What Is God Saying to America in 2016? - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA NEWS

The church must continue to build the bridge of racial reconciliation in 2016. (United Methodist Church)

What Is God Saying to America in 2016?

12/30/2015 J. LEE GRADY  charisma news

I've been accused of being a prophet, and I cringe every time because (1) I don't like the title, and (2) I'm not comfortable with the way some Christians put prophetic people on pedestals. The gift of prophecy is certainly needed today, but we should never turn prophets into celebrities or follow them like gurus. Nor should we cheapen prophecy by turning it into a Christian form of fortune telling.

True prophecy is the holy proclamation of God's will and purpose in a particular situation. It is possible to discern what God is saying to a specific church or even a nation. And I believe He is saying some very specific things to the United States. I do not claim to know every detail, nor is the list below complete. The Bible says "we prophesy in part" (1 Cor. 13:9)—and that's why other prophets should add what is missing.

I believe God is most definitely saying these things to us today:

1. We shouldn't look to politicians from either party to save us. At this point, unity among conservative Christian voters looks impossible—especially since most black churchgoers and a big percentage of Hispanic Christians will vote for the Democratic ticket. The bigger question is this: Regardless of whether we have Clinton, Rubio, Trump, Cruz, Carson or even Sanders, will the "right" president deliver our country from its problems? We've had both liberals and conservatives in the White House over the past three decades, but neither party has stopped our morals from sinking or our families from disintegrating. Only a sovereign intervention from heaven can help us now. We can vote our consciences, but we must look to God to heal America.

God is saying: "Ask Me for a spiritual awakening, not a political victory."

2. The church must be equipped to heal broken people like never before. The family has been fragmenting at an alarming rate over the past few decades—and the number of young people who grew up with a father and mother in the home has dwindled to a minority. This will have huge implications for the church in the next few years, and if we are not trained to handle the pain, the church will lose the battle. It is time for every church to prepare an army of healers. Christian marriages are in crisis. Sex addiction is rampant. The transgender movement, along with the Supreme Court's decision to redefine marriage, now poses huge new challenges for kids and teens today—and we cannot meet this test without the Holy Spirit's power. The church must train counselors to deal with divorce, abandonment, abuse, domestic violence, gender confusion, sexual perversion and all the other problems associated with family breakdown.

God is saying: "Heal the brokenhearted and give them My compassion!"

3. Aging churches must embrace change—and discard outdated religious baggage. A huge number of Bible-believing churches have already become irrelevant to the culture because they have refused to update their styles and reconfigure their methods. Our gospel is unchangeable, but our methods must adapt to the needs of people. We only have a window of time to make these changes; old wineskins will soon become useless. Denominations must be open to innovative leadership and new ideas—or their lamps will go out. It is a time for drastic measures. Churches that seek God for His new direction will enter into a new season of fruitfulness and growth.

God is saying: "The season of spiritual barrenness is over, if you seek Me. I will break the yoke of dead, dry religion and release a fresh anointing so you can reach your cities."

4. The church must build the bridge of racial reconciliation. God is serious: He wants us to root out racism in the evangelical churches of America. He is not happy that we have dragged our feet on this! Government programs and political speeches don't have the power to heal the problems we saw in 2015 in Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston or Chicago. The church has been given the "ministry of reconciliation" (see 2 Cor. 5:18), and reconciliation will only work when black, white and Hispanic church leaders engage the enemy together.

God is saying: "A banner has been unfurled over this year, declaring Psalm 133:1: 'Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!'"

5. We must open our hearts to foreigners. Our national discussion about immigration, refugees and Muslims has exposed a spirit of bigotry and hatefulness, even among followers of Jesus. Today the world looks at the United States and wonders if we really are still a nation that believes all people are created equal. Our racism and nationalism have erected more walls than bridges. If we truly want to be Pentecostal in our theology, we must embrace the foreigners who are drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean we throw out immigration policies, or allow terrorists to enter the U.S., but it does require us to make room in our cold hearts for the people God is bringing into our communities.

God is saying: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations! Open your doors to everyone I am sending to you!"

6. We must focus our prayers on the Islamic world. In the 1980s, Christians prayed for seven years for the collapse of Soviet communism. But when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, most believers were shocked that God answered those prayers. The same doubt exists today; many Christians focus only on the evils of ISIS rather than considering the possibility of a massive move of God among Muslims. We must pray expecting the Islamic Curtain to fall. Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, even Yemen—unbelievable spiritual shifts will take place in these nations in response to the prayers of God's people!

God is saying: "Is anything too hard for Me? My Word will not be chained. I will pull back the veil of Islam and shine My light in the darkest places."

