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More On Effective Church Action

Town turns to prayer to fight pornography
Courtesy of OneNewsNow

An adult entertainment facility in Lavonia, Georgia, has shut its doors, and opponents believe it was due to the power of prayer.

Café Risqué opened six years ago, and the city lost several lawsuits to try to close it or force it to move from its location along the nearby interstate highway. The business was deemed an embarrassment to the city, but residents turned to prayer in order to shut the place down.

Larry Finger is senior pastor at First Baptist Church. "We prayed and hoped and trusted that the Lord would help us, and then eventually a situation came up where the property owner was prepared to sell, and using a third party, the city had someone buy the property," he details. "Then the city bought the property from them and closed the establishment."

Out of all the approaches to try to shut down the business, the only one that worked was prayer, says Finger. "It was a scourge on our community and we knew it, but we had come to the point where we thought we were almost hopeless outside God's miraculous help -- and we finally got the victory, and a great one it has been," says a joyful Finger.

The senior pastor is hopeful other towns with a similar problem -- perhaps that are ill-equipped to deal with the situation -- will not forget about prayer. He notes that Lavonians prayed for six years before there was a solution.

What?! You mean prayer actually WORKS?

Did you notice how long it took?

Have you ever quit before 6 years was finished?

I think that I probably added a couple prayers to theirs without knowing it on trips to Atlanta and Florida. I'm glad that place is gone... just like I'm glad Dockside Dolls in Mebane is gone. I credit prayer with that one too.

It is really amazing what the Church could accomplish if we would simply BELIEVE what the Bible says and act on that belief.

Here Is A Good Example Of What Church Is Supposed To Be

From an article on the Presidential Prayer Team website...

Leadership can be lonely. When you're the mayor, people who talk to you very often want something from you. That's why Portland, Oregon, Mayor Tom Potter was so surprised when one citizen - a prominent international figure - asked what he and his network of local leaders and activists could do for the mayor and the city.

"In all my years of public service," says Potter, "I rarely have people ask what they can do for me - and for our city. My answer, of course, was immediate - please help us solve the problem of homelessness."

The outcome two years later has been substantial. Over 25,000 volunteers have mobilized to tackle not only the area's homelessness but also medical needs, hunger, poverty, school cleanup and more. Their "Season of Service" (www.portlandcityfest.com/season_of_service) includes a dizzying array of projects to connect needy people with those who can help.

Luis Palau (www.portlandcityfest.com/luis_palau), the international Christian speaker who approached Potter, and his team have helped organize local churches to volunteer for the public good. Partnering with government and business leaders, the church coalition is producing impressive results.

Read more...

This is what I am talking about! The church being the hands, feet, and mouth of God here on earth. VERY COOL.

Taking Love Up A Notch

Today's post at Our Daily Blog went right along with something else that I read today. How interesting it is that such a coincidence should occur.

The morning after Korah's rebellion, a large mob of Israelites formed around the Tent of Meeting. The mob called for retribution against Moses and Aaron because of their role in God's judgment of that rebellion. As the cloud of God’s presence enveloped the Tent of Meeting, Moses could already feel God’s growing wrath.

The moment he and Aaron fell on their faces, a terrible plague began....

...Even though the Israelites had come to threaten them and possibly kill them, Moses and Aaron were still willing to risk their lives to save them. It should be no different in our lives; no matter how obnoxiously people treat us, or how threatened we are by their actions, we must be willing to call out for their salvation and deliverance in prayer.

This is also true when it comes to the sins and wickedness influencing the very life of our own nations today. For example, my personal aversion to homosexuality and other forms of perversion must not stop me from praying and crying out for those bound by these terrible sins.

At times, like Aaron, you and I may even be called to stand between the living and the dead. That’s right, God may even call you to personally reach out to the very people you have been praying for from a distance.

Whether it is someone bound in a homosexual lifestyle or a person addicted to some illegal substance, God may need your actions as much as He needs your prayers....

...Today, the Holy Spirit is calling you afresh. He is calling you out of your comfort zone into a place of service which will change both your heart and the hearts of those around you.

- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

The post is really excellent. It would be worth reading in its entirety.

Today I also read about a new ministry that is encouraging Christians to "Adopt A Terrorist" on the Presidential Prayer Team website .

A new web-based ministry is urging Christians to adopt a terrorist and pray for them as Jesus Christ had instructed his disciples to love and pray for their enemies.

Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer (ATFP) agrees that the military needs to fight terrorism, but advocates prayer as a counter-offensive strategy not utilized by generals and politicians. ATFP founder Dr. Thomas Bruce believes the war on terrorism is a spiritual struggle against fear.

“The terrorists are just the highest profile intimidators in Satan's arsenal,” Bruce said in a released statement. “They think they are serving God.”

You should really check out that article as well. I believe that Dr. Bruce offers some relevant insights that I won't be covering in this post.

It is so easy to get locked into an "us against them" mentality. It is pervasive in American culture. Heck, my other blog is even named "Xs and Os!" And truly this has been my default setting when it comes to people that I perceive to be opposing me in some way. I can't say that I am beyond responding this way, but God has been working in my heart to teach me to take a more diplomatic tone with people who disagree with my position on things.

It is our job to show love to our neighbors and even our enemies by serving them when we can (individually) and by praying for them. In many of the cases already identified in this post the eternal destination of our enemies is at stake. If we really understand how horrible hell is, we shouldn't desire that anyone go there. Perhaps our prayers can avert that terrible end for even our enemies.

An Interesting Thought

Here is a thought that I overheard today:

It is an interesting thing about Jesus: there were folks who hated Him and folks who loved Him. The folks who loved Him most were the worldly folks - the sinners. I think that our society is ready for a gospel that loves people. That doesn't mean that it hides the truth from them - just the opposite - but perhaps it is one that earns the right to share that truth first by building relationship.

- JED

Devote The Coming Year To Prayer For Our Nation's Leadership

Election Day has just passed. I hope that you remembered to vote and that you were pleased with the results. As American Christians one of the great ways that we can be "salt and light" is to participate in the political process by voting.

The campaign for our next president began in earnest early this year (although it was begun the moment the last election was settled). Perhaps you are perplexed about the choices that are being presented before us. I know that I am. One of the greatest things that we can do over the coming year is to diligently pray that God will cause our nation to choose His choice for president and His choices for the other offices that will be up for election.

The folks at the Presidential Prayer Team have developed a website to help us as we are praying for our country. It is called Pray the Vote 2008. You can check it out HERE. There are large parts of the site under construction, but it looks like it will be a valuable resource.


"When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers, "just men who will rule in the fear of God." The preservation of [our] government depends on the faithful discharge of this Duty; if the citizens neglect their Duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the Laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizen will be violated or disregarded. If [our] government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine Commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the Laws." - Noah Webster

How true.

Are You A Well?

God wants to do more than give you a drink from His well of life. He wants to make you into a well of living water, so others will be able to drink from your life.

Sadly, most of the church has emphasized getting a drink far more than becoming a well. This is part of the reason that many Christians have no real interest in the Kingdom of God beyond the satisfaction of their own needs.

…If this is your attitude, God wants to deal with your heart today. He wants to deal with you because the people around you are desperate for a well. (emphasis mine)

You must not continue to think that some anointed evangelist or incredible pastor is going to be used by God to touch all of your friends. In most cases, your friends will want to take their first spiritual drink from a trusted source, and whether you like it or not, the water they desire the most is probably the life they see flowing out of you.


- Jim Laffoon @ Our Daily Blog

Good Ingredients, Good Flavor

There must be someone out there that actually eats Fruit Cake. The Claxton family is banking on it. I do not eat fruit cake. Never did, never will. (Why do those colorful little morsels embedded in the batter taste so skanky? Really, is that fruit? Was it grown near a nuclear test site?) But I digress.

The recipes I most appreciate are those which combine the foods and flavors I enjoy. Therefore, it stands to reason that the most important element of the process for creating dishes that tantalize the taste buds is selecting the proper ingredients. Fresh, ripe, natural and organic are modifiers which I like to see on my produce, grains, meats and such. Although the procedures for combining the various ingredients for each recipe will vary, there tend to be tried-and-true methods for assuring a satisfying outcome for both the palate and the ego, and the special touch which often makes or breaks the final product is the experience of the baker, chef or cook.

Church planting -- or "church" in general, for that matter -- seems to require that a diverse list of ingredients to be brought into proximity under just the right conditions, for the proper amount of time, and with exactly the correct amount of light and heat -- let simmer.

Wrong.

Church planting is entirely the responsibility and exercise of the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. Despite the common tendency to suspect that human beings are tasked with the job of gathering the right people with the right gifts and blending them all together in just the right place often enough, it is foolishness to imagine that the outcome could ever be a pleasing aroma in the nostrils of our Lord. He builds His Church. He selects the ingredients. He places them together under all the right circumstances. He, alone, is Creator of the outcome.

Our Part.

We are some of the ingredients our Lord selects and employs to create the special flavor and after-taste He desires to be introduced into and linger in the community around us. How "tasty" are we as a congregation? What flavor do we put on the crowded faith-plate of Salisbury and its environs? What is the after-taste which most commonly remains following our interaction with our neighbors?

