NeoZine

Ominous ‘Revolution’

Know this: George Barna’s latest book on the future of Christianity depicts a nightmare. It’s a future already in full-swing all around us. It’s Laodicean Christianity with a smile. Barna calls this population of compromised Christians “Revolutionaries” and has written a book ominously warning the rest of us to quit criticizing the “Revolution” — else get left behind in the stampede dust of those quitting the church!

Know this: just as the prophets of old were unwelcome in their own hometown, so are Revolutionaries looked at askance by even their closest friends and family members…

Be forewarned: just as Jesus Christ, the ultimate lover of humanity was scorned, misunderstood, persecuted, and eventually murdered for His extreme love, goodness, compassion, humility, wisdom, and grace, so are Revolutionaries abused by a culture that is itself in crisis. The mere presence of Revolutionaries makes the typical American citizen—yes, even the typical churchgoer—uncomfortable.” - Revolution, p.16

The only substantial revolution in this book is with the Barna Group’s quality control before printing the book. It is an embarrassment to this heretofore respectable research institute known for its surveys and polls.

Shock and Awe

Barna shocks the world by uncovering a hidden “sub-nation” of Christian Revolutionaries (emphasis mine, below):

“I want to show you what our research has uncovered regarding a growing sub-nation of people, already well over 20 million strong, who are what we call Revolutionaries…they have no use for churches that play religious games, whether those games are worship services that drone on without the presence of God or ministry programs that bear no spiritual fruit. - Revolution, p.13

The book offers plenty of comic relief, such as the above nonsequetors: “the mere presence of Revolutionaries” makes everyone around them uncomfortable, he says, yet nobody knew about these 20-million irritants until his research uncovered the “growing sub-nation.” In fact, they are entirely an “under the radar but seminal renaissance of faith…” (p.15).

Such ravings about the sub-nation comprise the bulk of this book, but the greatest shock is not the “20-million strong”: it’s the complete absence of research to back up his “revolution”. At best, his research demonstrates that 20 million have dropped out of attending church. Their apparent disdain for “worship services…without the presence of God” is not only unquantified, it’s unquantifiable. Is the “presence of God” now subject to Barna’s polls?

Barna’s imagination attaches the following qualities to these 20-million church dropouts:

• “To the Revolutionary, there is no such thing as ‘going along to get along.’ You either stand for Jesus or you stand for all that He died to repudiate…life is truly that simple, it is that black-and-white…”
• “Revolutionaries zealously pursue an intimate relationship with God.”
• They “make their decisions with care, knowing that each choice matters to God.”
• They are them that are, “Fueled by the ‘seven spiritual passions.’” (Note: Don’t bother looking for this list in scripture; but books about them can be found in abundance among the knick-knacks and brick-a-brack littering the local Christian book store.)
• They “risk image, resources, and security to be more attentive to and compliant with the God who means everything to them.”
• “Seeking a faith experience that is more robust and awe-inspiring, a spiritual journey that prioritizes transformation at every turn, seeming worthy of the Creator…”
• “They refuse to follow people in ministry leadership positions who cast a personal vision rather than God’s…” (The book neglects to help the rest of us identify such leaders.)
• “They refuse to donate one more dollar to man-made monuments that mark their own acheivements and guarantee their place in history.” (Ed.Note: We are left to imagine how the monumental test works, so non-Revolutionaries must continue the monumental donations.)

What strange conclusions from a pollster! Journalism school once taught a course called statistics to help quantify poll results. Yet statistics could never confirm Barna’s Revolution research to identify “Zealous pursuit”, “intimate relationship”, “careful decisions”, “fueled by (seven) passions”, “compliant with God”, “prioritizing transformation”… the absurdities mount. It would be remarkable to see this survey and its questions. Imagine the complexity!

Sample Barna Revolution Survey:

Please check any of the following you would be willing to risk in order to become more attentive to and compliant with the God who means everything to you: a) image, b) resources, c) security, d) visa card, e) night on the town, f) meat on Fridays, g) miss a night of “American Idol” h) none of the above i) all of the above

The point is clear: Revolutionaries have it right, everyone else are losers. This endless stream of super-spiritual generalizations characterizes the book. Even worse: the rest of us are consigned to remain outside the Revolution because no one but Barna can make tangible sense of such sweeping generalities.

