Nothing exposes religion more to the reproach of its enemies than the worldliness and hard-heartedness of its professors.
- Matthew Henry
Tragically, modern Christianity tests positive for unprecedented levels of worldliness. The diagnosis of advanced and metastasized entitlement and sin is as certain as is the prognosis of immanent and imminent judgment in time and eternity. Amazingly there is little or no serious concern among the rank and file of Churchianity. Even prophetic Christians, honest enough to sense the severity of situation, fail to follow through appropriately. While there are a myriad of relevant Scriptures, one passage offers step by step treatment few if any are willing to heed.
Many things are easier said than done. Some are nearly impossible. Given the subjective nature of seeing and hearing, feeling and relating to God, it's understandable that billions opt out. And billions more get it wrong.
Equally difficult for would be Christians is the challenge of totally divesting from worldly, if not sensuous pleasures, in favor of wholeheartedly investing in the costly and intangible Kingdom of Christ. Even for those persuaded that the ageless glories of eternity vastly trump a few decades of creature comforts, attempting to enjoy the best of both worlds seems wise. To this end we avoid problematic passages, create unrestrictive doctrines or both. Yet Scripture repeatedly warns agains such folly:
- “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].” Matthew 6:24 Amplified Bible
Christ's story of the Rich Man and Lazarus is an unique example of Jesus' teaching that to whom much is given much is required. Remarkably, this powerful passage is not a parable, but rather the only conversation between human beings in the afterlife recorded in the Bible! As such, this passage should be one of the most studied and taught in all of Scripture. Instead this historic story is largely ignored. Particularly by prosperous Western Christianity.
- "There once was a rich man, expensively dressed in the latest fashions, wasting his days in conspicuous consumption. A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, had been dumped on his doorstep. All he lived for was to get a meal from scraps off the rich man’s table. His best friends were the dogs who came and licked his sores. Then he died, this poor man, and was taken up by the angels to the lap of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell and in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his lap. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I’m in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you got the good things and Lazarus the bad things. It’s not like that here. Here he’s consoled and you’re tormented. Besides, in all these matters there is a huge chasm set between us so that no one can go from us to you even if he wanted to, nor can anyone cross over from you to us.’ The rich man said, ‘Then let me ask you, Father: Send him to the house of my father where I have five brothers, so he can tell them the score and warn them so they won’t end up here in this place of torment.’ Abraham answered, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets to tell them the score. Let them listen to them.’ ‘I know, Father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but they’re not listening. If someone came back to them from the dead, they would change their ways.’ Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, they’re not going to be convinced by someone who rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31 The Message
• Rich man’s wealth: We are told the rich man was a likely homeowner who dressed and ate well. It's doubtful his home and furnishings, wardrobe or menu were half as fantastic as the average First World citizen's.
• Rich man's vice: Lazarus lay at the rich man’s doorstep (other translations use gate). We are left to assume the rich man knowingly ignored the beggar's plight. Outside of the possibility of the sin of omission, there is no record of wrong doing on the part of the rich man.
• Lazarus’ virtue: Scripture is silent as to any apparent faith or righteousness attributed to Lazarus. In fact, such dire circumstances may suggest just the opposite. The Bible often assures God's provision to those faithfully seeking and serving Him. Example: “I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.”
• Borne by angels: Lazarus dies from hunger and exposure. He is then carried by multiple angels into the safety and presence of the great patriarch and prophet Abraham. With nothing more than extreme poverty and alienation to directly commend him, the beggar is united with the righteous in a place of paradise within Hell called “the lap of Abraham.”
• Rich man’s torment: Upon his death, the rich man awakens in flaming torment. Rather than protesting or demanding an explanation, the rich man humbly begs for a few drops of water from Lazarus' hand to cool his tongue. An extremely modest request given the circumstances.
• Abraham’s denial: Abraham answers that given geographical restrictions he must decline his great, great, great… grandson's plea. Abraham lays no charge of sin against the rich man. His only explanation is that on Earth the rich man had received "good things" and Lazarus "bad things." Now their roles are forever reversed!
• Eternally too late: The rich man becomes an evangelical. The tormented man immediately pleads for the salvation of his family. His plea for an appearance of Lazarus to his father and five brothers is denied.
• Appeal denied: Tormented within and without, the rich man appeals again. Citing his families insensitivity to Scripture, he presses Abraham to send Lazarus. Again request denied.
Carefully reading the text reveals two reasons for marginalizing such important verses. Here as elsewhere, New Testament theology is at odds with much of modern First World liberal or even conservative Christian doctrine on a variety of topics. These include salvation, living faith, the fear of God etc. Secondly, it serves as a warning against amassing wealth without spending yourself on behalf of the poor. As do Christ’s stories and/or parables of the Rich Young Ruler, Good Samaritan and Sheep and Goats. Without question this singular conversation from beyond the grave between the rich man and Lazarus fails to bode well for affluent Churchianity.
Another crucial, yet constantly misunderstood passage on worldliness, is that of the Rich Young Ruler. These verses are all but universally dismissed as simply an example of someone having made riches more a priority than most. Yet according to the dialogue, this is not the case. Nor is this a marginal passage added as filler. The substance and reality of this important exchange is not only between Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler, but the entire world, since He repeats the exact same command to everyone in Luke 12:33. While challenging to say the least, the story is a clarion call against worldliness. A point Jesus goes out of His way to reinforce by repetition, reiterating His warning no less than five times in a row. A unique distinction among all the teachings of Christ:
- “Sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”
- “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
- But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
- “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
- “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
As noted, speeding through calm seas, without waypoints, it can be difficult to detect motion aboard today’s billion dollar ocean liners designed specifically to offer smooth sailing. So too, introduced with devilish incrementalism, today’s ubiquitous trillion dollar temptations and deceptions often leave little of no wake in our hearts and minds. Even so, the kind of intricate and innovative demonic engineering that has inverted morality in a single generation can hardly go unnoticed forever. As the spiritual casualty count reaches into the billions, surely even the apathetic among modern Christianity must eventually take note. But have we? Or, as evidence would suggest, has Churchianity so succumbed to the seduction of worldliness as to have all but thrown sound doctrine and conviction overboard?
In regards to this condition, disease may be a better metaphor. Anathema to Biblical Christianity, it’s evident that worldliness has metastasized, spreading cancer throughout both First World society and believers. Unfortunately, discussing sin of any kind is largely discouraged. Even more so the doubtful habits and lifestyles we’ve come to enjoy. With countless direct and indirect cautionary passages, clearly modern Christianity tests positive for unprecedented levels of worldliness. The diagnosis of advanced entitlement and sin is as certain as is the prognosis of our immanent and imminent judgment. In time and eternity. Amazingly, there is little or no serious concern among the rank and file of Churchianity.
Even most Prophetic Christians, honest enough to somewhat sense the severity of situation, fail to follow through appropriately. Irregardless of social correctness, given the obvious and overwhelming spiritual need, a diagnosis is in order. While there are a myriad of relevant Scriptures, one passage offers step by step treatments few if any are willing to heed. First consider just the following short list of symptoms:
• Sensuality and Pornography: For millennia modesty was the norm, with even women's swimsuits ankle length. Today we show more skin and curves in church than prostitutes were allowed to for most of human history. Without being overly Puritan, clearly we've left little to the imagination. With soft and hard core pornography readily available in print, video and on the net, all restraint has been removed. The combined effect has overturned thousands of years of morality. With our families continue suffering the consequences. In the here and now, and perhaps for eternity.
• Sexual Sin and Promiscuity: Epidemic in proportion and global in scope, a tsunami of lust has deluged the world since the 1960's sexual revolution. With various version of Madison Avenue, Hollywood and Motown peddling sexuality through advertising and entertainment, it's been raining temptation for more than 50 years. Day and night, with no end in sight.
• Abortion: In a generation or two, clinical abortion has claimed five to ten times the population of the entire Earth in Christ’s day. With globally well over a billion aborted, the womb has replaced the battle field, freeways and crack houses as the world's most dangerous place. Furthermore, the aborting of perhaps a third or more of our offspring, depending on the veracity of contraceptive abortion, has devastated the conscience and soul of every nation legalizing the barbaric act.
