God's Call To Love Our City: Babylon, Nineveh, or New Jerusalem

When you think about creation and God's original intent for mankind, what do you envision? Does your mind immediately fill with images of wide open spaces filled with beautiful creatures living in perfect harmony and free from the busyness, noise, and clutter that comes with urban living?BY TOMMY LEERESOURCE GLOBALIt is easy to think of the Garden of Eden as the ideal dwelling place, but it is just as easy to forget that God's original mandate to man was to "be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." In fact, as we look at Scripture, the Bible gives a very positive view of urban areas and even gives us a glimpse of the eternal future of all believers: the Holy City, the new Jerusalem.Cities have a dual nature: the capacity for great good if they are God-exalting, or the capacity for tremendous evil if they are man-exalting. A God-exalting culture brings glory to God's name and is a means of serving God and neighbor, but a man-exalting culture results when something is done with the motivation of self-recognition. As we look back over mankind's history as it unfolds through Scripture's narrative, we see how this dual nature has played out in cities like Babel, Nineveh, Babylon, and the Roman Empire. Interestingly, the city is also a glimpse into God's redemptive story and one which should give us encouragement to love our city and to be excited about its tremendous potential as a mission field.The city of Babel is an excellent example of what can happen when the potential good of a city is perverted. The inhabitants—who the Bible describes as resourceful, ambitious, driven, and hardworking...all good things—set out to build a city and a tower. But instead of using their talents to bring glory to God, the people sought to make a name for themselves and to avoid being scattered over the face of the earth. Their actions were in direct opposition to God's command to Noah and his sons that they "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." Their hearts were filled with pride, and their actions brought about God's judgment. As we read the Bible's account of the city of Babel, we are reminded that God will not let evil go unpunished; but we can also be encouraged that there is hope for our cities. When we recognize how the potential for good in our city has been perverted, we have the opportunity to step in and bring God's light to very dark places.Nineveh, like Babel, was a city filled with people with evil intentions. In fact, Nineveh had built up quite a bad reputation among its neighbors. As we read the Bible's account, we are even told that Nineveh's evil had come up before God. But instead of intervening the way He did at Babel, or bringing swift destruction as He did with Sodom and Gomorrah, God gave the Ninevites a forty-day warning. It can be easy to look at the evil that is being done in our cities and wonder why God does not step in and act, but we forget that "our Lord's patience means salvation." The people of Nineveh believed God's message through the prophet Jonah and repented. They turned from their wicked ways, and God showed the city mercy. Throughout Israel's history, prophets had been raised up and sent to preach to God's people to call them to repentance, but Jonah was the first prophet sent to a pagan city. Jonah and Nineveh are a new phase in the unfolding story of God's redemptive mission. No matter how evil a city is, God wants everyone to have the opportunity to repent, which is why he is so patient with us.As believers, we know that this place is not our home. I 1 Peter 2:11 Peter writes that “we are like aliens in a foreign land, eagerly awaiting our return to our heavenly dwelling.” But just as God told the Israelites through the prophet Jeremiah that they were to settle down and invest in the good of Babylon during their time as exiles, we too are to be contributors, not just consumers, in our places of residence. Hananiah, the false prophet, dishonestly prophesied that God would bring the Jewish nation back to Jerusalem within two years of being exiled in Babylon. Instead, the exile lasted seventy years. If the people had believed Hananiah, they would have remained disengaged in their new city, waiting day after day for God's imminent deliverance. But through Jeremiah, God reminded the people that He was the one who had placed them in Babylon, that this was His plan, and that He wanted them to pray for the city and seek its peace and prosperity, promising that if the city prospered, the Israelites too would prosper (Jeremiah 29:7). In the same way, we as believers may long for heaven, but we should not put our lives on hold simply because we prefer to be somewhere else. Instead, we must recognize that God has placed us in our city for a reason; it is His plan, and we are to make the most of our time here.

Mission Trips of a Different Kind: Diving Into the World’s Financial Districts

Have you ever considered why the early church grew so quickly and the gospel message spread so rapidly throughout the province of Asia? The believers' strategy was to evangelize the cities. Acts 17, 18, and 19 tell us that Paul made it a point to travel to Athens, the intellectual center of the Greco-Roman world, Corinth, the commercial center of the empire, and Ephesus, Rome's religious center. At the end of the book of Acts, Paul makes it to the empire's capital, Rome, the military and political center. Major cities are the unavoidable crossroads of societies and the place from which culture is influenced and ideas flow. As we consider our evangelism strategy, it should give us great encouragement as we think about the potential our cities have to reach entire nations!

Resource Global's 4th Annual ICON Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia - Saturday, July 28th

From the time of David onward, the prophets spoke of a perfect urban society that was yet to come. We are told that the city of God, the new Jerusalem, will be "the joy of the whole earth." The Bible's narrative recounts the great spiritual conflict throughout history of the struggle between a society that is created for self-salvation, self-service, and self-glorification versus a society that is devoted to God's glory. This future city will be the culmination of that history. The new Jerusalem is the reason for our hope and why we strive to share the Good News with people. Our cities are temporary; God's city is eternal.The final goal of Christ's redemptive work is not to return believers to a rural, Edenic world. From God's command in Genesis that man "be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it," to the new Jerusalem as described in Revelation, it is clear that God's intention for mankind is that we raise up cities that glorify him and be good stewards of the resources He has entrusted to us. Our work in our cities is vitally important, and we can take great comfort, just as the Israelites in exile did, that God, himself, has placed us here and that He has a plan.It is a good thing for us to love our cities and it is a good thing for us to seek the wellbeing of our cities. God's heart longs for their repentance and redemption. Shouldn't ours?Tommy Lee is the President of Resource Global and CreatePossible, and Managing Director of Barnabas Chicago. Lee played a key role in the Together LA 2015 conference, facilitating and hosting an amazing list of speakers and organizations.

When a Church Skips Sunday Service To Help a Cause

I couldn’t believe we decided to cancel our Sunday service.

BY ANDREW ALESSO

On July 1st at Thrive LA we asked our entire congregation to skip church and go participate in a fundraiser hosted by a local small business on behalf of families separated and detained at the border. It wasn’t even a Christian event.The event raised over $15,000 for free legal aid for those families, helped us form amazing relationships with a positive witness in our community, and helped catalyze our congregation towards lifestyles of service.I’m glad that our church was able to contribute and serve in this way, but we easily could have missed the opportunity. I’d never been part of a church that had ever done something quite like this before, so when one of my ministry leaders approached me with the idea I had a lot to consider.

Sundays Are For Sermons, Aren’t They?

In my tradition, to cancel a Sunday service is unheard of and radical. I wondered, “Will we get a really low turnout for this event? Are we capable of communicating it well? What will happen to attendance the week before and the week after? Is this even allowed?”I believe there is unique value when the church gathers together regularly for praise, teaching, communion, and baptism. But ultimately, we decided that we would be missing out if we didn’t use this particular Sunday for a different kind of worship — a worship through service and collaboration.We concluded that giving our congregation a unique opportunity to serve and give was more valuable than any one message I could give or any momentum we would lose. We did this to be a witness to our community and to meet the needs of families, but we also felt like it was a strategic way to give the new believers and non-believers in our congregation a vivid lesson on the biblical value of sacrificial service.

Who Wants To Be a Political Pastor?

The hardest part was the fact that social justice can be really complicated. To engage our church in a fundraiser for these kids meant that we were unavoidably associating ourselves to a political issue in tense political times. We had no control over people’s assumptions about our motives and our political stances.To be clear, I didn’t become a pastor as a way to implement political change. I became a pastor because I love introducing people to Jesus! I don’t like talking about politics and I usually like it even less when churches talk politics. For most of my ministry I’ve tried to avoid controversial political conversations to focus on faith in Jesus.On the one hand, the primary mission of the church is to make disciples. Yes, we teach those disciples to love their neighbor, but if we allow the American political cycle to define our priorities we are going to be distracted and bogged down.But on the other hand, when did God’s people receive permission to pass by our hurting neighbor because it was complicated or inconvenient? If we aren’t training our people to stand with the hurting, the poor, and the marginalized, can we really call ourselves a church or call our people disciples?Most people want to live in a just and moral world; it’s just that we don’t have divine revelation on exactly how to get there in every situation. Just as Jesus had a zealot and a tax collector on his team, I have people on both sides of the political aisle in my church.Serving at this fundraiser was never intended as a corporate stance on every nuance of immigration in America or on any particular political leaders. We simply said, “We must do our part to love children who are in a tough spot right now.”I can’t claim to be the expert on candidates or policy, but I can be bold and winsome in asking people from every walk of life to adopt the values and character of Jesus. We can’t allow the noise around politics to keep us from making disciples who love with action. We have to be willing to do whatever it takes to show others how to live and act with the mind of Christ.