The Silence of the Lambs

Revolution attains heights of delusion when it asserts this sub-nation is destined to rule American culture:

You’ve probably heard about the “culture war” that rages in the United States today. Perhaps the most significant battle in that war will be waged by the Revolutionaries. They are entrenched at ground zero in the test of wills and worldviews that is shaking our nation. Like their role model, Jesus Christ, they ignite fierce resistance merely by being present and holy… These Christian zealots are radically reshaping both American society and the Christian church. - Revolution, p.17–18

Yawn.

We could label this Barna’s phenomena of the silent-but deadly zealot, but it isn’t phenomenal. “Merely being present and holy” is, in fact, merely the Same-Old-Stuff (SOS) of classic Reformed theology, warmed-over. For centuries the Calvinist pipe-dream that a silent witness reaches more for Christ than open-mouthed evangelists has been self-refuting: from the dead Puritans through the dying traditional denominations today, this silence has guaranteed anything but a “test of wills and worldviews…shaking our nation.” Quite the opposite, the Silence of Christ’s Lambs has guaranteed Christianity an obscure role among the worldviews “shaking our nation,” according to Barna’s own research.

We could always cite Paul as the best refutation of Barna’s Silent Revolution:

And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? - Romans 10:14

Whoops. Revolution missed that one.

Mysticism Mainstreamed

Revolution would provide us more opportunities for satire and humor if not for the warped theology espoused. The silent evangelist, above, is only the beginning. At the center of Barna’s Revolution is the astounding claim that a real Christian—a.k.a. Revolutionary—needs not belong to a local Body of Christ as long as the heart belongs to the “universal Body of Christ.” Revolution is a naked crusade to motivate people to leave their local Christian fellowships and live the autonomous, mystical life of “me and God”, with the emphasis on me:

This mission demands single-minded commitment and a disregard for the criticisms of those who lack the same dedication to the cause of Christ. You answer to only one Commander in Chief, and only you will give an explanation for your choices. Do whatever you have to do to prove that you fear God, you love Him, and you serve Him—yes, that you live only for Him. - p.27 (Barna’s emphasis.)

If we “answer to only one Commander in Chief,” as Barna claims, how can we “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” or, “Obey your leaders and submit to them,” as God says? (See Ephesians 5:21 and Hebrews 13:17)

Barna pontificates with flourish, “Only you will give an explanation for your choices!” Let’s cut out the rhetoric and read the Bible:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. - Hebrews 13:17

His teachings are patently unbiblical and ascetic. By eliminating accountability to other Christians, Revolution is a spirituality guided by the isolated, internal compass of self-conviction. This is the age-old monastic mysticism revived, reworked and mainstreamed.

Holy But Lonely

What matters is not whom you associate with (i.e., a local church), but who you are. - p.29

Revolution means Christianity without the Great Commission, which explicitly states that discipleship is God’s ordained path to spiritual maturity (Matthew 28:18–19). Revolution is a theory of spiritual growth without depending on anyone else.

This life of Lonely Holiness is not Barna’s monster, however. He is, in many ways, a victim of the “revolutionaries” he is studying, and the super-spiritual legacy that built this population.

The first mistake is to twist the scriptures and separate serving God from serving others. Compare the classical bombastic rhetoric ( “Prove that you fear God!” ) against the more sane words of Christ and the rest of the Bible which say, “Prove that you love others!”

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34–35

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” - Galatians 5:14

And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:37–40

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. - 1 John 4:7–8

Separating the definition of holiness from the act of loving others is not a new error. It’s a widespread belief among those who practice Lonely Holiness. A large population of Christians have been dropping in and out of various churches for decades, nominally involved in Body Life, casually severing relationships without commitment or depth. In the personal vacuum which loneliness creates—we are, after all, emotional and relational beings—the emotions are fed through the elusive worship experience. Yes, the experience occurs at times, but not always, and even less-often as familiarity breeds contempt for the SOS. The time comes to to fill the void and find another church with better worship ambiance and sacred ground.