• Cohabitation: Researchers estimate upwards of 70 percent of US couples cohabit before marrying. If they bother to marry at all.
• Broken Homes and Divorce: Today's divorce rate, even among professing Christians, is producing hundreds of millions of broken family members with less resistance to temptation and sin of every kind. Note: While peak divorce percentages have fallen, various forms of cohabitation have increased.
• Drugs and Alcohol: While usage of this or that drug may rise and fall, the ravages of addictions have brought pain and suffering to billions. A single addict can devastate many who love and care for them. Even so pushers and drug cartels have, are and continue to addictively enslave and/or murder millions.
• Unsaved Family and Friends: We all have unsolved loved ones. Yet few gather for intercession and serious prayer. Much less agonize over the state of lost family and friends.
• Entitlement: Eve found the forbidden tree "beautiful and it's fruit delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her.” So too, our generation has been seduced by the original sin of entitlement and unthankfulness masquerading as wisdom.
• Me-ism: Even within modern Christianity, unbelief and immorality are fast becoming the rule rather than the exception. A study on the modern world’s new religion of MTD pinpoints the impact such a belief system is having on the choices of individuals and society.
• Misused Wealth: Christ repeatedly and graphically warns against the misuse of wealth in His stories of the Good Samaritan, Rich Young Ruler and Sheep and the Goats. His vital message of the Rich Man and Lazarus doesn't bode well for affluent and apathetic Churchianity.
• Biblical Illiteracy: The average church attender is unable to quote, much less accurately understand and apply even ten verses in a row. Rather most construe cherry picked verses into promises of liberty and security, health and wealth. In the here and hereafter. Doing so with little or no concern as to the corresponding conditions of such passages.
• Prayerlessness: The majority of First World Christians are basically prayerless, stopping to pray less than ten minutes a day. Such a stunning lack of diligence reveals the tragic fact that hundreds of millions of believers are practical agnostics.
• Presumption vs. Living Faith: Scripture’s requirement of living faith necessitates a level of care and commitment often lacking in those presuming to call themselves “Christ-ians.”
• Doubtful Habits: Vast quantities of time and energy, better invested serving God, are redirected into the pursuit of amusement. The average family routinely spends 100's of hours a month watching TV and/or engaged in social media. Yet, less than a tenth as much diligently seeking God. All the while the proliferation of what was recently considered soft porn infects everything from cartoons to advertisements, prime time sitcoms to movies. Thousands of immoral and hard porn, occult and gore scenes, not to mention entire episodes and series, movies and music videos, are dedicated to such programming. The short and longer term detritus effects of such exposure is nothing short of social and spiritual brain washing.
• Lack of Discipleship: By definition discipleship implies a depth of wisdom and understanding, zeal and obedience transcending the norm. Beyond repentance and salvation. Beyond intercession and study. Beyond activism and insight, there in lies the largely undiscovered country of full sanctification and costly commitment to the cause and person of Christ.
Scripture strictly forbids all the above, repeatedly warning of both individual and corporate consequences. For such numerous sins of omission and commission, modern Christianity faces many a peril, including but hardly limited to:
• Schisms and Divisions: Over a hundred Christian denominations proclaim various Christs. Including a variety of gospels and versions of Scripture.
• Wholesale Secularization: Modern life is synonymous with worldliness. So much so, few realize how many forbidden lines are not only blurred, but daily crossed.
• Grieving the Spirit: Only a minority of self described Christians believe in the personal reality of the Holy Spirit or Satan. No wonder we spend little time worrying about obeying the former, or resisting the latter.
• Spiritual Insensitivity: A shrinking percentage of modern Christians recognize the challenge and opportunity inherit in answering the Holy Spirit’s call to move beyond the split allegiances of dualism and double-mindedness into radical discipleship.
• Powerlessness: All the above and more contribute to a lack of the kind of transformational and/or miraculous power foundational to the authentic Kingdom of God.
• Doctrinal Deception: Warning of doctrines of demons, such New Testament greats as Peter and Paul, James and Jude all predicted the deep impact of worldliness on future believers. Today’s doctrinal errors include many of the major tenants of Churchianity, from easy believism and unconditional loving acceptance to inappropriate worship and the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.
• Great Falling Away: Paul forewarns of an apostasy “that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians” prior to the arrival of the Antichrist. The global debut of which predates the return of Christ.
• Religious Rejection: Jesus warned that Christians, having lost the influence of their preserving salty savor, are good for nothing. Not even the manure pile. And thus will be to be trodden under the feet of men.
• Social Stigma: Since the story of Cain and Able, the righteous have always endured resistance. If not persecution. Darkness is angrily opportunistic, creating a backlash as it fills every crevice void of godly light.
• Unpreparedness: Scripture is a cautionary tale, a constant reminder of the necessity to be prepared before trouble and/or tribulation, that we “may be accounted worthy to escape all these things.”
• Eternal Judgment: We do well to note that cheep grace will be of no avail when we each stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There we will give account of every word, thought and deed.
Interestingly, the word “worldliness” is not found in most versions of Scripture. Nevertheless, injunctions against it abound throughout the New Testament. For example:
- “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30 New International Version
- “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” Titus 2:11-15 New International Version
- “Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” 1 John 2:15-17 The Message
- “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:1-2 The Message
As previously referenced, James begins by identifying two underlining causes of unanswered prayer:
- “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3 New International Version
- “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” James 4:4-5 New International Version
- “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:6-10 New International Version
Along this line of thought, it’s both encouraging and alarming to consider the human author of this epistle. James, along with Jude, were likely the half brothers of Jesus. Tellingly, the former is by far the most practical of all the New Testament writers, and the latter the most angry. After his conversion the Apostles appointed James, who may have lived with Jesus for nearly three decades, to oversee the First Church Council of Jerusalem. Yet, prior to the resurrected Jesus appearing to James, he was nowhere to be found! In fact, so conspicuous was his absence, Jesus was forced to place their mother Mary in the care of His disciple John. Only after Christ’s resurrection and appearance to James do we find him named among believers. As Paul explains:
- “The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don’t deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God’s church right out of existence.” 1 Corinthians 15:3-9 The Message - Emphasis QC’s
James 4: Scripture's Most Relevant Chapter
Having laid a foundation, let’s examine James’ radical prescription plan against worldliness in the church in greater detail. The Holy Spirit uses James to identify both the two primary causes of unanswered prayer, and the fact that powerlessness is a leading symptom of worldliness.Before doing so, it’s telling to note there are very few line upon line explanations and instructions throughout the New Testament.
The fact that James lists 14 consecutive points of necessary adjustments in our attitude and action greatly reinforces their unique importance.
First the Holy Spirit uses James to identify the two primary causes of unanswered prayer. As well as to confirm the fact that powerlessness is a leading symptom of worldliness within the Church.
1. Don’t ask, don’t have:
- “You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” James 4:2 NIV
2. Ask but don’t receive, ask amiss:
- “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3 NIV
3. World vs. God:
- “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? James 4:4 NIV
4. Enemy of God:
- “Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” James 4:4-5 NIV
Next James offers a brief respite. While his welcomed encouragement is genuine, such quantum hope is as conditional as are all the free gifts and promises of God.
5. Gives more grace:
- “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6 NIV
Finally James, and ultimately the Holy Spirit Whom we have been so greatly offending, get to the heart of matter.
6: Submit to God:
- “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” James 4:7 NIV
7. Resist the devil:
- “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NIV
8. Come near to God:
- “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8 NIV
9. Wash your hands:
- “Wash your hands, you sinners,” James 4:8 NIV
10. Purify your hearts:
- “and purify your hearts, you double-minded,” James 4:8 NIV
11. Grieve, mourn and wail:
- “Grieve, mourn and wail,” James 4:9 NIV
12. Laughter to mourning:
- “Change your laughter to mourning,” James 4:9 NIV
The context of this entire passage thus far is corporate. For example “adulterous people” bespeaks of plurality. As goes the disease, so too the cure.
