Kingdom-Centered Prayer - redeemer.com

People are used to thinking about prayer as a means to get their personal needs met. However we should understand prayer as a means to praise and adore God, to know Him, to come into his presence and be changed by Him. We need to better learn how to pray, repent and petition God as a people.

Biblically and historically, the one non-negotiable, universal ingredient in times of spiritual renewal is corporate, prevailing, intensive and kingdom-centered prayer. What is that?

1. It is focused on God's presence and kingdom.
2. It is bold and specific.
3. It is prevailing, corporate.

Ten assertions about today’s Christian culture*

1. Today’s Christian Culture lacks a basic appreciation of God’s holiness—that we are to serve Him with reverence and awe—substituting romanticized amicability for Godly fear.
2. Today’s Christian Culture is ashamed of the Word of the Cross, preferring to sensitize “seekers “ on their own terms, swelling the ranks of the deluded with a perverted gospel.
3. Today’s Christian Culture fails to adequately comprehend the saving work of Christ, jettisoning its essential legal-forensic framework to offer a “personal relationship with Jesus.”
4. Today’s Christian Culture defends the notion that a life of principled obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, out of love for Him and gratitude for His saving grace, is optional—not required.
5. Today’s Christian Culture promotes a type of ”spirituality” that is often little more than an emotional, content-void, self-absorbed, mystical flight of presumptuous human imagination.
6. Today’s Christian Culture denies the innate goodness of Creation, forbidding the appropriate use of things God has given us to enjoy freely, legislating a morality that is rooted in cultural taboos.
7. Today’s Christian Culture suffers from last days madness, having been served up a constant stream of “end times” speculations and prophetic scenarios which have never come to pass.
8. Today’s Christian Culture shuns teaching that is careful to expound the God-intended meaning of Scripture, preferring careless sermons and bible expositions that are mostly autobiographical.
9. Today’s Christian Culture enables church fellowships to function as de facto cults: masses of mind-numbed followers led by powerful gifted leaders who control everything.
10. Today’s Christian Culture has nothing meaningful to offer the world, because there’s nothing meaningful to distinguish it from the world, only a culturally irrelevant, compromised, so-called “Christian” witness that has lost its ability to turn the world upside-down.

But if the salt has become tasteless how will it be made salty again?

It is good for nothing any more, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

the gospel according to Matthew chapter 5, verse 13

* By “Today’s Christian Culture” we mean the vast network of people—ministries, businesses, bookstores, magazines, musicians, TV & radio programs and the like—who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ today. © Ten assertions about today’s Christian culture*

Yes, I Wrote a Book - by Tim Keller

How do you tell people something they probably want to know without playing into the great American hype machine? I've been getting so many questions about this I thought I would write a simple newsletter article to members and friends to let you know that, yes, I wrote a book.

I've been working for some time on a book for the ordinary (which means very sharp) spiritually skeptical New Yorker. Ever since I got to New York nearly two decades ago I've wished I had a volume to give people that not only answered objections to Christianity (what has been called 'apologetics') but also positively presented the basics of the gospel in an accessible yet substantial way. I had some books that did the one and some that did the other, but only one did both—Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. As you know, I think Lewis' book is peerless, and foolish would be the author who tried to replace him!

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
by Timothy Keller
This title will be released on February 14, 2008. Pre-order now from

Barnes & Noble | Amazon.com

However, the issues in the public discourse around Christianity have become much more complex than they were in the mid and late 20th century. The questions are now not just philosophical (e.g. Is there evidence for God's existence?) They are also now cultural (Doesn't strong faith make a multicultural society impossible?), political (Doesn't orthodox religion undermine freedom?) and personal. Also fifty years ago, when C.S. Lewis was writing, there was general agreement that rational argument and empirical method were the best ways to discover truth. That consensus has vanished. Today there are deep disagreements over how we know things and how certain we can be about anything. Most of the older books presenting Christianity now are only persuasive and even comprehensible to a very narrow range of people.

All this means that there is a great need for new literature that speaks to our time and says, "Christianity makes sense." I know I'm only one of many who are trying to do this over the next few years. My contribution is slated to be released February 14, 2008, by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Books. Its title is The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. You can find a little more information about it on Amazon.com.

Even though the book is not addressing believers, I still hope it will be a help to the members and friends of Redeemer. It may make it easier to represent your heartfelt beliefs to people you love. That's my prayer.