Sacred Secularism

This is precisely what Barna exalts at the core of his Revolution: seeking the “Presence of God.” Revolutionaries reject “worship services…without the presence of God,” as we read, but now the church dropouts seek a faith-experience from the “media, arts and other cultural institutions.” Now 20% of Americans express or experience their faith through media/arts/culture, and Barna predicts it will be 35% within 20 years. Meanwhile, those using the “Local Church” will drop from 70% today to 30% in 20 years. Barna’s conclusion is astounding. Sweeping aside the obvious fact that American Christianity is sick and getting sicker, he considers this trend healthy! As for the dismal future of the Local Church, he says:

You may read this and feel a sense of loss or dread—or you may celebrate the development of new ways people can grow to full maturity through their faith. The relatively compromised and complacent state of faith in the nation today suggests than any new means through which people — especially younger people — can make their faith come alive and become more center-stage in their lives, without conflicting with scriptural imperatives, will represent a welcome breath of fresh air in the stagnant spiritual landscape of our country. - p.49–50

Can “the media, arts and other cultural institutions” possibly replace the love relationships in a local Body of Christ? It’s patently absurd: church drop-outs “can make their faith come alive” by visiting art museums?

Anticipating this criticism, Barna offers a snapshot of how “Revolutionaries” can replace the Local Church with “cultural institutions.” David and Michael are both rich, middle-aged, “born-again Christians who had eliminated church life from their busy schedules.” These busy, high-powered executives launched “The Church on the Green” — that is, they go golfing on Sunday mornings—where they experience a Revolution of “faith come alive”. It’s a nightmarish exaltation of carnal Christianity:

He took a full swing and launched the puckered ball a good 250 yeards down the middle of the fairway…

“Beat that, Mr. Long Ball!” [Various silly comments follow, then the spiritual conversation begins…]

“Look at those mountains over there,” David entreated his friend as they marched toward their next spot on the fairway. “They are absolutely stunning, don’t you think?” He stopped for a moment and wistfully stared at the evergreen-covered landmass rising high above the course. “Awesome,” he exclaimed loudly… “Every time I see them, I get my batteries get recharged. God’s handiwork gets to me every time! Aren’t they something?” - p.1–4

So goes the “Church on the Green” worship service led by “Mr. Long Ball.” This is Barna’s “sub-nation” destined to shake American culture for God through their “wistful” glances at landscapes…

 Clueless

Barna may be a reknown statistician, but he’s clueless about spiritual warfare. Compare the fluffy “Church on the Green” against Paul’s descriptions of spiritual struggle:

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; - 2 Timothy 4:5–7

in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, - 2 Corinthians 6:7–9

Paul would certainly scoff at the David/Michael team’s “weapons of righteousness” and their ability to “endure hardship.” Anyone with significant experience knows the spiritual war is waged at great expense and hardship. Consider the words of Jesus:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.” - Matthew 10:34–36

Consider this: is it not possible that the drop from 70% to 30% in local church attendance simply means the fakers quit faking, and go play golf instead?

Leave us your comment about the Revolution!

Up next: a different view…

Since the founding of our new High School ministry about two years ago, it’s been a long haul. Finally! This weekend the Word Cell Groups will gather to celebrate, study and launch a new home church.

It was not that long ago we had the same experience with our fledgling KSU ministry. The picture below shows the “founding mammas and pappas” of our college group as they appeared on their first-ever Cell Group retreat. The Word CG retreat will be comprised of about twice as many participants. If the KSU group started with such a paltry few, what will this new, larger crop of Christian leaders look like in a few years?

The KSU ministry was a motly crew, but it proves God can use anyone to build His church!

We’ll be studying “Comparative World Philosophies” at this upcoming Cell Retreat, and the youngsters will learn about Postmodernism, Humanism, Agnosticism, Universalism, Neo-Paganism and several other world views which seek to challenge their faith. This year they’ve been holding weekly meetings after school in a club called “The Philosophy Society” where many of these world views have been competing for attention among the student population.

Youngsters from the original KSU CG retreat will be senior leaders at the Word retreat.	Mark is not nearly as “salty” as he was back then…	Can you believe this pretty young lady is a college graduate today?

View the rest of the first KSU CG Retreat pictures…

Leave a snyde COMMENT!

Update:Today (Wednesday, 1/24), we had 12 High Schoolers show up for our weekly prayer meeting! These kids need some serious support… they’re breaking all the records and all the rules for High Schoolers. What an amazing group!