The Holy Spirit is calling for individuals and congregations, denominations and the whole of Christendom to respond with pre-revival repentance in realistic hope of nothing short of experiencing the sanctification and power of our own New Pentecost.
Yet among thousands, if not millions of modern church services, who has seen this kind of appropriate response? Even in light of such unprecedented nation and global events and portents as of those gripping the world in 2020 and beyond? To the contrary, quick to default to the favored status of assumed salvation, we continue to exchange presumption for faith in fellowship and song.
13. Joy to gloom:
- “and your joy to gloom.” James 4:9 NIV
14. Humble yourselves:
- “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:6-10 NIV
Once having honestly realized and fully responded to the distasteful truth of our bad attitudes and behavior, James ends his chastisement by assuring that God will reward all such extreme and ongoing efforts. Well needed encouragement if we are to successfully overcome the challenges so clearly laid before us.
Unique in the New Testament, James provides a 14 point step by step diagnosis and prescription for those of us suffering from chronic worldliness. Regrettably, his rigorous regiment includes the spiritual equivalent of chemotherapy and radiation, heart and brain surgery. Facing such radical treatment, it’s little wonder we prefer to solicit far less intrusive opinions. Unfortunately, these are generally as ineffective as taking antacid for a heart attack or trusting band aids to cure cancer.
Prophetic Christians who find themselves moved by the tenor of this text should reread this article in its entirety, pausing to visit some if not all of it’s many hyperlinks. Such a caustic warning form the half brother of Jesus, and ultimately the Holy Spirit, can only be indicative of seriously poor judgment and spiritual insensitivity among 1st century Christians. If true for them, who by comparison to their 21st century counterparts were toddlers in regards to temptation and deception, entitlement and sin, one can easily imagine how widespread and advance this condition is today. As when dealing with all Scripture, we do well to consider the commonly known rules of Biblical interpretation, along with QC’s additional Rule of Emphasis. In light of the rule of context, it’s interesting and important to note that directly following James’ castigation of worldliness, is a critically placed caution against judging one’s brother:
- “Believers, do not speak against or slander one another. He who speaks [self-righteously] against a brother or judges his brother [hypocritically], speaks against the Law and judges the Law. If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy [the one God who has the absolute power of life and death]; but who are you to [hypocritically or self-righteously] pass judgment on your neighbor?” James 4:11-12 Amplified Bible
Given the confrontational nature of the preceding ten verses of harsh correction, if not condemnation, James seems to be contradicting himself. Given Christians are called to judge all things, further reflection suggests just the opposite. This is actually a continuation of his earlier warning, particularly for those who heed his advice. James is contending for a spirit of meekness and unity, particularly for those recognizing and responding to the necessity of such deep and abiding broken hearted repentance. Along these lines QC highly recommends the short testimony on this issue by Praying Hyde.
Note: The following content was added April 12, 2020 during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Prayer of Anguish
It's been said, "God doesn't answer prayer, He answers desperate prayer." The Prayer of Anguish is simply the appropriate response to our current circumstance. A true fact, regardless of who, where or when you are. Given our 100% mortality rate, coupled with vast physical and spiritual, social and economic human need, mankind's state is perilous at best. Both collectively and individually. A fundamental circumstance shared by everyone everywhere. Young and old, healthy and sick, rich and poor. A condition Scripture warns should actually be of greater concern for the proud and powerful, wealthy and prosperous, happy and content than their for less fortunate counterparts.
The above description is the ultimate inconvenient truth. As universally apparent as it is ignored. It's far more pleasant for those enjoying previously unimaginable blessings to deny such unpleasantries, or at least shelve such issues for a more convent time.
For modern Christianity it's easier than most. Scripture's over 23,000 verses contain volumes of hope and promise. Often so beautifully and magnanimously stated, our natural response is to presume we've nothing to fear. Even when the New Testament uses the word "fear" over 100 times, frequently as a command to Christians in regard to salvation. Such as that from Paul, fondly called the Apostle of Grace, to his beloved Philippians, and every Christian since: "Therefore, my dear fiends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…"
Jesus explained that God the Father must be worshiped in "spirit and truth." While truth may have many facets, honesty plays an essential role. The modern world, including Churchianity, seems unwilling or incapable of candor regarding our desperate situation. Understandably so, since such confessions hardly fill stadiums or theaters, pews or coffers. The resulting reality is that righteousness has been replaced by situational ethics or none at all. And that with hardly a fight.
No one wants to be labeled Chicken Little, even if the sky is falling. This goes double for Christians. We say we believe, yet the average church attender has difficulty quoting 5-10 verses in a row (perhaps outside of the Lord's Prayer) and daily stops and seriously prays less than 10-15 minutes. A dire condition largely unchallenged by today's clergy. Instead we comfort ourselves assuring our Savior’s not a cup's half empty kind of Guy. Why should we worry when we've "not been given a spirit of fear?" Sure there are problems, maybe even big ones, but God’s large and in charge. His salvation and love are free gifts. There might be sin in the Church, maybe even in my life, but God's faithful even when we’re not. So what if folks are falling like flies to temptation and deception. We shouldn't let it rain on our parade. Even if the world's going to Hell in a hand-basket. If we keep our Pre-Trib Rapture card punched we're headed for Heaven before trouble or Tribulation starts. 😇😎😀
Attitudes like these oppose Scripture, undermining the Bible's simple and repeated meta-messages. Sadly, today nothing is more common than playing fast and loose with difficult truth.
Moses knew a thing or two about the joy and bitterness of facing reality. On the grandest of scales he wrestled with faith and doubt, obedience and rebellion, life and death. Against all odds, he challenged the mightiest of his day to bridge the gap between God and His people. Facing insurmountable obstacles, he persevered against hardship and war to lead his people to the promise land.
Moses grasped the quantum entanglement of anguish and ecstasy. Like Christ, for the joy set before Him, he was frequently misunderstood and maligned, a man "of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." Yet like Jesus, he also enjoyed fantastic triumph and success, filling himself and others with "the oil of gladness." Moses, like Abraham and all Scripture's heroes, chose the rigors of faith over the cares of this world. They endured anything and everything, resolute in belief that God is, and "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." As sojourners in the land of promise, they soldiered on seeking "an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God."
- "By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them." Hebrews 11:23-29 MSG
What the Spirit is Saying…
The Bible explains that given we are all telling ourselves a story, understanding Scripture takes spiritual sensitivity. All the more so today when modern life is filled with pleasant distractions, not to mention unprecedented levels of temptation and deception, immorality and sin.
For understandable reasons few today are interested in an honest handling of Scripture's most emphasized themes, particularly in regards to owning up to the implications of God's apparent silence and distance. Not to mention Jesus judging His church. A point well made by the late great David Wilkerson. His sermons such as “A Call To Anguish” and “A Time To Wake Up” rank as some of the best ever preached. In both Wilkerson’s messages, and countless others, David correctly diagnoses modern Christianity's condition.
“A Time To Wake Up” begins with “Today you will rarely find a message on repentance.” “A Call To Anguish” (abridged version) begins with "Folks… I’m tired of hearing about revival. I’m tired of hearing about awakenings… Of last day outpourings of the Holy Spirit… I heard that rhetoric for 50 years… Just Rhetoric. No meaning whatsoever. I’m tired of hearing about people in the church who say that they want their unsaved loved ones saved… I’m tired of hearing people say I’m concerned about my troubled marriage when it’s just talk… Rhetoric. And I look at the whole religious scene today and all I see are the inventions and ministries of man and flesh. It’s mostly powerless. It has no impact on the world. And I see more of the world coming in and impacting the church rather than the church impacting the world. I see music taking over the house of God. I see entertainment taking over the house of God. An obsession with entertainment in God’s house, A hatred of correction and a hatred of reproof. Nobody wants to hear it any more… Whatever happened to anguish in the house of God? Whatever happened to anguish in the ministry? It’s a word you don’t hear in this pampered age. You don’t hear it. Anguish means extreme pain and distress. The emotion so stirred that it becomes painful. Acute deeply felt inner pain because of the conditions about you, in you, or around you… Anguish. Deep Pain. And Sorrow. Agony of God’s heart…"
And sprinkled throughout this fearfully honest sermon David further cries:
- All true passion is born out of anguish. All true passion for Christ comes out of a baptism of anguish.