7. We should expect a spiritual awakening to break out among young people.I've never been more convinced that we are going to see a fresh wave of the Holy Spirit's power to hit this country—and I'm looking for it to erupt in our high schools and on our college campuses. It will take a miracle—since God is not exactly welcome in these secular environments. But when one fire starts blazing, others will catch. I fully expect to see America's college students praying, fasting, preaching and worshiping so radically that something akin to the Jesus movement of the 1970s happens again. The music of this next movement will grab the world's attention. The testimonies of transformed lives will end up on the mainstream news. Social media will provide the platform to spread this campus revival quickly.

God is saying: "I will call a new generation to serve Me, and they will boldly proclaim My gospel—even in the strongholds of secularism. I will have radical followers even in the Ivy League schools."

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe, Fearless Daughters of the Bible and The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, atthemordecaiproject.org.

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7 Lessons From the World’s Fastest-Growing Congregation - Dr. Michael Brown

Dr. Michael Brown

7 Lessons From the World’s Fastest-Growing Congregation


In 1995, God began to speak to a young leader in Hyderabad, India, named Satish Kumar, telling him that he would have a very large church, but nothing materialized for the next 10 years.

In 2005, he planted Calvary Temple, starting with 25 members. Now, in 2015, he has more than 130,000 members, adding 60,000 in the last three years alone.

Perhaps even more remarkably, the massive building that houses this congregation—seating 18,000, with additional overflow facilities—was built in just 52 days, despite significant government opposition along the way. (The building is also centrally air-conditioned, which is a tremendous plus in India, and everything surrounding the building, including the beautiful gardens, was completed in the 52-day period.)

On my recent trip to India, my 23rd in 23 years, I had the pleasure of spending several hours with Pastor Satish, whom I had met before only in 1995. I also had the privilege of bringing a short address to his congregation during two of their five Sunday services.

What are some of the keys to this church’s supernatural growth?

Prayer and Fasting

The congregation always put a strong emphasis on prayer and fasting, but when they were about to embark on their building project, Pastor Satish called for 40 days of prayer and fasting, with believers fasting and joining together in corporate prayer as much as they were able to.

The problem was that he called for this during the rainy season, a time when it is unbearably hot and unbearably wet. Yet night after night crowds of thousands gathered on the empty property to join together for hours, sitting with their umbrellas up as Satish preached in the pouring rain (without an umbrella). It made for quite a sight.

When they came to the end of the 40-day period, he called for another 40 days of prayer and fasting, and when that ended, he called for 40 days more—so, 120 consecutive days of corporate prayer and fasting. It was then that he received the word to build the entire facility in 52 days.

The building miracle and the church growth miracle are directly related to prayer and fasting.

Preaching the Word
Despite conducting five services every Sunday (each service runs close to two hours in length), Satish preaches a full message in each service, averaging 60-70 minutes per sermon. (The first service starts at 6:00 AM; the last service ends at 8:00 PM.)

And he does not mince words, calling out sin, calling for repentance and pointing to the cross.

His goal in all his messages is that Jesus be exalted.

He also gives a 30-minute teaching to 1,200 key church workers before one of the late afternoon services.

Caring for the Flock

Every member of Calvary Temple gets a swipe card, and they register their attendance by swiping the card on a kiosk at one of the doors. (You can become a member on your first visit there, simply by declaring your attention to join, and the vast majority of first-time visitors are already familiar with Satish’s ministry through his TV broadcasts.)

If they miss a service, they receive a phone call the next day from a staff member, asking them if they’re OK and if they need prayer for anything. While this may seem overbearing for many Christians in the West, it is very meaningful to the Indian believers.

But there’s more: Every member of the church has a birthday cake delivered to their door on their birthday, meaning that the church is hand-delivering as many as 4,000 birthday cakes a day.

As Satish told me, many of his people are so poor that not even their own families celebrate their birthdays, and so when the cake arrives, they are in tears.

Calvary Temple also cooks about 10,000 meals every Sunday for poor members (you should see the size of the kettles) as well as providing medical prescriptions at 50 percent off to their congregants.

These are just some of the things that mark their care for their flock.

Supernatural Faith

Without being on the actual grounds to see for yourself, it’s very difficult to understand how impossible it was to build their facility in 52 days. The air conditioning alone was supposed to take 90 days to install, and because of problems with building permits, most of the work had to be done at night, under lights.

But Pastor Satish had been reading Nehemiah during the 120 days of prayer and fasting, and when he read that the walls of Jerusalem were built in 52 days, he took this as a word from the Lord and announced to his congregation that they would do the same. And they did!

When you see what God has done so far—and the real hunger of the people to receive from the Lord—it’s easy to believe for much, much more.

The Israel Connection

When I sat in Satish’s office, I noticed that he had two small flags on his desk, the flag of India and the flag of Israel. And the operative word at Calvary Temple is “shalom.” That’s how everyone is greeted when they swipe their membership card upon entering the building.

When I spoke briefly to the congregation, I told them that I saw a highway from Hyderabad to Israel. (I had felt this earlier in the day when praying over church property for Pastor Stephen Paul in that same city. His father has interceded for Israel for decades and considers it a sacred duty.)