The Value of Partnership

At the end of the day, I want to see people come to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. His gospel provides peace with God, but it also offers healing and reconciliation for families, communities, and nations. It invites every generation, political tribe, and ethnicity into a beautiful and messy family.This event allowed us to partner with local businesses and non-profits without making it about us. Serving in this way built gospel bridges. Jesus and his church are receiving favor in our neighborhood because we were willing to be humble and courageous at a crucial moment.You may be like me, squeamish about politics and the church, but I pray we each have the boldness to do whatever good deeds will bring gospel favor to the neighborhoods in which we serve.Andrew Alesso is the pastor of Thrive LA located in the Silver Lake area. The church opened its doors just 9 months ago. He recently retweeted: "There are some needs only you can see. There are some hands only you can hold. There are some people only you can reach." - Timothy KellerPhoto: Pastor Andrew Alesso with wife, Katie, and son, Daxton. 

America, Fireworks and Jesus

I grew up during the Cold War. Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were high as each side vied for the upper hand around the globe. In a frantic effort to keep the other side from ‘winning,’ conflicts and wars would begin to stem the tide of Communism or to stop Democracy in its tracks. Threats were made, shoes were pounded, and missiles were placed. A war between the two superpowers and their thousands of nuclear weapons seemed inevitable. Then something weird happened.

BY BOB FABEY

We won.We won the Cold War. The Soviet Union collapsed seemingly overnight. The Berlin Wall, a division for so many years, was torn down. The communist countries fragmented across Europe and Central Asia. Our great enemy was defeated.For as long as I could remember, the United States was the ‘good guy.’ We were nearly always mentioned in comparison to ‘them.’ Songs like “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood made it clear. “At least I know I’m free.” Of course, that meant ‘they’ weren’t. The United States stood for freedom, independence, opportunity and apple pie. But without the great enemy, we had no one to compare ourselves to. We were the country that stepped into the gap in WWI. We courageously rebounded from Pearl Harbor to join forces with the Allies in WWII to defeat Nazi Germany and the Axis powers. We stayed firm while the Soviet Union collapsed. But who are we now?It appeared, after 9-11, we had a reason to come together, a common enemy to fight. We are discovering that terrorism isn’t defeated with bullets and bombs. It turns out that everyone is against terrorism. In that sense, we aren’t that special. We do not have a galvanizing force, a cause that unites and inspires us to rise to the occasion and it is tearing us apart.Across the board, in media, politics, the internet, and social media, we have found more that divides us than what brings us together. We are told that if we disagree, we hate. Civil discourse is a thing of the past, exchanged for shouting matches and sound bites. Fissures and cracks become chasms we can’t seem to overcome.Enter July 4th.You could argue successfully that this holiday has lost its original meaning in the same way capitalism has swallowed Christmas and Easter. You would get no pushback from me on that. Still, if we look at what July 4th means, we have a chance, if only for a brief moment, to come together as a nation. If I could choose one word to describe what it means, I would choose ‘Opportunity.’Our founding fathers wanted a land of opportunity to grow and develop without the oppression of British rule and taxation. They wrote documents, fought battles, alliances were made and broken, and the United States was born. We fought for this land and this opportunity. In fact, we fought one hundred years later, among ourselves for what this opportunity would look like. Our opportunity has been hard fought and won. It’s ours. We earned it.So what kind of opportunity does July 4th bring?Not long ago I attended a Major League baseball game. It was a beautiful summer evening, the kind perfect for baseball. There were beer, hotdogs, and people watching the game with anticipation. It couldn’t be more American. The good guys won, and after the game, the fans were treated to a beautiful firework display.Some of the crowd had slowly shuffled from the stadium but those who stayed made their way to the lower levels and waited. The first steak of light turned the crowd a strange blue color as the firework launched high over our heads. When it exploded, it was close enough for sight and sound to go together. It created a semi-circle of white with another explosion of red in the middle. Despite the fact we were staring at a Chinese invention, everyone in the stands stared in awe. Red, white and blue glory. ‘Merica.This scene was repeated over and over, with different colors and different sounds. You’ve seen it. It was amazing. For some reason, I decided to turn around and look at the crowd. What I saw left me speechless.The faces of everyone watching were tinged with a slight sense of joy and hope as they lit up with red, blue, green or white colors. I saw different economic classes sitting together. There were different races all staring into the nights’ sky hoping to see the next wonder. Different ages were transfixed as they gazed at the display.Then it hit me.This may be part of what heaven is like. All these folks, with all their differences and ideas and experiences mesmerized by what they are seeing. One thing, one person bringing peace, unity, and hope. Jesus. Could it be that part of what we experience in heaven is a sense of peace as we see our savior? It boggles the mind, but if I’m honest, I hope it contains something like that.The 4th of July brings that scene to mind each year. And each year, whenever I watch fireworks, and whoever I am with, I look at the people. I watch their faces light up with wonder and hope, and I am reminded of heaven and the hope I have in Jesus.Maybe it is a thin connection, but I think it is there. We pray “On earth as it is in heaven” in the Lord’s Prayer. I don’t think we are supposed to wait around to go to heaven. Jesus invites us to participate in revealing His Kingdom on earth, here and now. Maybe not in totality, but signs, markers and experiences of a different kingdom, a different rule, and a distinct people. Our lives are to give glimpses and flashes of something incredible, something worthy of awe and wonder. God’s people are designed to re-present him to the world.While those around us have their heads down or are mired in despair, we have the opportunity to reveal a different Way. Where there are discord and disunity, we have the opportunity to bring peace. We have the opportunity to point people in a different direction, lift their heads and help them get caught up in the beauty of God through His people. With every forgiveness offered or a kind word spoken, we flash brightly in the darkness. Every time we chose to bless and not curse, we explode against powers and principalities engulfing our lives. Whenever we lift our chins to the One who Saves, we receive the strength and power we need.If we can so bask in the glow and beauty of Christ, we can reflect Him to those around us. Christians can be the very thing this country and world needs.The 4th of July can be more than a reminder that we ‘aren’t them’ or that we won the Cold War. It doesn’t have to harken back 200 years. It can still propel us forward. We can still grasp the opportunity we have in Christ. It can be a reminder that we can be the beauty the world needs. The love of Christ is powerful enough to galvanize and unite people from across any spectrum for the purposes of God.The next time you see some fireworks and think of America, think of the opportunity you have in Christ. Seize it and watch people fall in love with the one who can transfix and heal even the greatest chasms.Bob Fabey speaks, writes, and mentors helping people to embrace their God-given dignity and give it to others in extravagant ways. An ordained minister based in Arizona, he is the host of 3rd Space Podcast and has just released the book "Not My Jesus," a humorous, yet poignant look at faith, culture and life. http://bobfabey.com/

TOGETHER LA SERIES: HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE?

‘Dangerous Good’ Challenges Men to Aggressively Live Out Their Faith

Kenny Luck throws down the gauntlet to a generation of men who have become comfortable with a culturally safe Christian faith in his new book, Dangerous Good: The Coming Revolution of Men Who Care (July 3, 2018, NavPress, $15.99, ISBN 978-1-63146-890-2).NEWS RELEASE - A. LARRY ROSS COMMUNICATION“Too often men suffer from a malaise that leads them to settle for mediocrity, play it safe and blend into our broken culture,” Luck, founder of Every Man Ministries, said. “But deep inside every man is the impulse to confront the evil around him, to embrace the ‘dangerous good’ that comes with being a committed follower of Christ. I want this book to awaken the sleeping giant within the community of men that will be an aggressive force for good.”

EVERY MAN LIVE STREAM

Throughout the book, Luck explains how Jesus was considered radical in his time and the perfect model for the dangerous good man who is not defined by his feelings, circumstances, material possessions, successes or failures. Instead, this man is defined by God and God alone. Jesus consorted with social outcasts like lepers, tax collectors and prostitutes. And He not only overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple, He flouted every kind of social and religious convention.“Dangerous good behavior is Spirit-empowered behavior that is counter-intuitive to a watching world,” Luck writes in the book. “It’s show stopping: Just when they expect you to do the self-protective thing, you do a Spirit-filled thing out of love for God and people. You take the road less traveled, and the tension inside of you releases itself into faithfulness to Christ for the sake of another.”Using examples from his personal life and the Bible, Luck provides men with the tools to be who God has called them to be and put an end to today’s gender wars, as seen through the relationship between Barak and Deborah in the Book of Judges. Together they led Israel to victory against the Canaanites. Barak set an example that is still worth following today. “Smart men honor, dignify and partner with great women to achieve far more than they ever would by themselves,” Luck writes.“My prayer is that this book helps men to realize that we need to stop sitting on the sidelines because the fact is it’s the opposite of who we are,” Luck said. “We were called to be an active fighter in the battle between good and evil. God expects us to fight for the good of our faith, restating our identity in Christ to the world.”MEDIA CONTACTKristin Nill, A. Larry Ross Communication, 972-267-1111, knill@alarryross.com

WORLD IMPACT: A Tapestry of Cultures

In an attempt to promote racial harmony and unity my brother Kyle and I got this crazy idea to merge our churches. You see, I come from a Baptist faith tradition and Kyle is ordained in the Christian Reformed Church. There are a lot of differences between the two faith traditions, but to succeed we were willing to work through them together. Not to mention his church was predominately White and mine a Black church.