Our parenting class is generating a few thoughtful studies and insights from people taking the class. Their work is excellent. Take a moment to read, especially if you’re invested in kids!

From Joe Allie’s article, “Raising Christian Kids in a non-Christian World

It’s frightening to think our children won’t grow up to have the same relationship with God as their parents do, but the greatest mistake we can make is to curl up and retreat from the world around us. “Greg’s” parents never had the kind of Christian fighting spirit that creates meaningful life and “Greg” saw this. His parents were no better than the parents of his non-Christian friends and he never saw a reason to buy into their belief system.

In Touch With Jesus

Bryan Bassett provides some amazing research on the changing nature of youth ministries in churches. I found Bryan’s article to be a great asset in my own understanding of working with students. I call it “Bassett’s Assets”.

From “In Touch With Jesus” from B4:

Sugarcoated, MTV-style youth ministry is so over. Bible-based worship is packing teens in pews now…I do think we should focus more on the whole teaching part of the group then the fun part, even though it is basically the fun part that makes the people come back after there first time.

Disciple-Leaders Plan

After coming back from a long weekend of planning meetings, it befuddles me how strange it is that we have to plan so much. In February, we’ll have the FST retreat, discussing plans, plans and more plans. Aren’t we supposed to depend on God? But this strange combination of dependence and planning are not opposite thoughts. If anyone understood dependence on the Father, it surely was Jesus Christ, and yet watch what he says:

“What king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Luke 14:31

“Sit down and consider!” Jesus said. He connects this parable about strategic planning directly to discipleship in the previous verse:

“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:27

Planning is vital for those who would be Disciple-Leaders. Spiritual planning is simply the exercise of our free will to “come after Me” and “sit down and consider!” I struggled for years as a young Christian “waiting for something to happen.” I’ve since learned my problem: I would never “sit down and consider.” Until I did that, I floundered in confusion. My free will was frozen will.

So it is possible to simultaneously depend on God for leadership, provision and authority, but still contribute our own creativity, gifting and brainstorming to His Kingdom through planning.

Interestingly, we find that “planning” under God’s authority should be a time filled with power, unity and vision. These are words I would use to describe last weekend’s Sphere Leader’s retreat. It was such an inspiration, in fact, that we simply must have another planning retreat that includes more planners. (We will do so soon among the Word workers and leaders.)

There is a big difference between planning meetings among Disciple-Leaders and those dreary planning meetings we endure in the Kosmos. I can’t think of anything more exciting than having an opportunity to sit down “among my own kind” - that is, Disciple-Leaders - and entering koinonia together.

Nehemiah’s plans

Nehemiah is a study in the careful combination of spiritual dependency on God and confident planning. He was a prisoner far from home, working in the court of the famous Persian king Artaxerxes. He was heartbroken, living in a strange land, living as a captive. The sadness was obvious:

I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” Then I was terrified Nehemiah 2:1-2

Why Nehemiah’s terror? Unlike the rest of us, kings don’t have to endure depressing company. It’s a good way to get “fired” by beheading!

Sad Planning

But Nehemiah was not merely wearing his feelings on his sleeve. He was deliberate, too. This is why he could jump on the opportunity to lay out a far-fetched plan asking Artaxerxes to help the Israelites. It was a crazy gamble, since King Art was a Persian. Why would he care about such a remote, trite people? But what an amazing response Nehemiah received:

Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I gave him a definite time. Nehemiah 2:6

How quickly Nehemiah answered the king’s stunning question! The answer was precise and impressive, and Artaxerxes immediately recognized this man was ready for leadership.

Artaxerxes said, “Go! Do it!” If Nehemiah were a less-prepared man, he would stand there stunned and overwhelmed with joy. But Nehemiah’s calculated reaction proves he was prepared for answered prayer:

And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which is by the temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me. Nehemiah 2:7-8

That was a huge shopping list he gave the king! Nehemiah was not reciting mere words wbeforehand: he was praying that kind of prayer which is so full of confident faith that it triggers confident planning.

Imagine how disgraced Nehemiah would’ve been if he kept returning to Artaxerxes again and again asking, “Just one more thing, please!” Because he planned, he walked out of that throne room with a mother-lode of power and riches from the throne of the Persian Empire.