- Hear’s what God said, “I’ve heard the words of this people. They have well said all that they have spoken. O that there were such a heart in them. That they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them, and their children forever!”
- “When I (Nehemiah) heard these words (regarding the ruin of Jerusalem) I set down and wept. And morned certain days and fasted. And prayed before the God of heaven.”
- We face a similar situation except ours is many times worse.
- Does it matter to you at all that God’s spiritual Jerusalem, the church, is now married to the world?
- Does it matter about the Jerusalem that’s in our own hearts? The sign of ruin that is slowly draining spiritual power and passion? Blind to lukewarmness. Blind to the mixture that’s creeping in.
- You won’t fight. You won’t labor in prayer anymore. You won’t weep before God anymore. You can sit and watch television and your family go to hell!
- Does it really matter to you that your unsaved loved ones are dying and we’re getting closer and closer to the end?
- Where’s the anguish. Where’s the tears. Where’s the mourning? Where’s the fasting?
- It’s going to take more than preaching. More than a new revelation.
- Please don’t tell me you’re concerned. Don’t tell me you want your unsaved loved ones saved while you’re spending hours before the internet or television. Come on…
- There’s going to be no renewal, no revival, no awakening until we’re willing to let Him once again break us. Folk’s it’s getting late and it’s getting serious.
This is classic Wilkerson. Anguishing over the fall of God’s people. Throughout David’s 50 year ministry he witnessed a downward spiral of spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible study, sanctification and service. During the very same period in which we were given unprecedented wealth and prosperity. As in Christ’s warnings in the Rich Man and Lazarus and Good Samaritan, we’ve refused to humble ourselves over the spiritual loss both around and within. Like Laodicea we’ve been deceived into believing we’re on a cruise rather than battle ship.
It’s one thing to fight and fail and quite another to fail to fight…
COVID-19
The repentance formula found in James 4 (J4) clearly emphasizes both the necessity for and correct form of the Prayer of Anguish. Having done so for millennia it does so still. In fact, given the chapter's opening verses describing and condemning the worldliness of 1st century Christians, whom were pre-school sinners compared to we their 21st century counterparts, the passage's relevance is growing exponentially.
Case in point. I've frequently referenced and linked to David Wilkerson's abridged version of a Call To Anguish. Even going so far as providing the partial transcript from above long ago in the GB article Habakkuk's Complaint. I've also referenced J4's step by step analysis in GB's companion article Worldliness.
That said, the addition of this section on the Prayer of Anguish was written during the first week of April 2020 as the whole world, and the U.S. in particular, is literally in lock down during the COVID-19 crises.
The true origin and nature, impact and aftermath of C-19 is unknown. Its current and future ramifications on healthcare and economies, families and societies has yet to be seen. What should be clear to Prophetic Christians is the full extent of the crises/opportunity such a previously unprecedented circumstance affords. This includes:
1. Reflection: Global business shutdowns, social distancing and shelter in place mandates all but force moments of pause. Such a world wide real time pandemic provides ample opportunity to ponder a variety of often overlooked issues. First and foremost, that while in the developed nations we posses a quality of lifestyle rivaling that of mythological gods, we are yet fearfully and wonderfully made. And for all our pomp will die as do dogs. Thus everyone of us has a critical need to both know and please our Creator and Savior.
2. Discernment: Christians are commanded to correctly discern everything. Jesus warned, "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.." Truth itself must be spiritually discerned. This includes the primary and secondary religious lessons C-19 offers:
- Temptation and deception, entitlement and sin have ripened modern society for rack and ruin. Such judgments hardly need to be Divine, given global specters of violence and war, abuse and slavery, immorality and abortion, poverty and economic inequity, climate change and nuclear holocaust. Not to mention viral pandemic and artificial intelligence, biological and cyber tech issues reseting the 2020 Doomsday Clock of Atomic Scientists to 100 seconds to midnight. Closer than ever before.
- Far from immune, modern Christianity is compliant with, if not guilty of, much if not all the above. And more, given our Scriptural mandate to be society's salt and the light of the world. Carrying out such a Great Commission requires more than words, particularly the wrong ones. According to the Gospels, Book of Acts and Epistles, power evangelism and discipleship are essential. Yet, the genuine gifts of the Spirit are clearly in short supply. Up to and including miraculously healing the sick in demonstrable ways. Yet Scripture identifies miraculous healing and deliverance as "the children's bread," a trademark of Biblical Christianity.
1. Dishonest Doctrine: Cessationist (half the Protestant church) are clearly accurate in regards to Churchianity's lack of genuine spiritual gifts. Yet they are equally adamant in their incorrect doctrines regarding miraculous spiritual gifts having timed out with the apostles and/or the canonization of Scripture. A exemplary example of "throwing the baby out with the bathwater."
Charismatics (half the Protestant church) are by and large more accurate in their understanding of the Bible's constant reinforcement regarding the centrality of spiritual gifts. Yet their doctrine and practice grossly over exaggerates their glaring lack of spiritual giftedness. A classic case of "cooking the books."
2. Powerlessness: For obvious and opposite reasons, the dishonest doctrine on both sides of the aisle not only justifies each side's errors, but results in pathetic powerlessness. A anemic condition all the more acute given such entrenched positioning all but guarantees the vast majority of both cessationists and charismatics failure to even recognizing and admit, much less with brokenness and confession, repent of our nearly universal and continual grieving of the Holy Spirit.
3. Prophetic Christians: An honest appraisal of the tragic stalemate described above leaves little hope. Interestingly, David Wilkerson is attributed by Dr. Mike Evans with an 1986 prophecy reminiscent of the current C-19 crises:
- “I see a plague coming on the world, and the bars, churches and government will shut down. The plague will hit New York City and shake it like it has never been shaken. The plague is going to force prayerless believers into radical prayer and into their Bibles, and repentance will be the cry from the man of God in the pulpit. And out of it will come a third Great Awakening that will sweep America and the world."
- “If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”
- "There’s going to be no renewal, no revival, no awakening until we’re willing to let Him once again break us. Folk’s it’s getting late and it’s getting serious."
We wait… unaware as Satan's angelic rebellion, having marred the very history of eternity, overflows onto Earth forever reshaping our own.
We wait… while our sins, of unprecedented quantity and quality, reach Heaven. Filling Creation's Supreme Court with damning testimony against fallen mankind and Churchianity alike. Providing Satan unprecedented witness for accusation against us.
We wait… unconcerned as the 1960's sexual revolution continues to creates a planetary deluge of immorality and gender confusion, with modern Christianity either joining in or largely looking the other way.
We wait… as the world is soaked in the innocent blood of over 2 billion, through clinical and contraceptive abortion. Eight to ten times Earth's entire population in Christ's day! A global slaughter of Jesus' "least brothers" of such magnitude that we may well be aborting our prayers and worship, if not very salvation.
We wait… while the specter of marital strife and divorce wreaks havoc with tens, if not hundreds of millions of marriages and families. With little or no appropriate prayer on their behalf.
We wait… as the ravenous beasts of poverty and famine, violence and war relentlessly consume the lives of billions.
We wait… unmoved as unparalleled levels of worldliness and addiction enslave family and friends, neighbors and billions across our planet.
We wait… unconcerned as the stage is set for Revelation's prophetic warnings of catastrophic events, up to and including the quickly approaching reign of the Antichrist and global installment of the Mark of the Beast.
We wait… while God's judgment against all the above and more looms large on the horizon, gathering in ferocity and momentum.
Against such stark reality, rather than assembling by the millions to confess our apathy and doubt, issues with God and sin, we pursue amusement and pleasure, worldliness and wealth. We build bigger sanctuaries and campuses, filled with better programs and technology. We substitute accurate Bible study and strategic daily prayer with inappropriate worship and superficial fellowship, yet refuse God's command to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways. Thus, for all our good intentions, Scripture warns we are ostensibly building our lives and churches on sifting sand, rather than facing our glaring need of genuine brokenness and lasting repentance:
- “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” Matthew 7:24-27 MSG
What little hope there is might be summarized in two remote possibilities. The first is that at least some faction of modern Christianity will come to their senses, face the truth of our pitiful situation and take the steps prescribed in James 4. The second is far more likely yet still a long-shot. That at least some fraction of prophetic Christians might come to our senses, face the truth of our pitiful situation and take the steps prescribed in James 4.