BY BERNARD EMERSONWORLD IMPACT

It was a work in progress that took two years to build. We carefully walked through a process where we did the hard work of answering tough questions. We went through a book called Multiethnic Conversations, an eight-week devotional with journal questions. On Sundays, we wouldn't preach but we would discuss the questions we answered in our journals. We created space for our two communities to get involved in each other's lives. We worshipped every eight weeks and every major holiday together. Kyle and I committed to being better brothers to each other than we were pastors working together. That meant our brotherhood had to trump my Blackness. I’m not saying our individual cultures weren’t important, they just couldn't be more important than our brotherhood.Earlier this month we launched Tapestry Church (SEE VIDEO BELOW). It was a beautiful display of God's Church and his Kingdom. Could you imagine people from many cultures, woven into the fabric of Oakland to display the beauty of God's story? There were Asian, Latino, Blacks and Whites sitting together, singing together and worshipping God together. You see, at World Impact we are challenged to think the unthinkable, imagine the unimaginable, to do what normally has not been done. That is where the courage came from to be the church. To pursue reconciliation, racial harmony and justice. That crazy idea Kyle and I came up with: “What would it look like if we were to merge our two churches?” A just community and the Church. That's what it would look like.This post was originally published at World Impact, headquartered in Los Angeles, here.PHOTO: Tapestry Church Oakland

Stadia: Every Child To Experience Love of Jesus Through a Local Church

Stadia, a national church planting organization that places children as a priority, is working on its tenth collaborative church plant in the Los Angeles area, said executive Nathan Hawkins."I get to visit a lot of great cities and there's something unique about Los Angeles," said Hawkins during a recent Together LA Facebook Live video stream (below). "I do believe it's an epicenter of culture. It's a place where people come to make things happen and it's a space where church is needed. There's a lot of great churches already here in Los Angeles and there's a need for more."In a previous interview with TLA, a Stadia representative said that simply discussing the problems and issues facing America today, even from a Christian perspective, is not enough.“We really don’t have to look much farther than social media and news outlets [to see] everything going on in our culture — the racism, the injustice…,” said Jeff Bennett, who is a Stadia executive for its U.S. Church Planting and South Region divisions. “We can talk about the injustices, we can talk about the discouragement we feel, or we could do something.”Leaders said the organization has had the honor of helping hundreds of great leaders start new churches. "With these leaders, we share a passionate desire to see a world where every child will experience the love of Jesus Christ through the local church," Stadia said on its website. "Are you ready to invest in the next generation by partnering and/or planting with Stadia? Do you know someone who is? Stadia is ready to help! Because we won’t stop … until Every Child Has a Church."Hawkins was asked about the Los Angeles Church Planting Movement that Stadia has been a part of since its inception several years ago. He pointed to LACPM as another way for churches to come together, network, and see the gospel advance.

Stadia, World Impact Leaders Answer the ‘What Can I Do?’ Question

On the Web

https://stadiachurchplanting.org/

What Does The Bible Teach About Church and Politics?

The church's involvement with politics and culture has always been a subject of debate. Some believe that the church should totally refrain from politics, practicing faith quietly and being a gospel influence in predominantly social circles. Others believe that the church should infiltrate politics and culture in an attempt to "Christianize" the society as much as possible.

BY STEVE CHA

ONE IN A SERIES:HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE?

In an attempt to answer this timeless question, we must look at what the Bible teaches concerning the church and politics.Working in government is a vocation as much as it is working in the restaurant or entertainment business, which a believer is free to participate in. In whatever occupation Christians engage in, they are to do it to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). This means that Christians are to do their work with the utmost integrity, leading rightly as bosses and submitting humbly as employees (Eph. 6:5; 1 Pet. 2:18).At the same time, Christians must never compromise their faith and values, especially if the government forces or pressures them to make decisions that would cause them to stumble into sin (Acts 5:29). Political work often times involves making choices that have moral undertones to them. In such cases, Christians must always do what is right to honor the Lord, even if it should incur the disfavor of the public. How a Christian goes about pursuing the right course of action takes discernment, especially when working with a group of unbelievers who are not open to the Christian worldview.A Christian makes righteous decisions in the political realm because it is God's will that all government institutions act in accordance with God's righteous standard. Romans 13:1-4 teaches that Christians must submit to the government because God has ordained it to punish wrongdoing, reward virtuous deeds, and enact justice on behalf of victims.A government cannot do this properly if their definition of what is right and wrong is skewed, which is what we are experiencing in many nations around the world. This is why Christians who are engaged in politics should use their God-given position or legal privilege to help enact civil laws that reflect God's standard of justice for the government. These laws should be designed to punish criminals for acts such as theft, murder, false testimony, and to defend the poor, the weak, and the marginalized against unjust treatment. Practical ways that pastors and lay people in the church can make a difference in politics is to vote for laws that uphold righteousness and deflect sin in society, such as banning abortion, sex slavery, pornography, racism, and to support ethical laws or programs that would encourage the family institution, public safety, and equity.It must be said that the job of the church is not to become a sort of governing institution that seeks to overtake the government and force conversions on heathens. Unprofitable things have happened in history when governments use religious identification to justify war or conquering other people groups. Jesus never forced the gospel onto unbelievers, although He warned of the eternal consequences of rejecting His offer of salvation (Matt. 7:23; 25:46; Jon 3:16-18).However, this does not mean that Christians should totally eject faith out of the workplace.Opponents of Christianity expect this of Christians when they advocate "separation of church and state." The truth is: There can never really be a separation of one's moral beliefs from the affairs of the state, because much of political affairs are intertwined with moral and ethical issues. There is no neutral ground. Both the word of God and the world's philosophy have presuppositions regarding how life is to be conducted morally, which is why the Christian must be grounded in the truth of Scripture and to allow that to guide his or her actions in the workplace.A Christian must not only exemplify Christian character, but to also work for laws or causes that support righteousness and truth. He must do everything in his power to also preserve the freedom of Christians to organize, worship, and proclaim the gospel to others. He should not be complacent about people in government or laws that persecute Christians and restrict Great Commission activities.The church's involvement in politics must always start with the desire to see people in the field come to know Christ. There is a clear difference in honoring God with our practices in politics and lording it over the public with threats and compulsion. The Bible teaches us that it is not laws that will change the hearts of the people, but the word of God through the gospel (Rom. 7:1-9).That is why the church should be involved in politics. As in any other occupation, Christian politicians have the opportunity to evangelize unbelieving colleagues with the hopes that they might come to salvation in Christ. Only when the hearts of people are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and the word of God implanted in them, can we see changes in society.A similar principle can be applied to Christians in the cultural debate. Should saints participate in cultural dialogue or retreat entirely? This is also a matter of discernment for the Christian. There are instances when Christians are better off not being involved in certain forums because their efforts are akin to casting pearls before pigs (Matt. 7:6). This includes internet forums like response columns or webchat dialogue. However, there are other cases in which dialogue is extremely profitable. This includes television interviews, radio, publications, and public lectures. In such cases when there is potential for a large non-Christian audience to hear the Bible's stance on given issues, and the Christian has the opportunity to be salt and light in front of them.The church's role in politics does not have easy, clear cut applications. The issue always comes back to the question of how much should faith be mixed with politics, or how much should faith shape politics?The Bible teaches that the world will never have a perfect government until Jesus returns to set up His kingdom. Neither will the world have a perfect culture of faith, righteousness, and unity until then. There will never be peace in a godless world. The focus of the church until the second advent of Christ is to be faithful to the Great Commission - which is evangelizing the lost and discipling people (Matt. 28:18-20).That is the key behind a Christian's involvement with politics. That is what it means for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10).Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of Grace City LA.

Mexico Wins! In LA, A Little Piece of Heaven

Mexico won its opening FIFA World Cup match against Germany (the defending World Cup Champions) and the earth felt it—literally.

