting family in Florida for a few days this past weekend, and somewhere in that time frame I was thinking a bit about worship music, about singing to God.  I know its hard to imagine that I was thinking about that :)  Anyways, for a while now I've been doing a lot more assessing, criticizing, questioning, etc. of how worship is done, how it is defined and played out, what role music plays and all that.  I've had my radar up and my magnifying glass out, ready to inspect all the worship songs I hear and identify anything wrong with them, and I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to do things in a worship gathering so that they fit more with what I think worship really should look like versus what it currently looks like in my church and other churches (don't misunderstand me to mean that I think they all do things the same way).

That's just a little context to give you an idea of where I've been at lately, so you can understand why the thoughts I had recently hit me the way they did.

I feel like God really impressed upon me the significance of what it means to sing to Him.  That even though there's more to worship than music, and that even though some "worship" songs are shallow or have wrong theology, I shouldn't miss the fact that singing and playing to Him is a really good thing to do and that He delights in it.  And, that I should take a step back and realize that even though within Christian circles singing and playing in praise and adoration can sometimes be treated as commonplace and not sacred, it is still a sacred thing to do and something that most people in the world don't do.  Think about it, we've got so much entertainment and music out there that is not acknowledging God or praising Him.  Sometimes it intentionally blasphemes Him.  So even though I get discouraged because singing to the Lord isn't always treated as interacting with God, as something holy (set apart), and spiritual and all that, that doesn't change the fact that it is a spiritual sacrifice which God desires of us.

I believe we are all called to sing to Him and about Him and about us in the context of His story (just look at the Psalms or Revelation).  Some of us are even called to do this more often than others and to lead others to do it.  I think God was trying to remind me of that too.  Its a big part of what I do, and what I want to do, and what I think I'm called to.  I would challenge you to remember that to sing or play to the Lord is something you should do intentionally because he deserves it, not just if you feel like it or only if you have a good singing voice.  And then remember that it is supposed to be interaction with our Holy God, let it be something that is set apart, don't treat it like a common everyday action in life.  I would also say don't treat it like when you sing along to any old song radio.  There's a lot more to it than that.  This concludes my stream of consciousness for the moment...       

More Worship Thoughts from my Namibia Trip

This is a picture of me and my friend John in the Dubai International Airport (United Arab Emirates).  Our team of about 26 people were blessed to be able to spend our 10 hour layover on our way to South Africa (then Namibia) in this nice business lounge. 

John and I sang quite a few worship tunes in there by people like Shane and Shane and David Crowder Band.  It occurred to me that what we were doing totally fit with 1 Peter chapter 2 where it talks about those who trust in Jesus are part of a priesthood that has been chosen to declare the praises of the One who called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light.  

See the wall behind us in this picture, all the airport foot traffic, shops and restaurants were just on the other side of us and the wall didn't even reach to the ceiling so you could totally hear us over the wall.  John and I didn't know this at the time, but some teammates told us later.  Plus all the other people in the other areas of the lounge could probably hear us too.  The UAE isn't known for lots of Christian persecution, but they are a muslim nation, and the airport plays the call to prayer for muslims throughout the day on their PA system.  

So its cool to think that God (not Jesse and John) has made the two of us into people that almost naturally sing praises to Him, and that He would put us in a place that those praises could be heard in the midst of many people that don't know the truth, that they do not know Jesus and the new life offered in Him.  Now if only I could easily declare His praises and share about salvation in Christ without my guitar in my hand, like maybe just in an everyday conversation...