Is our presence in the community around us characterized by:

Freshness? Do we speak, act, and invest ourselves in ways that are understood by the culture around us today? Are we observed to involve ourselves in activities which do not require the Cleaver family's approval? (have we moved beyond 1950s American Christianity?)

Ripeness? Do we appear to be knowledgeable and also mature in our understanding of the truth which we profess? Are we perceived as folks who have a message worth considering? Do others sense that we are at a place in our own personal and corporate growth that is enviable?

Organics? Do we rely for impact upon our relationships with people we already know and are situated near, or do we only seem to be interested in people "out there?" Is our approach to multiplying the Gospel's reach reliant upon a seminar, or common ground?

Naturalness? Do we make impressions on our neighbors as folks who have integrated Truth from God into our daily lives (including conflict resolution, forgiveness, confession, rejoicing, dealing with adversity, celebrating, and etc), or does our message about spiritual things seem detached from the rest of our "real" lives?

You tell me.
How am I doing in your estimation... how an I as a leader among the folks at StillWaters living my life in your eyes? How are you doing in your own eyes? Let's talk. I mean it, let's get together and talk about our influence and how we might improve the ways in which we project our beliefs to the community at large. We can do it in a group setting, we can do it one-on-one, we can do it soon or later. But, let's do it. Talk to me.

And, if it were up to me and my grocery choices, future generations of the Claxton family will be on welfare. "Ain't buyin' it!" (However, I HAVE heard of some novel applications for uneaten fruitcake . . . the mind boggles!)

Give thanks even when you are truly unhappy and the world will wonder how and why you can.

Tell the same message to everyone and the world will believe that you sincerely mean what you say.

Help those who cannot help you in return and the world will think that you are generous and kind.

Do all the above and God will smile for His own reasons. So will you as you lay your head on your pillow daily.

Shalom,
Cameron
Unashamed

Bella

A movie is coming out Friday that is at least partially about saving the hundreds of thousands of children aborted each year.

The movie's title is Bella and, unfortunately, it is only opening in select cities around the country. I think the closest ones to us are Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville, Washington, and Baltimore. You can check out the official web site HERE.

I first heard about the movie HERE. The article is very interesting. Here is an excerpt:

…while Academy Award recognition would be nice, it’s not the primary motivator for Eduardo, Sevorino and Monteverde. These “three amigos” as they’ve been labeled know all too well that so much of what is coming out from Hollywood is “poison”—and they wanted to start a company whose films have an uncompromising positive message. For Eduardo, “Bella” marks a very abrupt change of course. He has been described in a number of outlets as the “Brad Pitt of Latin America.” Yet he became disillusioned and dissatisfied as his career led him down the path of the Latin lover. After a renewal of his Catholic faith, he now says, “I knew I was not born to be a movie star…. I was born to know and to love and to serve Jesus Christ, and that’s my goal.”

Through “Bella” the three amigos have set out to do something different, something decidedly non-toxic. “We’re excited and we’re just so passionate about this film because for us it’s [not] just another film, it’s a mission about using the media and film to elevate the dignity of the human person. [I wanted to do a film] that I can invite my grandmother and mother to and I don’t have to cover their eyes in any scene.” Through their film company, Metanoia Films, their mission is to serve others; they want the audience to leave the theatre “with a candle in their heart … with hope.” Partnering with the three amigos behind “Bella” are financier Sean Wolfington and Executive Producer Steve McEveety from The Passion of the Christ.

The part of the article that is the most compelling to me is this testimony by Eduardo.

Prior to filming, in an effort to understand what the character Nina was going through, Eduardo made a visit to an abortion clinic. “I wanted to build my character and do some research and investigation.”

“I went there thinking that it was going to be something very simple and easy … stop the first lady and ask her a few questions, do my notes.” He was not expecting the emotional experience of what followed. “I was in shock when I saw all these 16- and 17-year-old girls going in and I didn’t know what to do. I forgot about the film and then I saw a few people outside trying to convince [a young girl] not to do it.
“I approached that group … introduced myself and I told them, ‘I am here to help,’ so they thought I was one of them. Next thing you know one of the young ladies from the group tells me: ‘Eduardo this couple, they don’t speak English, we don’t speak Spanish, can you talk to them?’ I said ‘yes.’”

He was quickly recognized from his work on soap operas in Mexico—the telenovelas—and they started a conversation that quickly became a friendship. “We ended up talking for 45 minutes about everything: life, food, Mexico, dreams—and I gave her a little teddy bear and a little stroller and I showed her a little video called ‘Dura Realidad’ in Spanish and it shows what abortion really is. She cried and she left and she cancelled the appointment.”