He planing was exhaustive, but it paid off. Why don’t our plans meet similar success?

Victorious Planning

Here’s Nehemiah’s power: “The good hand of my God was upon me!” he said. When the hand of God is with the Disciple-Leader, it’s like a windstorm that sweeps the path ahead clear of debris. Watch what I mean:

Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. Nehemiah 2:9

Nehemiah received an army he never asked for! Nehemiah’s requests were bold, but never did he imagine asking for an army escort. But King Art was obviously so impressed by Nehemiah’s resolve, and so sold on Nehemiah’s cause, he initiated the army himself.

It reminds me of an old pioneer who was asked how he survived the hardships of frontier life: “Trust in God,” he said. “And keep your powder dry!”

This is Planning-by-Faith. It is not the same as saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” Such a statement is not found or rooted anywhere in the Bible. Those that “help themselves” are those living Kosmos-ethics where self-worship rules. To those who “help themselves” Jesus says this: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it!”

Far from helping himself, Nehemiah was burdened for the Kingdom of God. Because Nehemiah knew about God’s will, and because he was burdened for God’s will, he planned with confidence knowing what the future would bring.

Self-Planning

“But what about my future and my will?” someone might ask. “God’s future is one thing, but knowing my future is a complicated matter! This is what worries me!”

Therein lies the source of many follies and fears: separating our future from the Kingdom of God. Is it possible to build a future far more brilliant and fulfilling than the Kingdom of God? For those who want it, it is easy to gain a foothold of great confidence, according to Jesus:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

Them that would bypass Christ’s wisdom for “marching to the beat of a different drummer” as the Cult of Self would advocate invariably sink into a dark world of follies driven by fears. “But perhaps he hears the beat of a different drummer?” the American philosopher Thoreau would object. Let the “different drummer” quit skulking in the shadows, come out, and compare his kingdom plan against the Kingdom of God! Then it will be shown how Thoreau’s “different drummer” is merely sounding a retreat: “Run away! Get far away from God!”

Faith breeds order

Leaders like Nehemiah think through the situation. Faith breeds organization, because biblical faith is based on fact, not feelings, and it is rooted in confidence, not wishful thinking. Anyone with real faith knows that God will answer, and even how God will answer. The spiritual leader then plans for the inevitable answer.

This life of Planning-by-Faith is far different from the resigned-faith of false religions. Man-made religions depict mankind as mere pawns caught in the hands of a dictator deity. The Greeks invented “The Fates”, and other deities followed the same pattern: remote, dark deities with secret plans. What’s the attraction of man-made religions? Such an aloof and secretive deity is easily dismissed, nothing we do really matters anyway, so the religions become simple: placate the deity, and otherwise carry-on as best as one can.

The God of the Bible is so different. Yes, He certainly has plans, and yes, His plans certainly will prevail against the greatest of human kingdoms - even Persia of King Artexerces has no power to stand against Him. But He is public and openly invites us to join His Kingdom. He is unashamed about His intentions and spells them out clearly in the Bible.

Those who make plans to follow His will then become “Stewards of the Mysteries of God.” He calls us “Stewards” because he enjoys making plans with us, and He encourages our creative contributions to The Kingdom. We can rely on His promise to grant us more than enough resources to invest and plan with.

Planning for Fellowship

Our aversion to planning is damaged and distorted by our experience in the Kosmos. Planning meetings in the Kosmos is sheer drudgery, dominated by simple-minded logistics and a cold-hearted pursuit of more cash for the shareholders. “Let’s hurry so I can go home,” is an appropriate slogan for planning meetings in the Kosmos.

Planning for God’s Kingdom is wildly different. It is an exercise in fellowshipping with God because we are “God’s fellow-workers.” We can depend on God for survival, planning then becomes a more creative labor of love undertaken by those who “Love the appearance of His coming”, who love the King of Kings, and who love each other.

It was a great SLUM retreat, even though we spent almost all the time planning! It will be a great Fiscal Support Team retreat, planning for the future of this exciting ministry!

Upcoming: what did we do on the SLUM retreat?