Is it any coincidence that Pastor Sandor Nemeth of Faith Church in Budapest, Hungary, the largest megachurch in Europe, told me that he attributes much of the church’s supernatural growth and influence to its deep connection to Israel? Or that Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church in Grapevine, Texas, one of America’s fastest growing churches and the most giving church in the nation (donating more than $1 million a month to missions) has stated that the key to their supernatural success is that they give the firstfruits of their income to Israel-related ministry?

A Strong Work Ethic

Indian pastors are hard workers (as are many Indians in general), and Pastor Satish regularly puts in 16-hour days—with joy—while many of his staff members gladly work 12 hours a day. Some of his staff has been with him for 20 years now.

Yet what struck me while we were together was that he did not seemed burned out in the least, even seeming relaxed as we talked. And his family members I met seemed excited and blessed as well.

I’m quite aware that we can easily become ministry workaholics and that there is a lot of pastoral burnout in America. I’m simply observing what I saw, and as I noted, it is not uncommon for Indian leaders to serve sacrificially.

Wise Use of Media

Through no effort or planning of his own, Pastor Satish’s messages began to be broadcast on TV, and as he found more and more sponsors to support his show, the broadcasts began to increase.

Today, his messages air on 300 different programs each month, in several Indian languages. This results in more than 5,000 new visitors each week, many of whom become committed church members.

What can we take away from all this?

First, it really is time for God’s favor on India, and despite the strongly pro-Hindu government, the church is growing all over the nation. What has been happening behind the scenes for years is becoming more and more public.

Second, hearing these testimonies encourages our faith. Jesus is building His church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

Third, in these days of church growth fads, when leaders are looking for the latest gimmick or technique to bring in the crowds, it’s refreshing to see that prayer, fasting, solid preaching, caring for the flock, exercising faith, standing with Israel, working hard and using media wisely can produce such extraordinary results.

May the harvest in India continue to increase and abound until the church of India becomes a blessing to the nations of the world—and to the lost sheep of the house of Israel as well.

Website: Dr.Michael Brown

Why Pastor Saeed Abedini's Wife Kept His Abuse Secret Until Now - TIMOTHY C. MORGAN/RNS CHARISMA NEWS

Naghmeh Abedini represents a startling trend of women in the church who often don't report spousal abuse. (Courtesy/RNS/Adelle M. Banks)

Why Pastor Saeed Abedini's Wife Kept His Abuse Secret Until Now

11/23/2015 TIMOTHY C. MORGAN/RNS  charisma news

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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The wife of Saeed Abedini, the Iranian-American pastor imprisoned in Iran since September 2012, has had a difficult month.

First Naghmeh Abedini canceled all public appearances after telling supporters by email that her husband had abused her physically, emotionally and sexually. Twelve days later, she released a statement saying she regretted her previous emails. "I was under great psychological and emotional distress," she said.

Iran sentenced Saeed Abedini, a former Muslim who converted to evangelical Christianity, to eight years in prison for his alleged involvement with Iran's burgeoning house-church movement. In Shia-majority Iran, Sunni Muslims, Baha'is, Christians, and other minorities face harassment, arrest, and imprisonment, according to the U.S. State Department.

Since her husband's detention in 2012, Naghmeh Abedini has been publicly advocating for his freedom, winning the support of top evangelical leaders and meeting privately with President Obama, which is why her accusations of spousal abuse came as shock. But those accusations also raise the question: Why do evangelical women wait so long before reporting abuse?

"Many who suffer domestic abuse feel lots of shame, are blamed by others, and do not tell anyone," said Justin Holcomb, a Florida Episcopal priest and seminary professor who co-authored with his wife Lindsey "Is It My Fault? Hope and Healing for Those Suffering Domestic Violence."

"Christian women, in particular, stay far longer in abusive situations and in more severe abuse than their non-Christian counterparts," he added.

So far, social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere show that supporters of the Abedini family were not backing away from Naghmeh after the abuse allegations became public.

"God guide and protect you and especially Saeed at this time when he will not be having visitors that he feels God in a special way during this time. May the angels protect him with a hedge of safety," one supporter posted on Naghmeh Abedini's Facebook page.

Naghmeh Abedini shared few additional details in her initial email alleging abuse, besides saying her husband, 35, was addicted to porn and that the abuse was ongoing even though their contact is limited to Skype and phone calls.

An American citizen and the mother of two children, Naghmeh Abedini said the abuse began in 2002. The two were married in 2004.

Research shows that domestic abuse survivors in general are less likely to receive extensive public support through their local church. According to a 2014 poll from LifeWay Research, about two-thirds of Protestant pastors address domestic abuse from the pulpit once a year or less. Additional research from LifeWay found that only 25 percent of surveyed pastors consider abuse or sexual violence an issue within their congregation.