BY JON GARCIA

Shortly after Hirving Lozano scored the game’s single goal, a small artificial earthquake was detected in Mexico City. The Institute for Geological and Atmospherical Investigations (a non-government agency located in Mexico) tweeted about seismographic readings they detected that were probably due to “massive jumps” of celebration.But it wasn’t only Mexico City that celebrated Lozano as king. Thousands of soccer fans gathered in the streets of greater Los Angeles to celebrate as well. And they continued to celebrate for hours after the game was over.Just outside of LA in a suburb called Huntington Park, masses of Mexican soccer fans gathered to take their celebration to the streets. They honked car horns, danced to music, and raised their voices with loud praise of the historic win.To some, these celebrations seem pointless and confusing—but to others, these celebrations are beautiful, carrying deep significance. After all, there are very few times where thousands of people come together to celebrate a joyous event with such fervor. Yet, sporting events seem to have this effect on people. And the World Cup is just the latest example of that.But this was not just any celebration. This was different.This was not just any group of people celebrating victory. No, this was a large group of Mexican people celebrating victory (and that’s where the beauty lies).Many of the folks that celebrated the Mexico victory are American citizens. Yet, they saw no problem parading the streets of Los Angeles in celebration of a foreign country’s sporting team. Why? Because these people understand that they possess a form of dual citizenship.Some of these folks formally possess dual citizenship, while others figuratively possess it. Yet all unanimously hold the country of Mexico near and dear to their heart. And while this celebratory picture of dual citizenship is a little incomplete, it nonetheless serves as a reminder of what Heaven will look like.In Revelation 7:9 we read that the final gathering of God’s people will come from “every nation, tribe, and tongue.” And as God’s people come together to celebrate in worship, we see the beauty of God’s plan for unity (Ps. 133:1, John 17:11; 23, Eph. 4:3-5) in diversity (1 Cor. 12:12-14, Gal. 3:28, Col. 1:16-17). As distinct people groups, these faithful believers are united in Christ—while simultaneously maintaining their tribe and language (Rev. 5:9).So next time Mexico wins a game and thousands of fans flood the streets to celebrate, be sure to rejoice in that picture of heaven. Remember, it’s only an image (after all, not everyone celebrating is a Christian), and some of those people don’t even realize that the object of their worship is misplaced. Still, it serves as a reminder of what heaven will look like. It’ll be a place where various people from different tongues and nations will gather to offer worship to the true King who purchased victory for all who believe in him.And on that day, the streets will once again be filled with horns, music, and raised voices of worship…but this time praise will find its rightful place. And you can bet on that day, they’ll be some serious seismic activity. But this time it’ll be the heavens that shake.Jon Garcia is a writer, storyteller, and aspiring theologian. He lives in the Los Angeles area where he spends most of his time working on PhD studies and serving the Latino/a community. For fun, he hosts Storyography, a podcast where he shares true life stories about interesting experiences he's had.

Southern Baptist Convention Passes Resolutions in Response to #MeToo

The Southern Baptist Convention officially acknowledged its come-to-Jesus moment by passing resolutions at its annual meeting on Tuesday (6/12). All this coming as leaders of America’s largest Protestant denomination aim for better responses to sexism and abuse.The #MeToo movement's spotlight on sexism and abuse, which began as revelations in the entertainment industry, now includes a sharp focus on the Christian community as a whole.Among the 16 resolutions passed by the SBC delegation in Dallas were measures acknowledging women’s involvement in the SBC, condemning abuse, and upholding the dignity of ministers, Christianity Today reported.Although the resolutions addressed women and the climate of sexual misconduct, they did not contain the exact language proposed by Jason K. Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. CT said that the adopted resolutions similarly stated:We deplore, apologize, and ask forgiveness for failures to protect the abused, failures that have occurred in evangelical churches and ministries, including such failures within our own denomination.Biblical headship blesses, honors, and protects wives and children and does not require them to submit to sin or to abuse.We call upon pastors, ministry leaders, entity leaders, and denominational representatives to pursue moral and sexual purity in all relationships before God and with others and to guard their life and doctrine scrupulously.“Especially as we reel from events of recent days, the value of women inside the SBC needs to be proclaimed from the biggest stages we’ve got,” Sarah Short, who’s attending the meeting from the Summit Church in North Carolina (Her pastor, J. D. Greear was elected SBC president, also on Tuesday), told CT. “Our brightest and most revered leaders need to say it with their mouths and our convention needs to adopt it as a resolution. It’s time.”READ MORE AT CHRISTIANITY TODAY

Texas-Sized Gospel Party Includes Call For Another Jesus Revolution

It may have been a “Texas-sized Gospel party” as CBN News called it but it was also a plea to God for revival at Crossover Harvest America in Arlington, Texas on Sunday (6/10/18).

GREG LAURIE GIVES UPDATE

We have more complete numbers for @harvestamerica now. We had 35,000 in Stadium attendance and 254,000 Unique Online viewers. 6,630 Host Sites.Another 97,000 attended a Host Site in person, and best of all. . . .  There were 10,286 professions of faith!To God be the glory! pic.twitter.com/wnHQhBKJbo

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) June 14, 2018

A crowd of more than 35,000 at AT&T Stadium and a global livestream audience (SEE UPDATED NUMBERS IN GREG LAURIE'S TWEET ABOVE) heard a message of hope and faith from evangelist Greg Laurie. A video tribute to the late Billy Graham was shown early during the event. Near the conclusion, more than 2,300 individuals came forward at Laurie's invitation to make a commitment to Christ, filling the field.

WATCH HARVEST AMERICA 2018 REPLAY

"There will never be another Billy Graham, but we must all carry the torch of proclamation evangelism to the next generation," Laurie said. "When Billy Graham was here at the Cotton Bowl 46 years ago, the Jesus Movement was exploding and the world was uprooted. Today, there are more mobile devices than there are people. And because of the explosion of technology, we are the first generation with the ability to fulfill the Great Commission in our lifetime."How many of you think America needs a revival?" he asked rhetorically. "There is hope for America tonight; it's not a political solution, it's a spiritual solution – our nation has spiritual roots, regardless of what the revisionists say."We need another Jesus Revolution, and I pray it starts here tonight. I pray this Gospel message will spread like wildfire across Texas and America," Laurie added.[ictt-tweet-blockquote hashtags="" via=""]We need another Jesus Revolution, and I pray it starts here tonight. - Greg Laurie, Harvest America 2018[/ictt-tweet-blockquote]He shared "the one message that brings hope to a hopeless culture," in the first stadium evangelistic crusade since Graham died in February."I'm going to ask you to put aside your biases and preconceptions tonight and listen with your heart," he said. "I'm going to share something with you that can change your life."We think today in our culture, 'if only I could be rich and famous, then I will be happy.' This week alone, look at what happened. Two well-known celebrities took their own lives – designer Kate Spade and television personality Anthony Bourdain. Wealth, possessions, all the things the world has to offer – drugs, sex, drinking – will not make you happy," Laurie said.He said he wanted people to leave the crusade knowing they would go to heaven when they die."God will forgive you for whatever you've done," Laurie said. "Don't live another day without Jesus Christ."Laurie noted that current events seem to mirror biblical prophecy of the end times. "I don't know when the end of the world will come, but the end of my world or your world can come earlier than expected," he said.Laurie said that being a good person isn't enough. To get into heaven, you must turn away from your sins and accept Christ. "God does not grade on the curve," he said. "He grades on the cross."The event was broadcast around the world via satellite and the Internet, with more than 92,000 individuals viewing online. In addition, this crusade was first opportunity for people to extend the Harvest feed via Facebook Live to their followers. This year also marks the largest live radio broadcast audience of any Harvest event to-date, with more than 800 radio outlets carrying the AT&T Stadium live feed.The crusade featured music from top Christian artists such as Phil Wickham, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, Trip Lee, Tedashii, KB and Switchfoot. Admission was free.This year is the second time that the Harvest Crusades have partnered with Crossover, the evangelistic outreach preceding the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, which will be held Tuesdayand Wednesday in Dallas this year. Another 600 individuals made faith decisions as a result of the Crossover activities.Three hundred eighty local churches worked on the crusade. Dr. Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church, a member of Harvest America's advisory board of local pastors and ministry leaders, gave the opening prayer during the simulcast portion of the event.Laurie, who has held crusades in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, serves as senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California, which oversees the Harvest Crusades. The ministry exists for the purpose of presenting the life-changing message of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible, and to help believers mature in their faith. More information is available at Harvest America.Contributing content above provided by A. Larry Ross Communications.PHOTOS: HEADLINE BANNER: AT&T Stadium field with Harvest America across end zone. (HARVEST AMERICA). TOP: Greg Laurie receives prayer prior to event (HARVEST AMERICA). BOTTOM: New believers receive prayer on field at AT&T Stadium. (TOGETHER LA/ALEX MURASHKO) BELOW: Praising God during Harvest America 2018 held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (HARVEST AMERICA)

Pastors: Should You Promote a Political Opinion?

During the current political climate that has shockingly pitted Christian-against-Christian, at least in ideological beliefs, should pastors endorse candidates or express political opinions?Pastors should consider the spiritual ramifications of promoting a political candidate, “especially in this day and age,” said a pastor and church security expert recently from Orange County, California.Kevin Robertson, author of Church Security: Providing a Safe Worship Environment, made his Facebook post on election day last week and although the subject matter wasn’t about church security, it did address the divisive nature found within the country and churches today.“Here's a thought for my Pastor friends,” states Robertson, who conducts church security conferences throughout the United States. “As a nation as we go to the voting booths today (June 5, 2018), it's a right, a privilege and a responsibility for each citizen, for everyone of us. That being said, I don't [impose] my personal decisions on this onto other pastors. This is just something to think about, something to consider.“In 1 Corinthians 10:23, it says we are allowed to do anything, but not everything is beneficial. As a pastor, do I have the right to promote a political candidate? Sure. But I think about it this way — I have friends that are Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat, Independent and one that says he's a Socialist. Many of these friends of mine are not Christians.”He coninued, “If as a pastor, if I were to openly promote a Democrat or a Republican, etc., candidate then I have just built a wall between myself and the person on the ‘other side.’ As a pastor, as Christians, our goal, our hope and efforts should be focused on The Great Commission, (Matthew 28:16-20), building a ‘bridge’ with someone so that Christ can ‘walk across.’“Do I have the right and the freedom to express my political beliefs, absolutely. However, I had to decide, for me personally, which is more important to me: my freedom to express my voting decision, or my desire to build a friendship, a relationship with any and everyone that doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ? Especially in this day and age, regardless of which side of the aisle one's on, politics can be an extremely divisive topic. Just something for my pastor friends to consider.”Editor’s Note: The above article is part of Together LA’s “How Would Jesus Vote?” series that was kicked off in May with the TLA exclusive: Do Religion and Politics Mix? Franklin Graham Answers On Decision America Tour

Jesus Also Came to Disrupt the Political Status Quo

I remember hearing in Government Class that there was a separation between church and state. The state couldn’t interfere with the church and the church wasn’t supposed to interfere with matters of the state (government).