Prophetic Christians are exceptionally honest and studious Bible students and intercessors, grasping much of both the context and content of Scripture. Such men and women seek God in faith, reasoning that He's said what He means and means what He's said. They're persuaded "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Possessed of deep and abiding repentance, they labor for revival in the hope and fear of God. Understanding both the love and "terror of the Lord" they endeavor to persuade others to choose eternal life rather than death. Knowing they too are sinners, they treat others as they would be treated: firm, fair, factual and friendly. They compel the lost, including apathetic and disobedient Christians, to come into the Kingdom by first speaking the truth in love. Should compassion fail, they spend themselves and their lives trying to pull lost humanity from the fire.
Yet even with such recommendations, few if any are ready and willing to "pray through" the Prayer of Anguish commanded in James 4. Rather, like iron mixed with clay, while in many ways nearer the Lord than others in understanding and service, when it comes to true power evangelism and discipleship, we find ourselves all but off-line.
We also often find ourselves lacking in one or more areas of radical discipleship. Thus short circuiting our attempts of being capable of praying the kind of effective, fervent and righteous prayers that avail much.
By March 30, 2020 much of the U.S. government and social sector was in either mandated or volunteer shut down. Shelter in place was already the new norm for many if not most Americans, not to mention much of the world, with all but essential workers and movement banned or strongly discouraged.
On this same day, the U.S. population excelled 330 million, with under 3,300 COVID-19 deaths. That means less than 1 in 100,000 Americans had died of C-19. During roughly the same period, in the U.S. it was estimated there had been 46,000 flu related deaths. A tragic yet normal flu season. Hard to believe past societies would have voluntarily all but closed down their economies and borders over C-19.
Regardless of decisions by civic authorities, it's simply unimaginable that 1st century believers would have halted meeting together during such a time as this. Particularly given the constant peril of persecution and martyrdom many faced on a daily basis. In fact, one suspects they would have prayed together all the more, crying out to God to forgive their sins and reverse their powerlessness over illness and disease, devils and death, until “the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” While the world rightly searches for masks and respirators, cures and vaccines, what may be most needed today is a new generation of "building" Quakers.
James 5: A Promise Of Hope
Consider for a moment a handful of verses from James chapter 5 through which hope in the power of effective, fervent and righteous prayer is derived. For in them we have not only an overlooked litmus test for church leadership, but a guaranteed cure for what ails us:
- "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:13-16 NIV
Here we see no hint of cessationism. Nor the failure of charismatics. What we do see is simple and straightforward instructions clearly indicating that elders are required to be able to offer the kind of prayer in faith that equates to miraculous healing and subsequent forgiveness of sins.
Yet how many can? Almost, if not absolutely, zero.
How many are ready to admit the truth of the passage and our inability to fulfill the requirement? About the same.
Herein lies the horns of our dilemma. Here is the true crises/opportunity afforded by the mass global suffering of COVID-19, not to mention every other intractable disease and disability. Yet who will respond appropriately?
"Many are called, but few are chosen." Why? Because few choose to answer His call.
To do so and gain the power of Elijah to which James referred would change everything. People would pack churches and tear the roofs off houses to gain access to the true Christ of Biblical Christianity who's miracles and forgiveness was once again fully accessible.
Modern Christians would love and fear the Lord. Spiritual gifts would be plentiful and multitudes would fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” The virtue of Godly fear would be restored. Sin and profanity would be judged and corrected, as in the tragic yet telling case of Ananias and Sapphira:
- "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed." Acts 5:11-16 NIV
If not, what will be the result of this and any future crises? Most likely more or the same. Only worse, having once again hardened our hearts, resisted the Spirit and drawn nearer the day of reckoning. A point Prophetic Christians do well to ponder. All the more as modern Christianity's churches are locked down and empty for the first time in history during Easter week.
Sheltering in place, I finished watching the Passion of the Christ on “Good Friday” night. Having previously been moved by Mel Gibson epic movie, this was the first time on a 4K UHD 65” Big Screen TV. The resolution and violence was so incredibly graphic I had to split the movie over two nights. Much to be said. Starting with it must indeed be true that “by His stripes we are healed.” Shame on us if we fail to restore the power of such a costly gift... 🤕🤒😷
It's been noted if you want to judge how popular a church is, count the number attending a Sunday morning service. To judge how popular a pastor is, count those attending a mid week service. To judge how popular God is, count those attending a prayer meeting. Prayer meetings, while rare, come in assorted varieties. This raises the question, what kind of prayer meeting might break through to God is this late and troubling hour?
First, we must honestly deal with the enormous elephant in the room. The simple fact that for the most part, prayer is broken. This is not to say that prayer always goes unanswered. Rather, that like a stoped clocked, prayer seems dependable twice a day. Furthermore, such an obvious admission does not cast dispersions on God, but rather on us:
- "Look! Listen! God’s arm is not amputated—he can still save. God’s ears are not stopped up—he can still hear. There’s nothing wrong with God; the wrong is in you. Your wrongheaded lives caused the split between you and God. Your sins got between you so that he doesn’t hear." Isaiah 59:1-2 MSG
But whole denominations happily teach God's love and mercy are unconditional. So why such silence and distance between God and His own people? The plain truth is that in a bid to be relevant and appealing, Churchianity has lowered, if not jettisoned Biblical standards. Yet, as evident in the passage just cited from Isaiah and literally hundreds like it, while God's salvation and power are indeed freely given, they are always conditional. So much so, confusion regarding the free-conditional gifts of God has become the greatest stumbling block of modern Christianity, and one of the predominate obstacles to effective prayer.
So what conditions might need to be met in regards to successfully praying the Prayer of Anguish (POA)? While James 4 (J4) offers step by step instruction, carefully contemplation of a handful of other considerations seem in order. I offer these recommendation as a synthesis of Scripture and of having attended and/or led well over 1,000 corporate prayer meetings during the last 40 years. Some were pretty good, but none produced a fraction of the desired results. For that we must dig deeper through the shifting sand of our poor doctrine and lifestyles, and beyond the hardpan of prayerlessness and Biblical illiteracy, building our POA meeting on the Rock of Ages.
Fair warning. The following advice will not be popular. Then again, well intentioned efforts to be popular, at the expense of Biblical truth, have produced our current critical condition.
Scripture Based - Spirit Led
It's been humorously noted that some pursuits take a lot of planning to be spontaneous. Given ubiquitous and growing levels of temptation and deception, worldliness and sin, both within and without the camp, this may prove doubly true for hardly souls wishing to embark on the POA journey. For this reason, let's begin by examining the Who, How, Where and What best suited for such a lofty and exacting quest.
To illustrate the point, consider again the Cessation vs. Charismatic rift. If the previously discussed debacle is accurate, half the Protestant church is at odds, if not war, with the other. In his book and video series Strange Fire, John Mac Arthur of Grace To You fame basically excommunicated the Charismatic church. He does so exactly along the lines described earlier, while ironically guilty himself as a hardline cessationist of insulting the Spirit of Grace he seeks to defend.
What is needed is quantum balance and equilibrium. In this case, as a decades old prayer partner once noted in regards the to the tension between accurately discerning Scripture and the centrality of the Holy Spirit, "Evangelism without prayer is Fruitless, Prayer without Evangelism is Faithless. Scripture without the Spirit is Lifeless, the Spirit without Scripture is Baseless." With this mind, let's prayerfully begin careful planning for Spirit led spontaneity.
1. Who: Given the exacting nature and explicit goals of Prayer of Anguish meetings, attendance should be by invitation only. At least initially. For example, it may be said that the 1905 Azusa Street Revival, somewhat sparked by the 1904 Welsh Revival, gave birth to the modern Charismatic movement. Currently estimated to be over 550 million members globally. One of the greatest lessons from Azusa is regarding the strengths and weakness of hands off leadership. From all accounts, Pastor William J. Seymour was an extremely humble man, regularly conducting and overseeing services from his knees. Often with his head thrust inside a shoe crate as he and his flock diligently sought the Lord for hours and even days on end.