"Many churches appropriately stress the importance of marriage and family, but some churches wrongly teach that a wife's primary role in life is to protect their husband's or family's reputation," said Holcomb, the Episcopal priest. "Because of this emphasis, those experiencing abuse in their relationship may feel ashamed because they believe they failed in their relationship," Holcomb said.

He said domestic abuse is much more prevalent than many people realize: He cites research that indicates one in four women will experience abuse in an "intimate partner relationship." Holcomb advises pastors to talk more openly about domestic abuse, be accessible to abuse survivors, and collaborate with social agencies and law enforcement.

Abuse is one of the most under-reported crimes, he said. "It is extremely unusual for someone to lie about these kinds of claims."

According to Lenore Walker, a professor at Nova Southeastern University and founder of the Domestic Violence Institute, "Women with strong religious backgrounds often are less likely to believe that violence against them is wrong."

The campaign for release of Abedini continues to have a very high public profile. In January, shortly after delivering the State of the Union address, Obama met with Naghmeh and her two children briefly and pledged to make release of Saeed a top priority.

In a mid-November statement, the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing the family, said, "What we are focused on is this: bringing home an American pastor who has been wrongly imprisoned in Iran because of his faith."

Beginning about 15 years ago, Abedini reportedly joined local efforts to start up house churches. But about 10 years ago, Iran began an aggressive crackdown on these churches. Abedini, who moved to the U.S. with his family in 2005, shifted his attention from starting house churches to care for Iranian orphans.

In the 2014 book "Too Many To Jail," author-researcher Mark Bradley documents the rapid growth of house church Christians from 1979 to the present day. He describes Iran as having "the fastest growing church in the world" and projects that there may be 1 million Christians in Iran by 2020.

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The Indonesian Jihad on Christian Churches By Raymond Ibrahim BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

The remains of a church in the Aceh region of Indonesia, still on fire, after hundreds of Muslims attacked it on October 13, 2015. (Image source: CCTV video screenshot)

The Indonesian Jihad on Christian Churches

By Raymond Ibrahim November 15, 2015  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“We will not stop hunting Christians and burning churches. Christians are Allah’s enemies!” – Islamic leaders, Aceh region.

In other parts of Indonesia, where Islamic law, or Sharia, is not enforced, churches, even fully registered ones, are also under attack

On Dec. 25, 2012, with all required paperwork in place, when the congregation assembled on empty land to celebrate Christmas, hundreds of Muslims threw rocks, rotten eggs, and bags filled with excrement at the Christians. Police stood by and watched.

For Indonesia, the country once hailed as the face of “moderate Islam,” the “extremist” behavior one would expect of ISIS has apparently become the norm.

In compliance with Islamic demands, Indonesian authorities in the Aceh region have started to tear down Christian churches. Their move comes after Muslim mobs rampaged and attacked churches. At least one person was killed; thousands of Christians were displaced.

On Friday, October 9, after being fired up during mosque sermons, hundreds of Muslims marched to the local authority’s office and demanded that all unregistered churches in Aceh be closed. Imams issued text messages spurring Muslims from other areas to rise up against churches and call for their demolition.

On Monday, October 12, authorities facilitated a meeting with Islamic leaders and agreed to demolish 10 unregistered churches over the course of two weeks.

Apparently this was not fast enough to meet Muslim demands for immediate action. On the following day, a mob of approximately 700 Muslims, some armed with axes and machetes, torched a local church, even though it was not on the list of churches agreed upon for demolition.

Approximately 8,000 Christians were displaced; many fled to bordering provinces. Their fears were justified: Islamic leaders continued issuing messages and text messages saying, “We will not stop hunting Christians and burning churches. Christians are Allah’s enemies!”The Muslim mob then moved on to a second church, an act that led to violent clashes. One person, believed to be a Christian, died after being shot in the head. Several were injured, as Christians tried to defend their church against the armed mob.

Instead of punishing those who incited violence and took the law into their own hands by torching and attacking churches, local authorities demolished three churches (a Catholic mission station and two Protestant churches) on October 19. In the coming days, seven more churches are set to be demolished; in the coming months and years, dozens more.

Authorities had originally requested of church leaders to demolish their own churches. “How can we do that?” asked Paima Berutu, one of the church leaders: “It is impossible [for us to take it down] … Some of us watched [the demolition] from afar, man and women. It was painful.”

The situation in Aceh remains tense: “Every church member is guarding his own church right now,” said another pastor

As for the displaced Christians, many remain destitute, waiting for “desperately needed clean water, food, clothes, baby food, blankets, and medicines.” As Muslim militants were reportedly guarding the border with an order to kill any Christians crossing the line, reaching the Christians is difficult.