BY CEDRIC NELMS

In learning more about Jesus and the Gospel, it is apparent that Jesus was very much involved with matters of the state. His involvement was based on justice, righteousness, and showing that the last will be first and the first will be last in the Kingdom of God.

ONE IN A SERIES:HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE?

On June 5th, we will go to the polls to elect people into governmental office and to affect policy. There has been this misnomer that politics and our beliefs don’t mix. For those of us that are followers of Christ, there has always been this intersection of politics, faith, and the church.There has been this lens of looking at politics from the perspective of: “What would Jesus do?” This level of tension was seen in our last Presidential election, where white evangelicals and black evangelicals were divided between the context of who would collect their vote. Black evangelicals were questioning if their pastors were voting and leading their congregations to vote along faith lines or from a posture of privilege. This caused some evangelical churches to see an exodus of their African American congregants.For the church of today there has to be those hills that we will stick our sword in the ground as a testament of what we have been called to do and who we follow. As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to not forget that there are some issues that are non-negotiable when it comes to our walk with God. In the Book of Amos 5:23-24...Take away from me the noise of your songs;to the melody of your harps I will not listen.But let justice roll down like waters,and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.Amos reminds us that we have to be mindful of not getting too caught up in the activity of our way of living (power, money, privilege) and lose the heart for justice and righteousness. Justice and righteousness need to be the bookends to WHO we are as Christ followers and WHOSE we are as children of God. If we are voting based on our status, privilege, or prejudices, then we are forsaking the least of those amongst us.As voting followers of Christ there has to be a compassionate attitude that is taken beyond the veil of the booth, that is not concerned about voting along cultural lines but voting along what is in the best interest of the marginalized. So, when we ask the question of ‘is there a way to vote as a Christian?’ The response is yes! Yes, we should be voting with the mind and heart of Christ. We should remember that God is not a respecter of person. We should remember that Jesus was not connected to a political party but was sold out to the establishment of the Kingdom of God.Politics encompasses ALL of society, culture, race, economics, age, and gender to name a few. When we think about politics and our faith, we should look at examples from the life of Jesus. Jesus was one that came to disrupt the political climate. Jesus was one who disturbed the status quo. One of the ways that He did that was by speaking truth to power. Jesus was speaking truth to power during his turning over the tables moment in the temple. Jesus was speaking truth to power when he told the men, those of you who are without sin cast the first stone. Jesus was speaking truth to power by detouring his agenda to have a life changing conversation with the woman at the well. He gave her the living water of righteousness instead of the contaminated water of system. Jesus was speaking truth to power when He called Zacchaeus from the tree to build a relationship with him. He looked pass his height restriction to transform his condition. Jesus was speaking to truth to power when he met the woman at the well. He loved her for who she was and was not prejudice against her.Jesus came not to be like those politicians at that time, but to redeem them through the work and attitude of the Gospel. Our politics can’t be converted to God and not be converted to the least of us. When we vote we have a responsibility to remember Luke 4:18-19.The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed meto proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captivesand recovering of sight to the blind,to set at liberty those who are oppressed,to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.Remember we have some people like Zacchaeus’, some like the woman at the well, some people like the woman that committed adultery, some people that are imprisoned like Paul was, that need us to remember our faith and the one that we follow when we vote.[ictt-tweet-blockquote hashtags="#HowWouldJesusVote" via=""]Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - MLK, Jr[/ictt-tweet-blockquote]Rev. Cedric J. Nelms is Lead Pastor at Chosen Generation Fellowship Church. On the web: www.cjnministries.com

The Politics of Jesus and the Color Purple

My belief and thoughts on the politics of Jesus would take more than just one blog article to make my point but this is an attempt to give a general overview.

BY PETE WATTS

This past election cycle was challenging for African American Christians who wanted to be faithful to their Christian values and faithful to their neighbors who are marginalized and maligned by an American Christianity that sometimes doesn’t have the same viewpoints and approach to solving the world’s problems in practical ways. This is what I believe that one Christian hip hop artist tried to express in an article in Christianity Today a couple of years ago.

ONE IN A SERIES:HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE?

I find it interesting that Franklin Graham is going on tour with this campaign “Decision America,” encouraging Christians to vote when in the past much of mainline evangelical Christianity said politics and religion shouldn’t mix. In the historic African American church and amongst mainline black evangelicals they have never separated the two. They understood there needed to be engagement with biblical values AND social justice.Let me start by saying that I don’t believe that people who voted for Trump and were Republican are all racists just as others on the right shouldn’t believe that anyone who voted Democrat supports abortion. At the end of the day, where I draw the line is at the same ledge that James Baldwin did when he said, “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.”If Jesus were to vote today he wouldn’t be on the side of the Republican ticket or the Democratic ticket. His agenda would be and always has been a Kingdom agenda. Today’s politics and climate of our American culture and Christianity has led us to take sides based on our own flawed interpretation of scripture to confirm our own agendas.Two issues in particular I’d like highlight to prove my point. There has been documented and historical evidence proving the reality of voter suppression. This is played out in both Texas and North Carolina most recently. Coincidentally, both of these states were in violation of federal law. This was the Republican Party’s attempt at subverting the Voting Rights Acts by enacting what has been termed as Voter ID Laws. Yes, on the surface it sounds legitimate but when you dig deeper there is something more nefarious that targets specifically African American communities in poor areas.If Jesus were to vote I’m quite confident he wouldn’t vote Democrat but would be in line with the Democratic party on the issue of Voter suppression.Quite interestingly, just as vigorous in defending the right to vote, Jesus would also defend the right to religious expression and fight against religious exclusion. This idea of exclusion plays out in different ways, including the far left’s launch of an all-out attack on those who have Christian beliefs that are contrary to the agenda of Democratic party. There are examples and reports of many people who are running for office and who have run that received threats on their lives because they supported the right to life, or stood against same sex marriage. Some of these pastors are leading predominantly African American churches, too.Jesus dealt with similar trappings and issues in the gospel. One pericope that I point to specifically is when he was asked by the Pharisees and Herodians in the gospel of Mark about paying taxes. The Bible said he saw their hypocrisy and how they wanted to trap him in his words. Jesus responded as one who is about the Kingdom of God and not the politics of the Pharisees or any other religious or political group of his day. He said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” When you look at his response it doesn’t say that he was on either side of the issue exclusively.This shows us that the politics of Jesus doesn’t land on one side of the coin but both. In considering how Jesus would vote, we should consider the perspective of the Kingdom and what an upside-down Kingdom looks like when fighting for the poor, disenfranchised, the privileged and the outcast.Unfortunately, I think Franklin Graham got it wrong when he encouraged Christians in California to vote because they need to penetrate the “blue wall.” I think if Jesus was preparing his people to vote, it would be because the wall he wants people to penetrate is purple.That’s the color of the Kingdom. It’s the color of royalty.Rev. Pete Watts oversees World Impact’s mission for all of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities. Born and raised in Southern California, Pete holds a Masters in Communication and Education. After serving as an elementary school teacher, he opened the Thurgood Marshall Entrepreneurial Academy Charter Middle School in 2007. Pete has also felt God’s calling him to preach. After being ordained by Missionary Baptist Church in Compton, he and his wife Didi launched The R.O.C.K. Church in 2008.To find out more about Rev. Pete Watts, check out his blog.

One-on-One With Karl Vaters On ‘Small Church Essentials’

Today, I’m happy to welcome Karl Vaters to The Exchange. Karl has been a small church pastor for 30 years and currently leads Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California. BY ED STETZERHe writes about the value and needs of small churches for Christianity Today and is the founder of www.NewSmallChurch.com, a blog that encourages, connects, and equips innovative small church pastors. Below I talk to him about his new book, Small Church Essentials.Ed: How did you come to write Small Church Essentials?Karl: Small churches are, by far, the most common expression of the gathered body of Christ. But they are highly undervalued and grossly under-resourced. I know because I’ve been pastoring in small churches for most of my ministry, including the small church I’ve been at for the last 25 years.Despite the fact that we’re a healthy, vibrant, worshipping, missional church in very populated area, we’ve remained small.That so-called ‘failure’ caused so much frustration and discouragement that I almost left the pastoral ministry. Then, a friend and counselor encouraged me to find ways of measuring church effectiveness beyond the numbers. That led me to write my first book, The Grasshopper Myth.As I’ve continued to study, write, speak, and have conversations with thousands of fellow small church pastors, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how to do effective ministry within a small church context. The lessons from those interactions and my own experiences are the heartbeat of Small Church Essentials.Ed: Why do you think it is so common for people to equate the size of a church with its level of health? Or as you put it, to filter everything through the “church growth lens.”Karl: I think it’s based on some understandable, but faulty logic—namely, a healthy church will be fulfilling the Great Commission, which means it will grow numerically. That’s a reasonable theory. But any theory needs to be tested against reality. And when we do that, we discover that there are many churches who are fulfilling their role in the Great Commission without getting bigger for a wide variety of reasons.Ed: How do you help pastors to shift their thinking from focusing on their church size to focusing on the health of their church?Karl: Many pastors have given up in frustration after chasing the elusive goal of numerical success. But they’re not lazy. They just haven’t been given an alternative way of measuring success in ministry.When they hear that numerical increase is not the only measure of health and effectiveness, they want to learn more and they’re thrilled to make that shift.

If you’re not sure if your motivations are based on numbers rather than health and effectiveness, consider this question: If you knew that what your church is doing would bless people and grow the kingdom of God even though it wouldn’t put more people in your church, would you still do it? If so, the motivation is probably health, not numbers. If not…Ed: Why is this book important for large church pastors?Karl: When I started this ministry, I had three goals: (1) to encourage small church pastors, (2) to put resources into their hands, and (3) to mainstream this message to the broader church leadership community.Large churches are great! Most small church leaders want to work with our big church counterparts. But small churches and their leaders often feel isolated and ignored. It’s important for pastors of large churches not to forget what most of their peers are dealing with and to understand the differences in how small churches and big churches function. We can’t help them if we don’t understand their circumstances and their needs.Ed: Will this encourage small church pastors?Karl: I hope so. For too many years small church pastors have been treated more like we’re a problem to be fixed than an essential element of God’s overall strategy. It’s hard to feel encouraged with that drumbeat in the background.Small Church Essentials is not about complaining or offering excuses. It’s about encouraging small churches to lean into our strengths for the advancement of Christ’s mission on earth. It’s debilitating when people insist that small churches must get bigger before we can be of value. My hope is that every church of every size will feel valued, encouraged and challenged to step up—not at some point in the future when we get bigger, but right here, right now at our current size.Ed: What is unique and necessary about the small church perspective?Karl: Small churches constitute 90 percent of congregations and half the body of Christ. The fact that we’ve spent so little time considering their needs and underutilizing their strengths is scandalous.We need small churches simply because there are a lot of people who worship, serve, learn, and minister better in a small church context than a big one. As Rick Warren says, “We need all kinds of church to reach all kinds of people.” And that includes all sizes. Big and small.Ed: Why have you stopped using the term “church growth?”Karl: The Church Growth Movement has been an extraordinary blessing to the church. It has renewed an emphasis on outreach, church planting, the value of using accurate metrics, and so much more.But every good thing has unintended consequences. One of the unintended consequences of the church growth movement is that it’s made us over-reliant on numbers as not just one factor in determining church growth and health, but often the only factor.Instead of striving for church growth, I encourage churches and pastors to work on increasing their capacity for effective ministry. Being effective is a better goal than getting bigger.Ed: Can you share some stories of applying these Small Church Essentials in the church that you pastor?Karl: Several years ago, I told our church staff, “We have to stop thinking like a big church, because we’re not one.” Instead, we need to do ministry that’s appropriate for the size we are now, while developing systems for a church twice our size. Since doing that we’ve had a healthier church doing more effective ministry. It’s also helped us to renew our focus on the biblical command (I like to call it the “Pastoral Prime Directive”) of equipping the saints to do the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-12).An equipping church is an effective church, and that’s what we’re always striving to be.Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, is executive director of the Billy Graham Center, and publishes church leadership resources through Mission Group.This article was republished with permission and originally appeared here.

Evangelicals Don't Agree on Politics, But We Must Learn To Disagree Well

Evangelicals disagree on politics, but how we disagree is more important than building consensus.

BY NAPP NAZWORTH

There were at least five different types of evangelicals in the previous presidential election: Clinton supporters, enthusiastic Trump supporters, reluctant Trump supporters, protest voters who supported neither Clinton nor Trump (also called nevertrumpers), and non-voters. While most of the media attention has gone to the enthusiastic Trump supporters, they represented less than half of all evangelicals. In reality, evangelicals were quite divided on presidential vote choice, as they are on many political issues.Evangelicals, by and large, share a common theology and worldview, so why can't we agree on which political candidates to support?I've observed evangelicals from across the political spectrum make the case that the differences are due to some spiritual or theological deficiency among those who support the "wrong" candidate. "Once we all have the correct view of scripture, we'll agree on politics," many evangelicals have assumed. My younger self would've agreed with that statement. I now find it incredibly naive. I've criticized evangelicals who support our current president, and will continue to do so. But I don't think our political differences signal a spiritual deficiency. That would be akin to the sort of legalism Paul slams in Galatians. ...Napp Nazworth, Ph.D., is political analyst and politics editor for The Christian Post.Contact: napp.nazworth@christianpost.com, @NappNazworth (Twitter)

READ FULL STORY AT THE CHRISTIAN POST

Editor's Note: The above article is part of Together LA's "How Would Jesus Vote?" series that was kicked off this week with the TLA exclusive: Do Religion and Politics Mix? Franklin Graham Answers On Decision America TourFranklin Graham Takes Fight to 'Godless' Progressives in California With New Tour [Christian Post] 

Evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism: Do Both Roads Lead to Heaven?

Statisticians have grouped them into one category. Movie makers have portrayed them as one and the same faith. It's easy to see why people think Christians (a.k.a. Evangelicals and Protestants) and Roman Catholics are alike. The impression is that the differences between the two faiths are simply a matter of worship style, music, dress, and church decor.It is often said that the two worship the same God and believe in the same manner of salvation.

BY STEVE CHA

However, any person with a fairly good knowledge of the Bible and of church history should know that this is not the case. The spirit of ecumenism, though a seemingly noble idea, is ultimately unprofitable when it comes to uniting two religions of different understandings of salvation. The rift between Christians and Catholics during the 16th century, that birthed the Protestant Reformation, is demonstrable proof of serious issues of dissension and concern when it comes to core understandings of gospel truth and Christian living.These are not minor disagreements. The issue is salvation. This is why Roman Catholicism is a different religion than Christianity, and not simply another denomination. This is important to establish because it teaches us about the error of non-gospel centered faiths and the need to lovingly bring the saving message to Catholics, and any other "Christian" organizations that do not hold to the fundamentals of the faith.Eternal salvation, as taught by Christ and the apostles, is received by repenting and placing your faith in Jesus Christ, which leads to your justification (John 3:16; Romans 10:9; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9). God the Holy Spirit then begins a process of sanctification in a Christian's life, causing that person to live righteously and to bear fruit as a testimony of their justification and the holy nature they will possess in eternity (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:14; Colossians 3:10). This must be the common confession of all those who profess to be Christian, according to Scripture. Those who teach another gospel are accursed (Galatians 1:6-8).The historic Roman Catholic view of salvation is that salvation is not by faith alone. Although some progressive Catholics deny this view (claiming a salvation method similar to evangelicals), the historic Roman Catholic view of salvation is a combination of (intellectual) faith and good works. Roman Catholicism teaches that salvation begins at the stage of infant baptismal regeneration, in which a baby is cleansed of original sin through infant baptism. This supposedly imparts sanctifying grace, unites his soul to Christ, and grants him the power of free will to come to faith in Christ . This salvation must be maintained through a lifelong commitment to other deeds of the church, which includes membership to the Catholic Church, participating in the sacraments (such as Mass), living a moral lifestyle (through following the Ten Commandments), confession (to a priest), and other deeds that supplement this grace. The Catholic church teaches that salvation is not guaranteed, and must be maintained by one's willingness to work out their salvation through a lifetime of obedience.However, the Bible teaches something different about the way to God.Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5 state that works do not add to or take away from Christ's work on the cross. It does not add to your salvation. Salvation is monergistic, meaning that it is purely a work of God from beginning to end. Everything from his election of an individual to justification to final glorification (Romans 8:29-30).Scripture does not even teach that a believer is able to lose his salvation if he does not uphold it with enough good works and obedience to religious rituals. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Justification by faith is a truth taught not only in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament as well (Genesis 15:6; Hebrews 11).

Interview: ‘The Wonder Years’ Actress Alley Mills Tells How Buddhism, Jesus Picture Led Her to Christ

Therefore, no works can cleanse a sinner from sin and earn him salvation. Regeneration comes from God, and He uses the preached gospel message to bring spiritual life to spiritually dead sinners, so that they can be receptive to the things of God. This enables the sinner to come to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, which a sinner cannot do if he remains in his unregenerate state. It is this faith that justifies a believer and makes him righteous in God's sight.This justification is a one-time event and not a lifelong process. It happens immediately after someone believes in Christ (Romans 5:1; 1 Corinthians 6:11). After that, the believer - under the Holy Spirit's work - undergoes a lifelong process of sanctification (growth in the godliness) until he reaches glorification at Christ's return for the church (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). This contradicts Catholic soteriology, which teaches that regeneration happens by the work of water baptism, and that justification does not happen at one's conversion, but rather at the end of one's life when his deeds are ultimately assessed by God on Judgment Day.A few key areas demonstrate differences in Christian and Catholic salvation. The first area is the relationship between God's part and man's part in the salvation process. Catholicism is essentially synergistic, meaning that salvation is a two-way road with man cooperating with God in accomplishing the final redemption of his soul. Man is spiritually sick, but not totally dead and incapable of seeking after Yahweh. People still have a measure of goodness, free will, and capacity to reach out to God for help and to live for him. Catholic soteriology is semi-pelagian in that it views men as having a measure of goodness within them that can merit God's favor.In contrast, Christian soteriology is monergistic, which means that God alone accomplishes salvation for us, independent of our contribution. This must not be misunderstood to mean that people do not have the responsibility to respond by believing in the gospel.The Bible does not teach people to sit back passively and let God save them regardless of their actions. They must respond by repenting and believing in Jesus. The essence of monergism is that all credit is given to God for salvation because He is the one who foreknew, elects, regenerates, calls, sanctifies, and glorifies believers (Romans 8:29). He completes the work of salvation with His sinless life, His perfect sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection.Another difference between Christian and Catholic soteriology is in the issue of justification. Catholicism views justification as not happening at the beginning of one's faith, but at the end of one's life. It is not an event, but a process. Justification begins with baptism and is upheld throughout a person's life as he obeys the tenets of the Catholic church. Justification removes past sins and remits grace to the soul, but does not totally make one right with the Lord. Justification can be reversed if a believer commits what is called mortal sins. Concerning the biblical nature of justification, 2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches that people who believe in the gospel (and are thus justified) are also reckoned as completely righteous because God imputes a completely righteous standing to the believer.This imputed righteousness presents the believer as 100% righteous because Christ earned that righteousness for him with His perfect life and credits that to those who believer. That is a key aspect of justification by faith. However, Catholics reject this doctrine and view it as dangerous since it supposedly causes a believer to be apathetic about living a godly life. Finally, Catholicism believes that an assurance of justification is not possible in this life. A Catholic finds out the results when he or she dies and stands before God to be evaluated.Catholicism views justification and sanctification as a near identical process, whereas Christians view justification and sanctification as two different stages. For Christians, justification is an instantaneous event that happens immediately after one is regenerated and justified via faith. It comes before the lifelong stage of sanctification.The sanctification process does not add to one's salvation, but is the result of one's salvation in Christ, in which Christ progressively empowers the believer to like Christ. The sanctification process does not make a believer sinless in this life, but shapes a believer to look more and more like Christ everyday in practical conduct. Sanctification is completed upon glorification, when the believer becomes completely sanctified in holiness, forever set apart from the presence of sin because of his new heavenly body.A last analysis I want to make is the role of sacraments in the life of a believer. The Catholic church teaches that the sacraments are a means of conferring grace and maintaining a believer's salvation. These sacraments, such as the Eucharist, physically confers the benefits of Christ's sacrifice onto the believer when he partakes of them. In other words, sacraments add a measure of righteousness onto believers, implying that Christ's work at Calvary is not final, sufficient, and efficacious.This is not what the word of God describes as the role of sacraments (or what evangelicals call ordinances) in the believer's life. Sacraments do not play a part in a believer's salvation, since salvation is by faith alone in Christ as Lord and Savior (1 Corinthians 1:17; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).Sacraments like water baptism and communion, are more appropriately categorized as belonging in the sanctification process. They do not merit or uphold a believer's salvation, but are a testimony of one's salvation and adoption into God's family. These sacraments are done to honor Christ as a testimony of one's justification. They do not confer grace or impart any of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. In fact, one cannot participate in sacraments unless he has already experienced God's saving grace through the gospel. To do so would be sacrilegious (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).Christians and Catholics do share many things in common, such as a common understanding of God's triune nature, the deity of Christ, and the inspiration of Scripture. Yet, the differences, as outlined above, are too vast to categorize the two in the same faith. In this case, both roads do not lead to heaven, which is why it is critical to have an accurate understanding of the gospel and application of it.The gospel message is something that Satan has been seeking to twist and to destroy since its inception, and he does so best within the church, which is why the body of Christ is called to split and dissociate themselves with those who claim to bring a saving message that is not what the New Testament teaches (2 John 1:10; Jude 3). Souls are at stake in this issue.In conclusion, there are two takeaways lessons we should take to heart from this:1. We should all examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Do we have a real understanding of the cross? Have we appropriately applied it by faith? If not, then we should do so today.2. We should help others to discover the truth of the gospel. Whether they be Catholics or atheists, there is a God in heaven who wants all people to repent and come to a saving knowledge of the truth. He has made this message simple, which we are not to alter, but to present it as such to unbelievers so that they can be saved.That is why Christ taught, "Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:15).Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of Grace City LA.What's your take on Evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism? Leave a comment below.

'Saturate SoCal' To Deliver Jesus Film DVD Pack To 4 Million Homes

ANAHEIM, Calif. — More than 200 Christian leaders learned of a plan to mobilize hundreds of churches and thousands of volunteers to spread the gospel to all the people living in the 364 zip codes found in Los Angeles and Orange counties at a kickoff meeting hosted by Christ for All Peoples on Tuesday.Organizers said “Saturate SoCal” is part of a nationwide strategy (Saturate USA) to deliver a free copy of three Jesus Films on one DVD to 60 million homes in the U.S. (4 million in LA and Orange counties) by 2020. The three films are Magdalena - Through Her Eyes, The Life of Jesus - Greatest Story Ever Told, and The Story of Jesus - Through the Eyes of Children. Leaders said the package which includes the DVD, will be distributed by mostly a door-to-door approach by volunteers.Apologist Josh McDowell, who was the keynote speaker at the gathering, said the Saturate USA initiative is critically needed for the times we live in.McDowell pointed to today’s culture, which he says has redefined the meaning of “truth,” as a reason gospel proclamation is desperately needed. Truth has become more about personal feelings and opinion, he said. The Jesus film DVD package can counter the current anti-truth movement by introducing the gospel.“The Jesus film combines one of the most powerful resources for today’s culture,” he said. “It’s straight out of the text of Luke, but it’s [also] visual with the truth teller telling the story. There’s nothing out there more effective than the text of scripture with the visualization. Text and visual.”A key component to the package will be an insert that includes information on a local church, organizers said.“We are casting out our vision here today,” said Scott Baller, who is Christ for All Peoples’ CFO. He told TogetherLA that the meeting held at the Anaheim Marriott was about launching the idea to leaders and organizations so that by July 6th “we can get this thing going and saturate so we can get all 364 zip codes in LA and Orange County.”“Saturate Orlando” will be the first of the city movements that will make Revival 2020 a reality, organizers say on their website. “It brings together Christian organizations, churches and volunteers in a bond of unity and love with the singular purpose of reaching 750,000 homes in Orlando with the Jesus film DVDs in one month.”More than a half-million homes have already received the DVD package in Orlando where the movement was launched on March 3, according to the Christ for All People Facebook page.The packages are assembled by volunteers organized by churches in the areas for distribution. The “Saturate” process is not complicated, organizers said.“We tend to get really complex with things and as a lay person that’s not a pastor I [sometimes] get overwhelmed with all the things I have to do, including getting trained,” Baller said. “This plan is really simple. You don’t have to be trained. If you want to make it more complex you can” by doing more than simply dropping off packages.The free DVD packages assembled by people from local churches can include whatever the churches decide on, but are only required to include a letter with contact information for the church in the area participating. Christ for All Peoples does not promote its ministry in the material included.“The key is that we are not about an organization,” Baller said. “ We are just willing to partner with other organizations and do this.”Photos: Christ for All Peoples/Saturate USAOn the Web: Saturate SoCal

Saturate USA from Building a Difference on Vimeo.

What Defines a Great Church?

When people think of a great church, these things often come to mind: A church with a huge attendance, perhaps great facilities and fun programs; a church with nice (and maybe even attractive) people, exposure in the mainstream; great music, and an all-time favorite criteria, a church with an entertaining and funny pastor.