Rewarded for their brokenness and diligence, speaking in tongues as a devotional language was reintroduced into modern Christianity. It's also been recorded that during Azusa meetings, incidents of disorderly conduct, often by outsiders, were frequently corrected by the Holy Spirit. With little or no human intervention. Nevertheless, in subsequent years, frictions and fractions would develop to such an extent that the constant headlines and amazing grace bestowed on Pastor Seymour and the Azusa Street Mission would all too quickly pass into history. This and other factors strongly suggest that careful selection of participants early on may make subsequent requirements less restrictive. The following would be some helpful traits while laboring in the POA/J4 crucible.
- Honesty: A willingness to admit and accurately appreciate the issues presented thus far will prove essential qualities for POA members. While numerous debriefings and defining of goals are a given, having to continually explain and defend even subtle foundational truths would be counterproductive. When and if possible, this should be done outside the POA/J4 meetings.
- Stability: Participants should be selected not only by the quality of their Christian world view, but their ability to handle and live out Biblical truth. Given the subjective nature of "Spirit Filled" meetings, a proven track record of openness to the Spirit through orderly means would be helpful.
- Authentically Pro-Life: As previously noted in regards to the Isaiah 59 passage, Scripture repeatedly warns of the dire consequences of either participation in or apathy towards the shedding of innocent blood. Legalized clinical abortion on demand's approaching the 50 year mark, and the issue of contraceptive abortion remains a non starter within the Protestant church. This not only reflect mass insensitivity to the Holy Spirit but a mishandling of Scripture. On both of which POA/J4 style meetings are built. For more information please see the Pro-Life series of GB articles, including Authentically Pro-Life and Anti-Judgment, Abortion and the Good Samaritan, Abortion and the Church and Aborting Prayer and Worship.
- Experience: The rigors implicit in fully engaging in ongoing POA/J4 meetings are not for the novice or faint of heart. Preferably, invitees will have expertise in both various modes of prayer, as well as Scriptural based spiritual sensitivity. Hopefully developed over years of honest Bible study and practice.
- Scriptural Savvy: Comprehension of the context of Scripture is vital to understanding its content. While no longer in vogue, Scripture's context is most certainly one of warfare theology. Like the whodunnit story of Job, considered by many to be the oldest Book of the Bible and perhaps its key codex, conflict between God the "Lord of Hosts" (angel armies) and Satan the "prince and power of the air" (god of this world), is the backdrop to Job's story. For this and a plethora of reasons, the content of Scripture can only be fully understood by embracing the Bible's overarching context. This crucial concern is developed more fully in GB articles such as Satan, the Evil One and demonic Resistance, as well as Eternity…The Wager (see excerpts Brief History of Eternity and Satan's Accusation). For an excellent example of previous generation's handling of this topic see the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther's hymnal lyrics of "A Might Fortress Is Our God." Note: Also a better than average grasp of the quantum nature of Biblical content is extremely helpful when dealing with the often overlooked mega messages of Scripture.
- Sanctification: Modern Christianity overwhelmingly tests positive for worldliness. Diagnosis and treatment of this critical disease requires a good grasp on the importance of personal and collective sanctification. Including apprehending the differences between positional and conditional righteousness, as well as insight into the nuance of increasing levels of sanctification. For an old-timey world view altering call to individual and corporate sanctification see the video Revival Hymn.
- Commitment: The Bible asks, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" Jesus also cautioned, "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it?" Commitment to not only pressing in, but praying through pre-revival repentance to the necessary objectives of renewal, revival and reformation is a must.
- Expertise: Experienced Christians, including lay and professional leaders, often specialize in one of more areas of study and/or service. As is true for most teams, individuals having something of value to offer increases odds of success. In the area of giftedness, unity and uniformity should be reinforced with specialization and diversity.
- Team Membership: While POA/J4 meetings are a corporate endeavor, participants should be selected by quality not quantity. As the old adage goes, "A camel is a racehorse designed by a commitee." Given a Kingdom quorum appears to be "two or more" better less members in greater agreement, than greater numbers less agreed.
- Gender: Of all the suggestions so far, gender separation may be the most disputed. While not directly required by the New Testament in regards to prayer meetings, there are clear instructions on the role of women vs. that of men. There are several reasons for this recommendation, ranging from gender giftedness to propriety. In sharp contrast to the prevailing viewpoint of modern Christianity, the Bible is clear that its gender directives are not cultural, but rather Kingdom requirements. When dealing with male vs female roles, the Apostle Paul goes so far as to warn, "If anyone thinks and claims that he is a prophet [a true spokesman for God] or spiritually astute [filled with and energized by the Holy Spirit], let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. If anyone does not recognize this [that it is a command of the Lord], he is not recognized [by God].” For an in-depth handling of this touchy, albeit important topic, see GB's article Role of Women.
2. How: Attending and exercising a leading role in over 1,000 prayer meetings, you notice a few things. This includes issues mitigating expectations and results. The following suggestions are designed to streamline and enhance the POA/J4 experience.
- Frequency: Reconciling God with modern Christianity is as mission critical as it is challenging. More a platoon style expedition than destination. Doing so requires exceptional quality and quantity of participants and their prayers. According to James, such spiritual combatants must be unusually "fervent" and "righteous." And their prayers "effective." Settling in to such a daunting task is not a once a month affair. Once a week would be little more than the ante in the highest stake contest imaginable. From the Book of Acts to Azusa Street, daily and lengthly corporate prayer has always been the norm for undertaking pre-revival repentance in serious pursuit of genuine renewal, revival or reformation. Understandably, such concerns must be weighed against the rights and responsibilities of modern life. Commitments and careers, marriage and child care need be considered. On the one hand, Paul warns good life stewardship is a prerequisite for Christian leadership. On the other, Paul cautions against getting "entangled in civilian affairs."
- Duration: Frequency and duration go hand in hand. As with most endeavors, the effort should be commensurate with the objective. Like military assignments and maneuvers, insightful and Spirit led prayer meetings require debriefings. Time should be allotted to encourage participants, redirect efforts and delineate short and long term goals. With repentive/overcoming prayer the focus, POA/J4 meetings require an initial commitment of 2-3 hours. If not longer. Superficial attempts at colossal undertakings fail before they begin. More so than even salvation, such undertakings require costly rather than cheep grace. Consider David, Scripture's only psalmist and prophet, warrior and king. Having once again having fallen to Satan and his deception, this time by numbering Israel's army, he incited a plague from God killing 70,000. Positioning himself to end the slaughter, he was freely given Araunah's threshing floor on which to offer the required sacrifice. Exacerbated by such needless slaughter, David refused the gift, stating he would not offer the Lord that which cost him nothing.
- Style: While distasteful to admit, as previously mentioned, the goal of POA/J4 meetings is nothing less than reconciling modern Christianity to God. This includes Prophetic Christians, whom while genuinely a cut above our more worldly counterparts, often lack insight and/or fervency, sanctification and/or power. A referenced earlier, a decades old friend and counselor's excellent formula for conflict resolution, in this case between us and God, may suffice to provide a basic style: Firm (POA/J4 viewpoint), Fair (admission there are other world views), Factual (given the circumstances POA/J4 is the logical course of action) and Friendly (such a difficult objective will be pursued through the hope and guidance of the fruit of the Spirit).