After they finished filling their cast, Eduardo and team moved on to New York for the shooting for the film. Then, “I came back to Los Angeles, and a few months later I received a call from the man who was with [the pregnant girl] that day and he tells me, ‘Eduardo, I have great news for you. My boy, my baby was born yesterday. I want to ask you permission because I want to call him Eduardo.’

“It changed my life…. I didn’t plan to do that. I was only doing my investigation as an actor. I never thought that, by the grace of God, I was going to be used as an instrument to save this baby to be Eduardito…. It was just amazing, to the point that I thought: Even if ‘Bella’ never comes out and nobody sees it I rejoice in the Lord for Eduardito’s life.”

That's what it is all about. Please be praying that it will be heavily viewed in the communities where it is playing. If you can please go see this film. Opening weekend is critical in determining the fate of a movie like this. If the box office is pretty good the first weekend it will receive an expanded showing. I am so pleased that there are people out there making movies like this.

Global Cooling . . it's a comin'

"Christians are to be in the world like ice-cubes that never melt - always a means of grace that transforms the world in which we live. In Christ, we break away from the security of our ideas, programs, and traditions like an iceberg breaking away from the frozen caps. We are sent by being caught up in the current of Christ's life. In His current we are free to ebb, flow, and go where He goes. As we float along together, propelled by the wind of the Spirit, Christ touches others through us for God's glory. With contact, everything He touches changes, and contrary to the ways of the world, even some frozen hearts are melted and others made harder. (There is no middle ground) The change is either towards or further away from the Savior and whether the change is temporal or eternal, there must be contact. " rc

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father,
he will testify about me. And you also must testify,
for you have been with me from the beginning."
John 15:26-27

Stillwaters Jazz Band

This is Justin Dickson from Jonathan's church... long time listener, first time caller. Anyway he asked me to write on this blog about the jazz band we have started. So here is the story.

About two months ago, our pastor hosted a sort of "family meeting" with we who attend the church regularly. He spoke on a few subjects, but the one that caught my attention was our role in the surrounding community. He asked questions to the effect of, "what are we really doing to help the people out there we don't know?" and "if we ceased to exist as a church next week, how much would the community of Salisbury really be affected?"

For some reason these questions stayed with me for the remainder of the day (I blame the Holy Spirit), and my wife and I discussed them afterward. I am an introvert by nature and the idea of helping out at a soup kitchen or something like that really bothers me... and yet I felt like I needed to do something to make a difference and do some ministry out there in Salisbury.

Now a few weeks earlier, we played a song or two in our church worship band with a sort of New Orleans jazz feel to them. We really enjoyed playing like that together and thought it would be fun to do it again some time. Personally, I have always loved playing traditional jazz and blues more than any other kind of music.

So eventually I had the idea to put together a small jazz band for the purposes of music ministry. The idea is not necessarily to preach from a soap box and ask for an alter call in the middle of every performance, but rather to show the Gospel to strangers by giving our time and talents to them for free. The hope is that people will turn their heads when they see a group of people give up their Saturday afternoon to come play fun music for the sick and lonely in retirement homes, hospitals, etc.

I hope the conversation comes up at least once every time we perform.
"So you're not getting paid for this?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"We don't really want to do it for money."
(blank, confused facial expression)
"This is just our way of showing that someone out there is thinking about you and cares. We're based out of Stillwaters church in Salisbury and we thought you might enjoy a little music today. That's all."

After four years of being a camp counselor at a Christian summer camp, I've learned that most people don't want to hear about the Romans Road or what is going to happen when they die if they don't get down and pray right now. Most people just need an honest hug, about 10 minutes of our time, and for us to just shut up and listen to them. They don't want a tract or a clever slogan on a church marquee, they want help and understanding as they deal with their dying little sister or divorced parents. They need to be honestly loved from someone who doesn't have an agenda or a pre-written script full of cliches.

They need to be loved the way that Jesus loved the poor and needy people he encountered. He didn't throw theology and a list of church membership requirements at them; he immediately diagnosed each individual's greatest needs (spiritually or physically) and met those needs through selfless acts of love and miracles. This is ministry, and it will never lose its power.

I hope ministry is exactly what we accomplish with our music. We have been blessed with enough talent and time to make it happen. We already have a good sound together, we're having a lot of fun in practice, and I hope to start getting out into the community in November. There are four of us right now: myself on trumpet, my wife on piano, Jonathan on guitar, and Gillon Jones on bass guitar. Gillon was a senior at South Rowan last year and played bass in the school jazz band for me, and he is now starting his career in the ministry. I hope you get the chance to meet him soon.

I will close with the verse from 1Peter that really explains the heart of this whole thing.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,
faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10