Redeemer Presbyterian Annual Prayer Campaign Week - Nov. 26

Prayer Campaign '07

Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NY (Tim Keller) is having their annual prayer campaign week starting November 26 through December 2. Goto to prayer campaign page for resources. Encourage your Church to have a prayer campaign week. Download the Prayer Campaign Week Corporate Prayer Guide '07.

"When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself."

— Oswald Chambers

MNA: Church Renewal - Becoming an Evangelistic Church

Most churches that are committed to being or becoming an evangelistic church, who want to reach the lost with the gospel, normally start to think of training in personal evangelism or even various strategies for attracting the lost to church or getting the gospel to the lost. But before those things are pursued there are some very obvious, “simple” things that a church can and should do first as it seeks to become more outward faced and effective in evangelism. These things do not require lots of money or great or extraordinary levels of commitment. All these things take is a fundamental commitment to be a church that strives to “seek and save that which is lost”. Some of these are:

1. Mobilize to pray. Pray for the vitality of the church, for the community itself, for a specific list of lost people supplied by the members (family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.). This prayer can take place in small groups, in a monthly or weekly prayer gathering with for this particular purpose, in a Sunday School class, and by individuals.
2. Build into the pastor’s job description and schedule 5-10 hours a week to spend with non-Christians and visitors to the church including networking in the community.
3. Become visitor friendly. Things such as adequate signage, a warm and helpful greeting, a clean and orderly nursery, and a simple but attractive facility will go along way in opening doors for the gospel. Without them many visitors simple don’t return and the opportunities are lost.
4. Preach in such a way that Christians will invite their unsaved, unchurched friends and associates.
5. Serve your community. Identify and find ways for your congregation to be active in the community addressing real and tangible needs. People are often much more receptive to the gospel once they see your concern, your care for them as individuals and as a community. Encourage your congregation to be active members of the community, serving on boards, participating in the schools, taking advantage of park district activities, etc.

Once these pre-requisites are taking place in the life of the church any training that the church members receive will be much more enthusiastically embraced and will be all the more effective since many doors of opportunity will normally be generated and the congregation will have much more of an outreach mindset.

Some resources that can be considered for training/equipping the congregation include:

1. “Building Bridges, Tearing Down Walls” by Jerram Barrs (available through Covenant Seminary).
2. “3-D Evangelism” by Randy Pope (available through Perimeter Church, Atlanta).
3. “Christianity Explored” by Rico Tice.
4. “Evangelism Explosion” (still an excellent tool).
5. “Breakout Churches” and “The Unchurched Next Door” by Thom Rainer (+ “Surprising Insights From the Unchurched").

New Book: The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism - Craig Brown Paperback , 127 pages

After a brief survey of the historical development of the theological school now known as Calvinism and a comparison of Calvinism and Arminianism, Brown turns to a consideration of five dilemmas that Arminians typically associate with Reformed doctrines. The author then attempts to demonstrate that these "problems" are largely misunderstandings of Calvinism.

Written in a winsome and engaging style, Brown’s work is an excellent primer on Calvinism and some of the critiques that have been leveled against it. As such, the book provides both apologetic help for Calvinists and answers for Arminians with honest questions.

"Craig Brown battles misunderstandings that have dogged Calvinism for long years. In so doing, he provides apologetic help for Calvinists stymied by the misinformed questions of their Arminian friends. And, of course, he kindles light for those who have never considered alternatives to the Arminian system."
- From the forward by R.C. Sproul

Senate Committee Investigating Six Major Ministries

Senate Committee Investigating Six Major Ministries

Sen. Grassley probes "possible misuse of donations" to Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer, and others.

Ted Olsen | posted 11/06/2007 08:44AM

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is investigating several major church-based ministries known for their leaders' lavish lifestyles and prosperity teachings.

Related articles and links

"Recent articles and news reports regarding possible misuse of donations made to religious organizations have caused some concern for the Finance Committee," Grassley wrote to the ministries in letters asking for detailed financial records.

None of the ministries targeted—those led by Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Eddie Long, Joyce Meyer, and Randy and Paula White—are required to file the financial disclosure Form 990 with the IRS because they are are designated as churches.

Grassley "is not just asking them to come in and talk, he is asking them for everything," Kenneth Behr, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, told The Tampa Tribune, which in May ran a lengthy investigative report on the Whites' Without Walls church and its finances.

The ministries have until December 6 to submit audited financial statements, compensation reports, records for ministry jet travel, and other documents. The Tampa Tribune has posted the letters to each ministry.

Some of the ministries contacted by news organizations say they will respond to the requests.