- Leadership: The purpose of POA/J4 meetings is to greatly increase, if not completely restore, the Holy Spirit's leadership of His church. To motivate and equip believers into becoming radical disciples to the point of spiritual transformation into entirely New Creations: neither Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. Such a task requires both firm and flexible leadership. Firm enough to keep team members disciplined and on point. Flexible enough to encourage individual gifts and expertise to arise. The First Church Council of Jerusalem provides an excellent example. Acts 15 records the early church working through the potentially divisive issue of requiring Gentile believers to keep Jewish customs. Peter, Barnabas and Paul each had a say. But in the end, it was James (Christ's half brother and author of J4) who interpreted the Scripture and discerned the Spirit's guidance in rendering the final verdict and issuing the council's proclamation. In no way did James' style or role inhibit Peter and Paul's incredible ministries. Even so, it would seem they deferred to James, whom having lived with Jesus his entire life, seemed to have been given the leadership position. Note: While attending a POA/J4 meeting is not technically a leadership position, it's pretty close. And Kingdom leadership is not to be taken lightly. As James warns, "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. This holds particularly true for teachers, particularly those who, while assuming to lead and/or correct modern Christianity, have committed sexual sin. According to pivotal passages in Timothy and Hebrews, while such can be forgiven and restored to service, they can never again lead. Such passages are almost universally overlooked. So much so, in this day and age of ubiquitous and growing levels of gross temptation and immorality, I've taken to frequently reminding myself and men in leadership, misuse "your gun and you're done."
3. Where: Like many in Christian leadership, I've enjoyed praying in a variety of locations. The exacting standards of POA/J4 meetings suggest certain sites may be more suitable than others.
- Comfort: Duration is one distinguishing factor between the average prayer meeting and one designed with the expressed purpose of breaking through the silence and distance of God. James 4's instructions are onerous enough that there are few if any takers. Those hardy souls willing to invest hours on end putting their shoulders to the task may benefit from some creature comforts. Couches and cushioned chairs might be preferred to plastic or metal seats. Those choosing to sometimes kneel or prostate themselves (another reason for suggested gender separation) for long periods of time may want to bring pillows or yoga mats. While advisable, such concessions are modern contrivances. Millions of past and present believers have persevered in seeking God in squalid conditions unthinkable to those of us raised in today's pampered lifestyles.
- Private: Intensity is another hallmark of POA/J4 meetings. While holy rolling or barnyard shenanigans are precluded, repentive sobs and broken hearts are standard fare. As may be long periods of sorrowful silence punctuated with cry's for forgiveness and help. As Hebrews notes, "During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission."
4. What: Beyond the Who, How and Where lies the largely undiscovered country of What POA/J4 members should do? An example of a flexible schedule might look something like this: Clarify agenda (20 minutes), Debriefing (20 minutes), Repentive prayer/Scripture (30-60 minutes), Silent/listening prayer (20-30 minutes). Practice of spiritual gifts (20-30 minutes). Personal prayer/fellowship (20-30 minutes). See GB's Ways to Pray for information on various kinds of prayer.
- Clarify: Initial and ongoing direction regarding all the above is vital to promoting understanding and unity. Kept short during meetings, it makes great conversation before and after.
- Debrief: Prophetic Christians are somewhat isolated given the lack of resonance with their less astute, though equally precious, brothers and sisters in the faith. Hopefully not for reasons of quirkiness or worse. Time for updates and encouragement, redirection and venting is par for the course. Again, during POA/J4 meetings, this necessary activity should be time sensitive given the overwhelming need for overcoming prayer.
- Repentive Prayer: Crucial for a variety of reasons, one of the least utilized forms of prayer is in fact the most necessary. And remains so throughout living faith's journey. Biblical salvation is dependent on it. So much so, we should rethink the answer to the popular Evangelism Explosion question, “If God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into My Heaven?' What would you say to God?” While E.E.’s answers are good, in light of our atrocious behavior and upgraded culpability, Christ’s may be better: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14 NIV. Of how much greater importance is genuine brokenness and repentance for Laodiceans such as we approaching the Almighty God for ever greater grace, at this time of escalating sin and unparalleled need. As noted by Frank Bartleman, official spokesman for the Azusa Street Revival, "The depth of our repentance will determine the depth of our revival."
- Scripture: Correct interpretation and obedience to Scripture is foundational to successfully seeking and pleasing the Lord. Particularly in regards to Divine requirements and providence. Serious and insightful Bible study is of far greater importance still for those endeavoring to wait on, and even wrestle with, God. Such an expedition demands paying special attention to the meta-messages emphasized by Scripture.
- Silence: Periods of quiet can clear the mind and acclimatize our souls to the importance and practice of serious prayer. Honoring God and giving our Creator and Savior a little equal time is a must. POA/J4 participants need be attentive in hope of insight and understanding regarding such important topics as honesty and humility, genuine and living faith, salvation and discipleship, fellowship and acceptable worship. See GB's Prayer of Silence.
- Listening: Stillness before God takes silence to a deeper level. As has been noted, "Only in stillness does the imperceivable become discernible." As stated by the oft quoted and underutilized verse, "Be still and know that I am God." While silence tends toward sorrow and repentance, stillness lends itself more to equipping and obedience. In the movie, Cowboys And Aliens staring Daniel Criag (James Bond) Harrison Ford (Hans Solo), a cowboy preacher rightly chides an ill-equipped bartender (Sam Rockwell) while teaching him to fire a gun in hopes of saving the man's captured wife: "Surely you don't expect the Lord to do everything for you, do you? You got to earn His presence. Then you got to recognize it and then you have to act on it." Active stillness and accurate listening represents a vastly underutilized form of prayer and untapped resource. See GB's Be Still.
- Spiritual Gifts: All of Christianity, if not life itself, can be boiled down to spiritual sensitivity. From avoiding temptation and deception to perceiving and entering the Kingdom. From recognizing the difference between faith and presumption to appreciating and rightly interpreting Scripture. From judging between the differing Christ of various denominations to recognizing Biblical requirements of churches. From discerning the times and season to serving God and others. Any POA/J4 fellowship would benefit greatly from individual and collective sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leadership and empowerment. Given the heart of our quest is to restore the genuine fruit and gifts of the Spirit, particularly the miraculous healing of the sick, the accurate and orderly use of any and all authentic giftedness would be of great benefit.
- Personal Prayer: If POA/J4 meetings hold any promise, there is a price to pay. Religious misunderstandings and conflicts abound under normal conditions. When advancing to recover critical spiritual resource, overt and covert demonic resistance is a given. Time should be scheduled in each meeting to intercede for members before, during and after trouble arises. In larger meetings, for brevity's sake, this might best be done in small groups.
- Fellowship: As in the Lord Of The Rings, the fellowship of such an intrepid band requires not only courage and endurance, but care and camaraderie. While POA/J4 meetings may or may not take the place of a Biblical church, it should reflect all characteristics of genuine Kiononia. Aspects should include growth in friendship and commitment, discipleship and sanctification. See GB's Christian Fellowship.
Bear in mind, the disciples, who had already witnessed and performed countless miracles and deliverances, were in this instance unable to do so. It therefore follows that Jesus was referring to exceptional forms of prayer and fasting. In this regard, please see GB's Triple Fast.
Finally, the POA/J4 meeting may or may not utilize conventional forms of praise and worship. In part, this again stems from the beginning of the James 5 passage previously quoted. As one translation puts it: "Are you having troubles? You should pray. Are you happy? You should sing." Clearly, given our laundry list of troubles and worse, the emphasis should be on prayer. Another reason is an interesting quote attributed to the afore mentioned Azusa Street Revival. While famous for beautiful and otherworld harmonies while singing in the Spirit, they cautioned against the tendency to supplant the labors of intercession with the pleasures of singing praise. During the early 1900's steam locomotives were popular. Using this as a metaphor, at least one leader noted "having worked up a head of steam, it would be foolish to use it all on the whistle." For this and other reasons, we highly recommend those wishing to incorporate repentive worship into their meetings take special care to review GB's Acceptable Worship.
Success and Replication
Outcomes are generally evaluated in increments of good, better and best. Encouraging modern Christians to honestly face the challenges arrayed before us is a good start. Motivating Prophetic Christians to invest their time and talent in authentic POA/J4 style meetings is better still. Seeing such difficult and thankless work through to the end, and then finding ways to demonstrate and replicate the results, offers the best and only hope of surviving the unprecedented current and coming temptations and deceptions, trials and tribulation Scripture repeatedly warns will mark the last days.