(above: a farthing from the Roman era)

It’s interesting that Jesus spent the end of his life watching people giving in the Temple.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Mark 12:42-44

Jesus came to watch that day what people were doing in that temple. He literally “gazed intently” at the action. He was close enough to see two tiny coins in the hand of a shriveled, gnarled, old hand, and he was close enough to see who was giving and who was giving what.

Affluence and pauperdom

It’s a lesson in, “What does God look for when He watches us?”

• He watched the affluence from which people gave. There were “many rich”, and then, one “certain poor” person. By “poor”, the word means “a pauper,” “a beggar”. This widow was someone who didn’t have enough to eek out an existence. It’s a reminder that God knows if we have much, or just a little. How easy it is to hide behind our “little.” But she did not.

• He saw the amount that she gave. It was “two mites.” or “lepton”, which is the smallest denomination of coin. Together, they add up to a farthing. It was worth 1/128th of a day’s pay (of one denarious). It wasn’t enough to go out and buy a scrap of bread. One thing we can’t say, “I have so little, God certainly takes no notice of what I do with what I have.” Oh yes He does!

Why does the Lord say so much about what we do with our money? Half of the parables deal with money, and 15% of Jesus’ instructions deal with this subject.

What we do with our money is God’s business, and He makes it His business.

(distilled from Jesus at the Treasury - Part 1)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Dicken’s famous quote describes 2006 for NEO Xenos. The changes were vast and without exaggeration our fellowship was transformed. That’s why the Sphere Leader’s Retreat this month forces us into deep planning-and-praying-mode. Foremost among our many concerns is whether we’ll make it financially this year. What do you think?

It was a close call in 2006.

Up to the last minute, we were running about $4,000 in red ink, but $8,000 in budget shortfall. We kept cutting budget plans to keep up with the shortfall, but still the red ink kept eating into our 40-day lifeline of financial reserves. When the reserves are gone we turn off the lights and go home, so it’s very bad to lose that buffer.

And then, suddenly! Just before the year ended, God provided yet again in many miraculous ways. First, the Body of Christ was moved, and many came to our aid. Then Rick was victorious at securing our deposit from the old warehouse. There were several other miraculous surprises as well, and all together they add up to one fact:

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Job 19:25-26)

This year should be a huge turnaround for us. Already we’re seeing delightful changes in all our ministries, although the adult home churches are still struggling. We’ll have much to say after the SLUM retreat, but keep this thought in mind: 2007 will be very, very different, because we have a huge ground-swell of leadership like never before. This alone is certainly worthy of much praise and thankfulness towards God’s continual support and leadership.

Please help us consider what we can do in 2007…

fill out a pledge form!

We need you to prayerfully and carefully consider making a financial pledge and joining the Fiscal Support Team to make this fellowship work!

You can also print the form above (just click here to enlarge it) and mail it to us (see about neozine for the address). We need this information as quickly as possible so we can get moving again!

A newspaper printed the obituary of millionaire Alfred Nobel, saying his fortune came from the death of others. Nobel invented dynamite. Fortunately, Nobel wasn’t actually dead, and when he read the newspaper’s obituary, he was horrified!

Nobel got a chance to do something few of us can do: he saw his life from the viewpoint of death. It rattled him, and he didn’t like what he saw. So he took his fortune and set it aside into the Nobel Prize foundation, and today “Nobel” is famously associated with excellence in the arts and sciences. People are surprised to discover that Alfred Nobel was the inventor of dynamite.

Have you ever asked yourself, “How will they write my obituary?”

What we do with our money speaks tellingly what we did with our lives. Money is “compressed life”. When we give it to God’s purpose, we’re saying, “Here is my time, my effort, my life’s blood!”

God offers us a glimpse of our obituary, if we are willing:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

This verse immediately follows the famous passage, “For by grace you have been saved…” because there’s a connection between our salvation and our destiny with greatness. Do we make that connection in our daily lives? We’ve been saved by God’s grace in order that our lives might be transformed from meaningless wandering and self-indulgence into a life of testimony to the glory and beauty of the Kingdom of God.

Alfred Nobel was no fool. He took his fortune and made a connection with greatness. As saints, we have far greater opportunity with our wealth, as Jesus said:

“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” Luke 16:9

As God’s beloved children, we are stewards, as Jesus continues:

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Luke 16:10-13