Many Muslims and some media try to justify this destruction by pointing out that the churches were in the wrong for not being registered. In reality, however, thanks to Indonesia’s 2006 Joint Decree on Houses of Worship, it is effectively impossible to obtain a church permit. The decree made it illegal for churches to acquire permits unless they can get “signatures from 60 local households of a different faith,” presumably Muslims, as well as “a written recommendation from the regency or municipal religious affairs office” — that is, from the local sheikh and council of Muslim elders: the same people most likely to incite Muslims against Christians and churches during mosque gatherings. Christian activists say there are many mosques that are unregistered and built without permits, but the authorities ignore those infractions.

Others try to justify these recent attacks on churches by pointing out that they took place in Aceh, the only region in Indonesia where Islamic law, or Sharia, is officially authorized, and where, since 2006, more than 1,000 churches have been shut.

Yet in other parts of Indonesia, where Islamic law is not enforced, even fully registered churches are under attack. These include the Philadelphia Protestant Church in Bekasi — nearly 1,500 miles south of Sharia-compliant Aceh. Even though it had the necessary paperwork, it too was illegally shut down in response to violent Muslim protests. On December 25, 2012, when the congregation assembled on empty land to celebrate Christmas, hundreds of Muslims, including women and children, threw rotten eggs, rocks, and plastic bags filled with urine and feces at the Christians. Police stood by and watched.

A church spokesman stated, “We are constantly having to change our location because our existence appears to be unwanted, and we have to hide so that we are not intimidated by intolerant groups. … We had hoped for help from the police, but after many attacks on members of the congregation [including when they privately meet for worship at each other’s homes], we see that the police are also involved in this.“

Bogor is another area where Islamic law is supposedly not enforced. Yet the ongoing saga of the GKI Yasmin Church there illustrates how Islamic law takes precedence over Indonesian law. In 2008, when local Muslims began complaining about the existence of the church, even though it was fully registered, the authorities obligingly closed it. In December 2010, the Indonesian Supreme Court ordered the church to be reopened, but the mayor of Bogor, refusing to comply, kept it sealed off.

Since then, the congregation has been holding Sunday services at the homes of members, and occasionally on the street, to the usual jeers and attacks by Muslim mobs. On Sunday, September 27, the church held its 100th open-air service.

The Indonesian jihad is taking place in varying degrees all throughout the East Asian nation and is not limited to Sharia-compliant zones such as Aceh. For the country once hailed as the face of “moderate Islam,” the “extremist” behavior one would expect of the Islamic State (ISIS) — hating, attacking, and demolishing churches — has apparently become the norm.

"I Saw a Huge Rusty Plow Sitting in Many Churches" - Bill Yount, The Elijah List

"I Saw a Huge Rusty Plow Sitting in Many Churches"

Bill Yount, Hagerstown, MD 

The Elijah List

I saw a huge rusty plow sitting in the sanctuary of many churches. Its size filled the back of the sanctuary to the pulpit. Its pointed blade now dull, rested just short of the altar. The plow seemed ancient and out of place, like it should be in a museum. 

It struggled to remember the glory days when plowing was crucial in the Kingdom of Heaven, for without plowing there can be no planting, and therefore no harvest. The plow knew it was never meant to be in one place this long. (Photo via Pixabay)

Suddenly, a knock came pounding on the door of these churches. A knock so powerful that it shifted the huge rusty plow forward enough to touch the altar. I could then see that this huge plow was made up of the congregation as a spirit of intercession came upon it. The spirit of prayer shook the whole house as fresh heavenly oil began dripping down upon this rusty plow.

The Lord then spoke, "As in the days of old, I am returning to this house with great power to bring in the harvest."

Immediately, confidence came upon the plow as the congregation proclaimed, "I can do this. I can do that. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." A get-up-and-go had come upon us. A pioneering spirit was rising up to take us where we had never gone before: Outside to unknown territories and regions where awesome adventure had been waiting for us. We were about to make history.

Who Was that Knocking on the Door?

I asked the Lord, "Who was that pounding on the door of these churches?"

He said, "It's the lost knocking to get inside My house. But the huge rusty plow was taking up all the room and they couldn't get in. Not one of them. But now with My oil dripping on the plow and the shaking moving it forward to outside the house, a great harvest is guaranteed with acceleration. So much so that the plowman will overtake the reaper." (See Amos 9:13.)

(Photo by Robert Bartow "Harvest" via elijahshopper.com)

"Churches will be filled again with standing room only. People will line the streets to get in as that well-oiled machine moves outside of My house. I will continue to help by shaking the heavens and the earth, releasing My reverend fear into communities and nations. I will continue to get people's attention, for I want no one to be lost. My shaking alone will cause hardened children and grandchildren to run like prodigals into the arms of Jesus."

I used to think to plow the ground first was a long hard season, and then to wait for the harvest was another long season. But I believe this Scripture (Amos 9:13) is saying that the reaping will be in the same season as we are plowing. In fact, we will overtake the reaper. That's acceleration.