- “Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 MSG
- “They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other’s throat, everyone hating each other. In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes. Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13 MSG
- “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36 MSG
- So get yourselves together. Shape up! You’re a nation without a clue about what it wants. Do it before you’re blown away like leaves in a windstorm, Before God’s Judgment-anger sweeps down on you, Before God’s Judgment Day wrath descends with full force. Seek God, all you quietly disciplined people who live by God’s justice. Seek God’s right ways. Seek a quiet and disciplined life. Perhaps you’ll be hidden on the Day of God’s anger.
Yet, there's far more to redemption's story. While preeminent, Christ's is not Christianity's only cross. Jesus commands each of us to daily shoulder our own. A directive encompassing all the tasks mentioned in this article. And more. For a moving soliloquy see Jackie Pullinger's short video entitled "Go."
The goal of POA/J4 is to restore to modern Christianity all that Christ's kenosis and incarnation, humble birth and life, words and miracles, passion and crucifixion, justification and atonement, resurrection and ascension, intercession and second coming affords. Right here and now, in the light of day. Before it's forever too late.
May God move and equip us to join our spirit, souls and bodies in unison with Christ. Let us accurately hear and respond appropriately to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. And in so doing, become the modern answer to the Apostle Paul's greatest prayer:
- For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21 NKJV
Sacred Assembly After Pre Revival Repentance
From time to time there have been, and will continue to be, efforts made to attempt to address our obviously deteriorating spiritual condition. Some will be admirable. Others less so. Many target some form of renewal, revival or even reformation. Almost universally, such attempts fall far short of their goal for several key reasons. These include:
1. Lack of Discernment: The ability to fully recognize the glaring need for individual and corporate repentance, both within and without modern Christianity, is in short supply. Less that one percent of church leaders are able and/or willing to do so. Of these, the vast majority misdiagnose the seriousness of the systemic disease. Sadly, even within this fraction of a percentage, fewer still understand the severity of the treatment required to mitigate the ubiquitous and increasing levels of temptation and deception, worldliness and sin pandemic in society and Churchianity.
2. Faith vs Presumption: Well intentioned or not, it's surprisingly easy to think and/or act prematurely. Assuming salvation, inappropriate worship and claiming Scripture's promises without recognizing, much less adhering to their corresponding conditions, is the new norm. The same holds true for those who seek to rectify unprecedented disbelief and rebellion without fully following the New Testament's steps of brokenness and restoration.
From evangelism to discipleship, from doctrine to practice, from worship to communion, from prayer to miraculous power, Churchianity has so fallen from grace as to need a re-baptism. The original outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost gave birth and empowerment to the 1st century church. This unprecedented move of God began with John the Baptist’s message of extreme repentance preparing the way for Christ.
Few appreciate what an amazingly significant role John’s accomplishment played in preparing "stubborn and hardheaded” believers for the appearance of their Redeemer. Without a single recorded miracle, John's coming in the spirit of Elijah, accomplished what Elijah’s three accounts of heavenly fire could not. Jews, perhaps even including Pharisees, came to immerse themselves in the waters of the Jordan. The entire region thereby participating in an unprecedented act of repentance.
Baptism, as instituted by John, exemplified by Jesus and implemented by the apostles was Scripturally unique. While the concept may have arisen from the Jewish ceremonial washings of Mikveh, John's application was certainly next generation. John used baptism to demonstrate his message of extraordinary repentance by requiring Jews to undergo a rite reserved for Gentile converts. Baptism, for example, is listed by the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, along with circumcision and sacrifice, as one of the three requirements for Gentile proselytes to Judaism. By commanding Israel to repent and be baptized, John dramatized his message that God’s people had fallen from their privileged position as "sons of Abraham."
There is no modern equivalent in Christendom. Even the Pope commanding all Catholics to be re-baptized and re-confirmed, and/or a Billy Graham figure demanding all Born Again Christians get back to the altar and pray through until it took, would fail in comparison. Such proclamations would be as radical as they would be unwelcomed. Yet, not nearly so much as that of the Baptist’s. Jews inherited their faith and had never been baptized into it to begin with. Additionally, males proudly carried in their bodies the mark of sanctification through circumcision.
Of particular interest is the method John employs for his altar call. The first of only two recorded in the New Testament. Establishing himself as the Baptist, he calls Israel to repentance, yet note the tenor of his accusation and its unusual timing. While his audience obediently responds, John stops them short with a strange question:
Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:7-9 New King James Version
John seems to rubs Israel's nose in their unworthiness to even repent. And this before they had met, much less rejected, their Messiah. The no doubt offended and perplexed church of his day, pressed by his menacing warnings, cried out in confusion:
So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."... And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. Luke 3:10-18 New King James Version
Given how far 21st century Churchianity has fallen from not only 1st century Christianity, but the Judaism of the period that produced it, one wonders what acts of pre-revival repentance might be necessary should we hope for a New Pentecost. With the lifestyle of Christians in the First World largely indistinguishable from our worldly counterparts, neither of which measure up to yesterday's honest heathens the gospel was intended to reach and change, we are in dire need of such a revival.
The following are just a few of the reasons we are currently not prepared to call the all important “Sacred Assembly” until successfully holding POA/J4 style meetings and accomplishing pre-revival repentance.
1. Sacred Event: We are far from ready to be able to call a truly Biblical “Sacred Assembly.”
There’s only been a handful in Scripture. Best known are two Old Testament events including Solomon’s Temple dedication and Ezra’s repentance over foreign wives. In both cases there were kingdom leaders clearly delineated with the authority to call the Sacred Assembly. Solomon, as the doubly anointed king of Israel and literal son of David, did so at the dedication of the original temple.
The second was Ezra, the legitimate and recognized high priest, after the exile, in hopes of restoring godliness to Israel.
The third was arguably the day of Pentecost.
2. Authoritative Leadership: There are currently no national or global leaders having demonstrated the power and Scriptural authority to call the Sacred Assembly. Unless you’re Catholic, where the Papal authority without corresponding miraculous power might suffice.
3. Necessary Pre-Revival Repentance: The global tsunami of immorality unleashed by the 1960s sexual revolution set the stage for contraceptive and clinical abortion becoming the law of the land for over half a century. These, and a litany of other deceptions and sins have been all but fully Integrated by modern Christianity for almost as long. What is required is a thorough and lasting come to Jesus meeting that would make Christ’s judgment His seven churches in Revelation look like child’s play.
All this and more being the case, what is necessary prior to calling the Sacred Assembly, is national, if not global, Pre Revival Repentance.
4. Accurate Discernment: The distinction between Abraham and Lot is that of a man of God versus a godly man. The primary difference is that Abraham knew who he was, where he was, when he was and what God was about to do. By comparison Lot seemed clueless. His righteousness, which no doubt far exceeded our own, did save him from judgment. Yet everything he prayed and worked for, knew and loved was destroyed. As far as “who, where and when we are,” suffice if to say we are long beyond the brink of a moment of decision referenced by those who assume themselves, and even the remnant of the church, ready to call the Sacred Assembly. In point of fact, we’re far more likely to have long been in the belly of the beast (spirit of Antichrist) being digested for decades.
No one truly sensitive to the Holy Spirit could possibly believe that our generation could abort millions of the risen and glorified Christ’s "least brothers" year in and year out, for decades, and get away with it.
This includes not only participation, but allowance of a holocaust that has claimed 8 to 10 times the entire population in Jesus‘s day. Particularly since the church has had it within our power to end abortion every single day, 365 days a year, for the last 55 years and counting (abortion became legal in California 1967). Not by caring our Cross, or even voting wisely, but by merely sending one percent of our membership to have a family friendly picnic in front of every clinic.
These are just a few of the problems initially evident. Please see GB Articles covering these and related topics including : Pre-Revival Repentance, A New Pentecost, If My People, Sacred Assembly, Renewal, Revival, or Reformation.
More information
In the Red Dropdown Icon you'll find resources that we hope will both stimulate and facilitate your pursuit of and understanding of the God of the Bible. To get started simply place your cursor on a category of interest and see where it leads. You can also join the discussion in a variety of ways including posting comments to God Blogs as well as making comments or asking questions by email of phone.
For a hyperlink footnoted version of this article see eBook Quantum Christianity Introduction Volume 1
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved