The Prosperity Gospel

John Piper speaks on the prosperity gospel. The background music is "Sanctitatis" by Future of Forestry (Twilight album). Thanks to Pastor Mark for introducing me to this video. It really shines a light on how Christ uses brokenness to spread the gospel, not rewards. He wants laborers who are willing to suffer as he suffered, and take delight in him alone, not worldly pleasures. A powerful reminder...

The Prodigal Son and the Older Brother in America

I was driving to work yesterday at 6:30AM when I decided to turn on the radio. It happened to be on CSN Radio and a segment from Norm Nelson's Compassion Radio was playing. Norm was interviewing a man named Brian, a former member of the Mafia in New York; a drug runner. Brian accepted Christ when a woman, unafraid of his rough exterior, presented the gospel to him. I tracked down the radio program and put up a link. This isn't your average "bad man turns to Jesus" story. It's a lot closer to the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. "'... and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’" -Lk 15:23, 24 The father rejoices when the lost son comes home, and the older brother who remained at home did not cause rejoicing. "... he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’" -Lk 15:29, 30 Jesus used this parable to illustrate 2 things. 1.) All of Heaven rejoices when a lost son is found. The Father receives him with open arms. 2.) The "older brother," "pharisee," or "Christian-on-the-outside" is in a much more dangerous position than the vilest offender who accepts Christ. When Brian was interviewed, he was quick to tell of his former life in darkness and how he needed Jesus as LORD (not just savior), but he also pointed out the "older brother" in America: the sea of churches full of unrepentant "Christians" just looking for a "savior," or just the benefits of a savior. Please, please, please listen to the radio program. I cried in my car after the program was over, not because the story of his conversion was emotional, but because I had been convicted by an ex-mafia drug-runner, a better Christian than I. The program can be found here: http://broadcast.compassionradio.com/cr20091027-tue.mp3

Music Worth Checking Out #THREE

I Am Living Vol. 1

Come&Live! Records

(Various Artists/Worship)

(Taken from Cross Rhythms)

"A RADICAL new Christian record label has been established in the USA. At the start of this year Chad Johnson left his position as head of A&R at Seattle's Tooth & Nail Records where he had discovered and developed Underoath, Anberlin and Mae to establish "missionary record label" Come&Live! Records. The label will depend on missionary-style fundraising for survival (artist and staff members will be raising their own support). Come&Live! will be giving 100 per cent of their profits to humanitarian and missions organizations and will package exclusively with recycled materials..."

The label's first sample collection I Am Living Vol. 1 is available for free download at their website (click the image). You will find a range of styles from indie to pop to electronic to hardcore, all within the context of worship. I downloaded this album and couldn't stop listening to it for days. -KG

Suggested tracks: "Awakening," "Sing," "Run to You"

Tools for the Great ComMission #TWO

Know the state of the world.

According to The Joshua Project, there are 6,639 unreached people groups in the world today. The 2,700,000,000 (that's BILLION) people in those 6,639 unreached people groups have an Evangelical population that is less than 2% or non-existent.

He told us: "go" (Mt 28:19).

This video does a good job at trying to put that into perspective. The music is "Tears from the Saints" by Leeland and "What A Friend I've Found" by Delirious?. The speaker is John Piper.



Thanks to Pastor Mark for introducing me to this video.

S.H.I.F.T. Corn Maze Event!

S.H.I.F.T. will be going to the Dan-D Farms Haunted Corn Maze this Friday, October 30th. Youth are to meet at the church at 6:15PM. We will leave around 6:30PM. We should be back at the church around 9:30PM.

Please dress WARM. -KG

Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

Relevant Magazine has very good article as a response to the rise of universalism. A surprising number of Americans believe that God is the same in all religions; that you can inherit eternal life whether you pray to Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Buddha, The Tao, Brahman, your ancestors, or Jesus.

(Click the image to view the article -->)

Do you know someone who belongs to a different religion? Have you ever neglected to talk to them about Jesus because you were afraid of hurting their feelings or loosing them as a friend? Did that eventually lead you to decide "God could not be so cruel as to send non-Christians who pray to 'God' to eternal torment, could he??"

Jesus said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Peter says in Acts 4:12, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

No other name. Where do the names Buddha, Yahweh (non-trinitarian), Brahman, Jehovah (non-trinitarian), and Allah (non-trinitarian) lead to? Where does their way go? This is not a friendly, feel-good, include-everyone, philanthropist kind of message, is it?

This is the Gospel (good news). Wait! Good news??

Yes, it is good news. Hell is real, and you and I are deserving of it. Jesus came to fufill the law of God because we could not. He is a savior to all who believe. Anyone who does not believe and call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will not be saved. This is not something you want to hold back from that someone-you-know. -KG

Read the article here.

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” -Romans 10:13

Music Worth Checking Out #TWO

Travel

Future of Forestry

(Indie/Worship/Experimental/Prayerful)

Future of Forestry front man/songwriter Eric Owyoung has a unique passion and talent for melding worshipful, prayerful music with creative, and sometimes innovative works of art.

Their third album (and first in a 3 part Travel series) Travel stands out from from former album Twilight. Lyrically mature and sincere, musically spellbinding and enchanting; there's a diversity of instruments and style on this album that, when added to Eric's heartfelt and honest praise, really enables one to marvel at God, and worship him in a new but no less revering light. -KG

Suggested Tracks: Closer to Me and Halleluiah

Listen to the whole album on myspace.

Doing things my own way

"To suppose that whatever God requireth of us that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect." -John Owen

Music Worth Checking Out #ONE

Things We Can See & Things We Cannot
So Long Forgotten
(Indie/Experimental/Conceptual/Prayerful)

I'll say this right away: This album is not for everybody. It's written and put together in such a way that it is meant to be listened to as a whole rather than individual pieces.

Singer/songwriter Micah Boyce's vocals and lyrics are artistic, intense, soulful, and incredibly subjectively objective. This is to say that he tends to be more passionate than some will be comfortable with. Nevertheless, there is a beauty and praise found in this album underneath it's sometimes painful honesty. When Micah screams "Yours was everything I could and could not see! Yours was everything!" things will start to come together, and your hair will stand on end. -KG

(The following taken from Bands On Fire.)

"Chad Johnson, the former head A&R at Tooth & Nail Records, who was responsible for introducing the world to Underoath, Anberlin and Mae, ... laid out a very bold, very blunt offer. Walk away from a lucrative record deal, and join his “Come&Live!” venture, a new record label where all the music is released through a free/pay what you want model.

While most bands would have slammed the door in Johnson’s face, and grabbed the biggest signing bonus possible, So Long Forgotten found the idea to be right in line with their mission. “Our band has always put servanthood first,” Micah says. “So many bands just exist to feed the Christian subculture monster. Instead of being a light in a dark place, Christianity becomes their genre. I think "Christian” is a much better noun than an adjective. Come&Live! pushes us to be ‘noun Christians.’ We’re not going to make a lot of money at this. It’s humbling, and it forces us to be out there where God can use this band.”

Album lyrics: here.
Free album download: here.

Tools for the Great ComMission #ONE

Every so often I will put up resources for all you who are considering the call of missions.

This is taken from the book Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper.

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."

S.H.I.F.T. is going to Onething'09 at IHOP

My youth group, S.H.I.F.T, is going to IHOP this December for the Onething'09 Conference. We will be raising money this year with croissant sales, soup suppers, and other fund raisers. Please contact me if you would like to support us. Click the banner on the right for more info.

Jesus Died - Paul Washer

A powerful video from http://www.illbehonest.com/. Paul Washer frequently focuses on the gospel and what it means to be saved and live in obedience.

The Exodus Conspiracy, 2010

A documentary featuring the search for the true Exodus path, Red Sea crossing, and Mt. Sinai (not the traditional or tourized ones). This movie is set to be released sometime in 2010. A lot of the movie focuses on how tourism is banned in Saudi Arabia, and how research and excavation in regards to the Old Testament are prohibited just about everywhere (sometimes violently). Here is a trailer:



Movie website: http://www.exodusconspiracy.com/

The Findings of the Late Ron Wyatt

~You may not have heard of this man. This is because his findings and discoveries have been covered up, disregarded, and dismissed by both scientists and most Christians.

Ron Wyatt has documented his findings from the 1970's to late 1990's of what he believes to be:
1.) Noah's Ark
2.) Soddom & Gomorrah
3.) The Red Sea Crossing
4.) Mt. Sinai
5.) The Ark of the Covenant with Jesus' blood.

Some of these claims may seem a bit fantastical. However, consider the evidence for yourself at his website: http://www.wyattmuseum.com/.

Further support comes from this video series:
Exodus and Red Sea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJXUv_btg60.
Noah's Ark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y5ORpMTebI&feature=related
The narration is done by his wife.

Wikipedia is inaccurate. Read this FAQ: http://www.webspawner.com/users/ronwyattfaq/index.html.

Christian oriented versions of the tellings of his findings can be found here: http://www.wyattarchaeology.com/

I am personally convinced that his findings are true, by both the evidence and his character. Choosing whether or not to believe in these specific discoveries as the true locations does not affect your salvation. However, it might give cause to marvel.