By STEVE CHA

Of course, our idea of a great church might differ from how God looks at churches. So often, we approach church with a consumerist mindset, thinking of how the church could benefit, please, or intrigue us, rather than how it brings honor to the Lord.What is God's standard for a great church?This is important to consider, especially in urban cities like Los Angeles where new churches are on the rise, each hoping to offer something to the public that makes them stand out a little more than others in the neighborhood. It is important to measure the merits of a local church according to what the Bible teaches, and not according to the subjective, pragmatic, and fanciful ways of people.How we do church before God is always more important and beneficial than what we do before man.By examining Scripture, we see seven noteworthy traits of a great church:1. A great church focuses on preaching the Bible. This should be evident from the pulpit on Sundays.Paul instructed young Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-3: "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." Why? Because "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires..." Sound, expository preaching is necessary to the spiritual health of the local church.A church that focuses too much on topical, inspirational, self-help, and feel good messages that are loosely based on the texts of Scripture will lead to immature, worldly, and even unsaved churchgoers.2. A great church has solid theology. A strong theological stance based on the truth of Scripture should be the foundation of every local church. Every church should have doctrinal beliefs and stance that is both accurate, obvious, and foundational to the church's philosophy of ministry, teaching, evangelism, apologetics, and biblical counseling.In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul writes, "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." Good theology honors God and brings believers to full maturity and holiness, whereas weak theology dishonors God and leads believers astray, often times into heresy. A church should have a firm biblical grasp on everything from its soteriology (salvation) to eschatology (end times).3. A great church perseveres in its practice. The Lord commends a church for its ability to persevere in its doctrine and practices.In Revelation 2, the Apostle John commends the Ephesian, Pergamum, and Thyatiran church for their perseverance, in despite of their other troubling sin issues. It is easy for churches to quit or to compromise with false doctrine and worldly practices because of the pressures from the outside world. A church is not called to be man pleasers or to be at shallow peace with all men, but to continue in their work unwaveringly.A church is strong to withstand the forces of both outside persecution and internal division that threatens its unity, doctrine, and missionary focus.4. A great church is filled with love and grace. A church holds fast to solid doctrine, but it also has to have the right attitudes that characterize godly fellowship.In Revelation 2:1-7, the Ephesian church was called out because of its lack of love. Jesus says in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." A harsh, condemning, and legalistic attitude should never characterize any local church, no matter how great the preaching or doctrine is. The fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control - should be manifested in our communication of the truth of God to one another. A great church should hold fast to the gospel, holiness, and doctrine, but at the same time, know how to be charitable when dealing with cultural or social differences.5. A great church protects the flock. It is inevitable that false teachers and immoral people will seek to spread their sin into a local church, which is why the church is called to be on guard against such people.Paul warns the Jerusalem church in Acts 20:29 that after his departure, "savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert..."It is one thing to be forbearing with sinners who come into the church with the hopes that they hear the gospel and believe in Jesus. But it's another thing for sinners - who profess to be Christians and who serve in the church - to practice unrepentant sin and cause others to stumble into sin as well. That is why Jesus lays out instructions on how to deal with unrepentant sinners in Matthew 19:15-20, which is designed to protect the purity and integrity of the local church.6. A great church employs people's service. Many people comprise a local church, and great churches know how to encourage them to use their spiritual gifts for the church.Revelation 3:19 highlights service as one of the marks that Jesus commended in a church. Paul speaks about the need to serve God with one's spiritual gifts by highlighting the different ways that God has gifted believers to contribute to the body of Christ in Romans 12:4: "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another..." Gifts include teaching, service, exhortation, mercy, giving, and others.A church suffers and runs ineffectively if Christians don't do their part in serving in a local church, and if leaders never encourage congregants to serve.7. A great church evangelizes the public. The only way that the universal church expands is when more people come into the fold. That is the purpose of evangelism, which brings salvation to sinners and brings them into the people of God. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit..."The church of Acts grew mightily because of committed efforts from Paul, Peter, and others to bring the gospel to the Jews in the synagogues and the Gentiles in the marketplace. Similarly, a great church will live out its calling of being ambassadors for Christ by interacting with people in the city with the hopes of bringing them to saving faith in Christ.This is not an exhaustive list of what makes a great church, but some of the more important traits. Next time you are searching for a home church, keep these factors in mind. If you do, you will end up at the right church.Attending and participating at the right church is crucial in this day and age when churches try to cater to what people like, instead of what they need — as the Bible teaches.Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of Grace City LA.

Faith Leaders Urge Signing of 'Our Hope for Peace' Amid Violence Surrounding US Embassy Move

Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem seeks to bring a biblical perspective, balance and different tone to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

NEWS RELEASEA. Larry Ross Communications

As deadly violence erupted in Gaza protesting the move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, The Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem urged individuals to sign "Our Hope for Peace: A Statement on Israel, the Nations and the Gospel."

"'Our Hope for Peace' is a statement of 13 affirmations and 13 denials that outlines what the Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem, a group of key faith leaders, scholars, authors and pastors across a variety of denominations and backgrounds, believes the Bible teaches on complex questions regarding peace in the Middle East."It is disturbing to witness the violence erupting in Gaza protesting the move and to learn of the dozens killed," said Dr. Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries and founding member of The Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem. "Our prayers go out to the families of those who died and to the Israeli soldiers who are in harm's way as well as those Israelis living on the border of Gaza who had to evacuate their homes. We are reminded of the words of the Psalmist who told us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and encourage all who love the Lord and Jerusalem to pray today for peace."

The Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem is dedicated to facilitating a better public understanding of the complexities of the Middle East including its roots in history and the Bible. The Alliance was founded as a response to the results of a survey, "Evangelical Attitudes Toward Israel and Peace in the Middle East," conducted by LifeWay Research and underwritten by Chosen People Ministries and New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg.While the survey, which was completed in September 2017, did not specifically ask a question related to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, data clearly shows respondents' support of the Jewish people's right to Israel yet their concern over the well-being of the Palestinians.According to the survey, 80 percent of Evangelicals agree that God's promise to Abraham and his descendants was for all time; 76 percent say Christians should support the Jewish people's right to live in the sovereign state of Israel; and 69 percent say Israel has a historic right to the land compared to 46 percent who deny that for the Palestinians. Additionally, 41 percent of survey respondents argue the Jewish people have a biblical right to the land but also have a responsibility to share, although another 31 percent are not sure.The Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem's goal is to tell the story of Israel's role in the biblical narrative while also affirming God's concern for all peoples in the Middle East."It is rare to see a group that holds to Israel's right to the land as a legitimate nation that also has concerns for other people present there," said Dr. Darrell Bock, executive director for Cultural Engagement at the Hendricks Center, senior research professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and founding member of the Alliance. "Usually one sees an either/or choice. The Alliance seeks to bring a biblical perspective, balance and different tone to these issues."The 13 affirmations outlined in "Our Hope for Peace" include general biblical truths regarding Israel, the nations and the Gospel as well as statements addressing the present and future role of Israel in God's biblical narrative. The 13 denials outlined in "Our Hope for Peace" address common incorrect theological beliefs often held by Christians and ethical dilemmas in regards to support of Israel as it relates to Palestine and the Middle East."Our Hope for Peace" seeks to be instructive about major biblical themes such as God's faithfulness to His word, His commitments to those to whom original promises were made, the importance of Jesus Christ in the plan of God, the necessity for mission work to all people, and a commitment to reconciliation, peace and justice that stands encased in how the people of God are called to live.Leaders from around the world have signed "Our Hope for Peace" and invited others to provide their support through signing the document online."If there was ever a time to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, this would be it for we are in a unique moment in history," said Joel C. Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author, dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and founding member of the Alliance. "Jesus said, 'Blessed are the peace-makers.' Being a peacemaker means understanding that God is not 'either/or.' He's 'both/and.' He loves all people on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and He commands us to do the same."To sign "Our Hope for Peace" or for more information, visit https://allianceforthepeaceofjerusalem.com/.

Woman's Dream Gathering Becomes Real at Grace City LA Church

Kimberly Yu’s dream from more than a dozen years ago to hold a gathering that highlights the transformative life stories of women who have suffered much and gained hope through Jesus becomes real this Saturday (May 12, 2018).“I know God can heal broken hearts and broken souls and that’s really what this conference is about,” said Yu in an interview with TogetherLA about the upcoming HOPE Conference to be held at Grace City LA. “We want women to know that they are not alone and that there’s hope.”Yu, who said she experienced a myriad of difficult times and bad choices, believes God clearly showed her a dream or a vision of a meeting in which five “regular” women walked up in front of a gathering of women, one at a time to speak about how their lives used to be and what God has done in their lives.Pastor Steve Cha of Grace City LA, a young church in downtown LA, said the HOPE Conference is the church’s first ever. This is a women’s conference designed to exhort women struggling in depression, anxiety, hopelessness, lack of purpose, and sin issues that can only be healed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the church stated.“It is also a great equipping day for women desiring the practical tools to help exhort other lost and hurting women in the faith,” organizers said.The guest speakers include Marlene Barba, Kimberly Yu, Hope Delabar, Cynthia Shutt, and Liza Uriarte. A time of worship, fellowship, Q&A, and prayer will also be included. The free conference is scheduled for 10 am to 4 pm.Yu, who will also be one of the speakers, described the speakers as not necessarily experts in the sense of having a professional identity. “We are experts from the school of hard knocks. In the street game. How to survive when you don’t have a choice,” she said.“There’s lots of stories I can tell you right now about how I shouldn’t even be alive right now,” Yu said. Testimonies of transformation will include periods of homelessness, prostitution, addiction, physical and mental abuse, and the loss of loved ones.Yu said she was shown through attending a recent marriage conference that it’s okay for those giving testimony to still be going through a process.She said that she heard from people that “still need healing and [their testimonies] are still very real and raw.”“That’s what God wants to bring to that stage. He wants those testimonies not to be powdered up and read from a paper word for word. He wants it to come from the soul of those women just like the vision he gave me more than 12 years ago,” she explained.This conference is FREE. Please RSVP here to reserve a spot for you and your guests.