The plow was V-shaped, having two huge sides on it. The V-shape reminded me how geese fly and how they partner working together, going forward even in adverse winds.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit...even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11:4-6

My Hand is Coming Upon Your Plow

"The blood, sweat, and tears that you have sown will now catapult you to find your joy and strength in the harvest fields: Crack houses, human-trafficking, in fields of addiction, and in the company of man slayers. Where fear abounds, you will discover you are well able to take down every giant in the land. For My hand is now coming upon your plow. I am releasing an electrifying jump start upon it. It is now unstoppable. Don't look back. Don't even look ahead. Look up, for I now go before you and I have your back covered."

Redemption is Coming Upon Your Fields

"Know that your labor until now is not in vain, and though in times past you were weary in well doing, you will be glad you didn't quit.For I am coming onto your fields of labor with redemption. New anointings and unctions will open up new ground and opportunities, for the earth is Mine. Joy will be found in the plowing along with the reaping." (Photo via Wikipedia)

I found this short sermon to be interesting by Charles Spurgeon:

"If a farmer knew that a bad year was coming, he would perhaps only sow an acre or two; but if some prophet could tell him, 'Farmer, there will be such a harvest next year as there never was,' he would say, 'I will plough up my grass lands, I will stub up those hedges: every inch of ground I will sow.'

"So do you. There is a wondrous harvest coming. Plough up your headlands; root up your hedges; break up your fallow ground, and sow, even amongst the thorns. Ye know not which shall prosper, this or that; but ye may hope that they shall be alike good. Enlarged effort should always follow an increased hope of success."

It's time to plow.

Bill Yount
Blowing the Shofar Ministry

Email: theshofarhasblown@juno.com
Website: billyount.com

Bill Yount has been a member of Bridge of Life in Hagerstown, Maryland, for the past 36 years where he is now an elder and a home missionary. He is currently an advisor at large for Aglow International. Bill faithfully served in prison ministry at Mount Hope for 23 years and now travels full-time, both in the U.S. and internationally, ministering in churches and Aglow circles. "Humility and humor" characterize his ministry as he brings forth a fresh word that is "in season," proclaiming the Word of the Lord! 

The shofar (or ram's horn) is often used in his meetings, breaking the powers of darkness over regions, churches, and households. The shofar represents God's breath blowing into the nostrils of His people, reviving them and awakening the lost. Many of God's messages, which Bill ministers prophetically, come out of his everyday life with his family and friends.

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Thousands of teens accept Christ after watching 'Woodlawn' - CHRISTIAN EXAMINER

Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dallas/YouTube/SCREEN SHOT
Thousands of teens have made decisions for Christ after watching Woodlawn. Here teens from a local Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter, respond to an invitation after a viewing at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas.

Thousands of teens accept Christ after watching 'Woodlawn'

by Michael Foust | 23 October, 2015  CHRISTIAN EXAMINER

LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) – Thousands of teens nationwide have accepted Christ after watching "Woodlawn," the football-themed faith-based film that is heading into its second weekend in theaters, officials with the film say.

On its first weekend in Los Angeles, more than 900 teens and students gave their lives to Christ, said Kevin Downes, the movie's producer.

"There are kids coming to Christ all over the place," Downes told the Christian Examiner. "In Los Angeles, we've had the Fellowship of Christian Athletes along with a lot of the rest of the area really step up, being the hands and feet of the body of Christ. It's been really cool to see."

But even before the movie opened, the movie was having an impact. Director Jon Erwin said that during a screening at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, hundreds of teens came forward to take a stand for Christ. A video of that event was posted on YouTube.

"To see kids respond to it the way they are has been unbelievable," Erwin told the Christian Examiner. "We hope that continues."

But those aren't the only stories. For example, 125 athletes accepted Christ on the campus of West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas, in early October during a screening.

"It was like the Holy Spirit just blew a huge breath right at me and blew me away," FCA representative and athletic chaplain Pat Ford told the Woodlawn movie blog. About 250 students were in attendance. "Over half of our group immediately stood up [and accepted a call to stand for Christ]. To God be the glory."

Nationwide, churches and Christians groups such as FCAs have bought theater tickets in bulk, allowing athletes and teens to watch the movie for free.

The movie was well received by moviegoers, earning a rare A+ CinemaScore in exit polling, and has also achieved high praise from mainstream critics – a rarity for a faith-based film. At the aggregate website RottenTomatoes.com, 89 percent of critics gave it a positive review. That includes critics from Variety, The Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.

"The critics are respecting the quality of the filmmaking, and we're just being unashamed with the Gospel," Downes said. "We definitely stepped up the production budget, and it shows with the movie, but we're not watering down the storyline whatsoever."

Related

• 'Woodlawn' director hopes to spark second 'Jesus Movement'
• 'Woodlawn' earns rare A+ CinemaScore rating – and mainstream critic praise
• 'Woodlawn' star: Movie 'timely' in wake of Ferguson & Baltimore riots
• REVIEW: 'Woodlawn' tackles racism & revival in the Red Zone

7 Types of Churches Jesus Did Not Die to Accommodate

Would people consider your church a cool church, but lacking in spirituality? (Lightstock )

7 Types of Churches Jesus Did Not Die to Accommodate

10/13/2015 FRANK POWELL  charisma news

I remember my wedding day so clearly. Standing at the front of a small church in Greenwood, Mississippi, with my legs shaking, I watched as the doors finally opened. There was my wife. I really couldn't believe she was marrying me.

When I think about the church being the bride of Christ, I picture Jesus presenting the church to Himself and God as His bride. I think of the feelings of excitement and the years of waiting, the excruciating death that was essential for the marriage to become official. What a moment.

In the years since, the church has changed a lot. That's not surprising (or bad). Things change. But the bride Jesus died for isn't the same one that exists in many churches today.

You see, when Jesus died for the church, He died for men and women who would function as His hands and feet. He died for sacrificial followers who would be driven by love, motivated by joy, equipped with a message and led by the Spirit.

The church desperately needs to rediscover the true bride of Christ. Here are seven churches Jesus did not die to accommodate:

1. The cool church. The cool church discussion starts with this: There's a difference between a cool church and a relevant church. Cool churches filter Jesus through the lens of culture. Relevant churches filter culture through the lens of Jesus.

Cool churches only hire worship leaders who look like models, avoid any message dealing with self-denial and build facilities that can be seen from space with the naked eye.

These churches don't understand that the message of Christianity is offensive. It always has been. It always will be. Any church that believes you must be cool to keep insiders or attract outsiders misses the whole point of the gospel.

Jesus didn't die for cool churches. It's time to let go of this idea that Jesus is pleased with any attempt to attract large crowds on the basis of anything other than the offensive message of the gospel.

2. The 1970s church. A few weeks before Tiffani and I moved to Jackson, we drove up to look at a few houses. We wanted to live in a culturally diverse area, so we targeted older homes in the mid-town area. Most of the ones in this area sell not long after being on the market.

But a few had been on sale for months, if not years. The reason?

When you walked in the front door, you stepped back in time 20 or 30 years.

The same is true of 1970s churches.

These churches were probably booming ... in the 1970s. But if you walk into these churches today, you won't notice anything booming. You will, however, notice bell bottoms and some kind of wood paneling.

Since most 1970s churches are unaware anything is wrong, here are a few signs to watch for:

a. Church leaders answer questions no one is asking. For example, should churches use the piano, the guitar or sing a capella? What's the proper attire for Sunday morning worship? You know who cares about these questions? 1970s churches. Everyone else is discussing things that matter.

b. Most conversations include some reference to "the way things used to be." "If we could just become the church we were 20 years ago? Man, those were the good ol' days." Instead of focusing on future opportunities, these churches relive past experiences.

c. There are very few millennials in the church. The average age is 69.35. One or two people occasionally babysit their grandkids. That's where the 0.35 comes from.

d. The word "change" lives in the same house with certain four-letter words. You know, the ones that would cause mom to wash your mouth out with soap? A slow death is viewed as a badge of honor. "We might not be growing, but at least we're not sacrificing 'the truth of the Scriptures' like those hippie churches. They're just trying to entertain people."

e. Everyone speaks in a foreign language. I'm not talking about Spanish. I'm referring to Christianese. Phrases like "transubstantiation" and "hedge of protection" are used often.

The church must strive to remain relevant. This includes altering the context of the message, but not the content of it. This means studying culture for the purpose of reaching it. This means updating the building. It means getting out of the building. And it means speaking in a language the current culture can understand.

Jesus isn't impressed with a 1970s church. He's saddened by it, and unless these churches make some renovations, they will eventually be empty.

3. The business-driven church. Plain and simple, the church is not a business. Does the church have business-like layers? Absolutely. Even Jesus had a treasurer.

But the church isn't primarily a business. Here are a few signs your church is run like a business:

a. Other churches are competition. Motivation for changing a worship style, ministry philosophies and so on is driven by changes from churches around them.

b. Success is primarily measured using numbers. What was the attendance in worship? Is the budget trending up or down? If numbers are up, things are moving in the right direction.

c. Vision doesn't expand beyond the physical location. To put it bluntly, building a huge physical kingdom in the form of large buildings and huge crowds is more important than expanding God's kingdom. The largest percentage of the budget is spent on facilities.

d. Pastors are hired hands. The staff is paid to do whatever they're told. They are the church's property. When outsiders or visitors ask about church ministries, the response is, "We pay the pastor for that."

e. There is no distinction between converts and transfers. A disgruntled family from the church across town deciding to place membership and someone hearing Jesus for the first time and deciding to be baptized are viewed the same way.

f. Words like "irresponsible" are used to justify playing it safe. Decisions that involve faith and risk are rarer than snow near the equator. Every decision is about protecting the bottom line and making sure the numbers add up.

A Spirit-led church can't be business-driven. Budgets aren't evil. Attendance records aren't bad. But the church Jesus died for can't be run like a Fortune 500 company. It must be unapologetically focused on people over numbers and the global commission over the physical location.

4. The social-club church. Recently, while staying with a good friend, I noticed a cup in his pantry that said "Junior League." On the opposite side of the cup was a list of requirements for membership. The list included things like volunteering in the community, attending monthly meetings, paying a small fee and registering to vote.

The list looked striking similar to the ones required for membership at many churches. Volunteer in the community during church-wide service night. Pay a small percentage of your income to the church. Attend weekly gatherings.

So the church is a social club? Some churches are, yes, but churches led by the Spirit—absolutely not.

Every pastor and church leader needs to ask this question: If the Holy Spirit left your church, what would be different? Would you even know?

Some churches are so program-driven that their church could operate for months (maybe years) without the presence of God.

Here's the scary part. It's possible to see "results" in your church without the presence of God. Just appeal to the crowds. Be cool and don't talk about the cross.

But it's impossible to be a church that values becoming more like Jesus unless the Spirit leads, prayer and fasting are integral, and a desire to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth is foundational.

5. The family church. This one is hard because I used to believe Jesus died for the family church. But after a few years in full-time ministry, I see the dangers. Here are a few:

a. Keeping everyone happy is given priority over challenging people to walk in the radical footsteps of Jesus. Keep the peace. Everyone should be happy. Cater to every complaint and disgruntled member. If someone leaves the church, you might as well roundhouse kick the leaders in the baby makers. It's that big of a deal.

b. There's no place for hard questions. This would violate point 1. Families want to remain happy and peaceful. So, any church gathering becomes a "no hard questions" zone.

c. Secrets are often buried because the family name must be protected. The reputation is given high value. If someone commits a sin that might bring shame on the name of the church, this person is asked to bury it.

d. Outsiders aren't accepted easily. If you're born into the family, you're accepted without hesitation. If not, the process for becoming part of the family is extremely difficult.

It's not that churches can't value a family environment. But churches can't value a family environment more than personal transformation, restoring hope to the surrounding community and equipping people for ministry, among other things.

6. The fighting church. Fighting churches get one thing right. They realize they are in a war. But these churches fight the wrong enemy. The church's fight isn't against homosexuals. It's not against the Supreme Court or the president. It's not against atheists, agnostics or Muslims. The church's fight is against Satan.

But don't say this to fighting churches. They will get defensive and ... you guessed it ... start a fight.

Fighting churches operate out of fear, and their primary weapon is manipulation. They indoctrinate their members, convincing them that everyone outside of their group, including other Christians, are wrong and misguided. And heaven forbid you decide to leave a fighting church. If you do, make sure you're chinstrap is buckled. You're now on the "other team." And fighting churches aren't scared to run over your name and reputation.

This was partly my story. I wasn't taught a message of love and acceptance. I was taught a message of exclusion. My group was right. Everyone else was wrong. And I was armed with a lot of Scriptures to back up my convictions. You didn't want to debate me. You would lose. Plain and simple.

But while I debated other Christians and tried to convert people from other denominations, bitterness and pride built up in my heart.

You see, many churches would rather be right than righteous. They would rather convince than convert. They would rather learn doctrine than love people.

The church should be more concerned with loving people than convincing people.

The church should be a place where people say, "I'm not sure about their practices or their God, but I know one thing ... those Christians sure know how to love people."

Can that be said about your church?

7. The white and black church. I grew up in the Deep South. In my hometown, there were white churches and black churches. No one asked questions. No one saw it as alarming.

White and black churches would get together once a year to worship and gorge themselves on food. Even during my teenage years, I saw this as odd. Every segment of society had moved passed the racial barrier ... except the church. What Martin Luther King Jr. said years ago is still true: "Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America."

I went to school with black people. They were my good friends. I played sports with people of other races. My parents worked with people of other races. But I didn't go to church with people of other races. On Sunday morning, white people went to white church. Black people went to black church.

Why?

To this day, the only legitimate response I've received is: "It's not about race, Frank. It's about preferences and cultural differences."

Accepting racially or socio-economically divided churches is sin.

If your church is almost exclusively white, black or Latino, I'm not saying you should trash your church and start over. You should, however, work toward reconciliation. Pray for it. Preach on it. Practice it.

Jesus didn't die to accommodate white churches and black churches. He died to create the church, a beautiful reflection of God's perfect love for all races and nations.

What are some other types of churches Jesus didn't die to accommodate? Leave a comment below. 

Frank Powell serves in the Campbell Street Church of Christ in Jackson, Tennessee, ministering to college-age and young adults. For more from Frank, visitfrankpowell.me. For the original article, visit churchleaders.com.

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