Creflo Dollar told CBS News his ministry is an "open book" and said he would comply with any "valid request" from Grassley. But he also warned that Grassley's investigation possibly affects "the privacy of every community church in America."

Joyce Meyer Ministries noted an October letter from the IRS stating, "We determined that you continue to qualify as an organization exempt from Federal income tax." The ministry also said that audited financial statements are available on its website. "JMM is committed to conducting itself with excellence and integrity, choosing to go above and beyond the level of accountability required by law," the organization told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which published a series of investigative reports on the ministry in 2003.

Randy and Paula White, who recently announced their divorce, told The Tampa Tribune they found the request "unusual, since the IRS has separate powers to investigate religious organizations if they think it's necessary. So we find it odd that the IRS did not initiate this investigation. It also seems odd that they have asked about areas that have no relationship to the operation of the church."

Grassley's office told the Tribune that the IRS "has been unable to keep up with the exponential growth of all tax-exempt organizations, including churches and ministries."

While Grassley is not proposing any changes to the law or tax code, he's suggesting that he may do so after the investigation. "Based on initial review, the way ministries operate has changed significantly over the last 20 years to 25 years, while the tax laws governing them for the most part have not," his office said.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Future of Justification for the Rest of Us

From Desiring God Blog

(Author: Mathis)

Not everyone should read John Piper's new book on justification. Some readers—perhaps those already aware of N. T. Wright and the New Perspective on Paul (NPP)—will want to read The Future of Justification from cover to cover. But not everyone.

In his most recent book, Piper engages Wright on academic turf. Are you familiar with 4QMMT? Or Ed Sanders and Jimmy Dunn? Most Christians don't need to be. If you haven't heard of the NPP, that's fine. It's a discussion that started among those with a very different view of the Bible than most evangelicals. Your good doctrine may have kept you out of this fray. And much of this book may be unhelpful to you in your context.

But if you're in that category and you still want a taste of what Piper's been working on the last couple years, here's a plan for how to make the most of The Future of Justification:

• Remember that you can read it free online (PDF).
• Look at the table of contents. This will give you an overall picture of the book and a familiarity with it if you need to reference it in the future.
• Read the introduction. Here you'll see what's at stake in the book. This will prove especially helpful for those who've never heard of Wright.
• Read chapter 11, entitled “That in Him We Might Become the Righteousness of God.” This chapter is Piper's effort “to give biblical foundation to the doctrine of the imputation of God's righteousness in Christ through faith alone, now and for eternity.” If you only read one section of the book, make it this chapter and the short concluding chapter that follows.
• Browse the appendices to see if anything grabs your interest. These weren't written to interact with Wright specifically, but they're included “to give…wider understanding of justification and related exegetical issues.”

Don't feel out of the loop or way behind if you haven't heard of Wright and the NPP. You shouldn't necessarily feel the need to familiarize yourself with them. But reading some of these key sections and chapters may help strengthen your theology of justification and ward off attacks on this precious doctrine when they come.

In Honor of Veterans Day (Nov 11th) - Great War Movies

World War I

1. Sergeant York
2. A Very Long Engagement
3. Gallipoli
4. The Lost Battalion
5. African Queen
6. Wings
7. All Quiet on the Western Front
8. A Farewell to Arms
9. The Dawn Patrol
10. Flyboys

World War II

The European Front

1. Saving Private Ryan
2. Band of Brothers
3. Schindler's List
4. The Longest Day
5. Patton
6. Das Boot
7. Casablanca
8. Where Eagles Dare
9. The Great Escape
10. The Guns of Navarone

The Pacific Theater

1. Letters From Iwo Jima
2. Flags of Our Fathers
3. Tora! Tora! Tora!
4. Empire of the Sun
5. From Here to Eternity
6. The Great Raid
7. The Thin Red Line
8. The Bridge On the River Kwai
9. 30 Seconds Over Tokyo
10. Midway

Korea

1. M*A*S*H
2. Macarthur
3. Manchurian Candidate
4. Pork Chop Hill
5. The Bridges at Toko-Ri

Vietnam

1. Platoon
2. Full Metal Jacket
3. The Deer Hunter
4. Apocalypse Now
5. The Quiet American
6. Born on the Fourth of July
7. Good Morning Vietnam
8. We Were Soldiers
9. Gardens of Stone
10. Birdy

The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World : Desiring God

Six of today’s leading pastor-theologians—John Piper, Voddie Baucham, D. A. Carson, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, and David Wells—have joined together to offer Christians a practical, biblical vision of Christ’s supremacy, so they will be better prepared to present the undeniable truth to a searching society.

After grounding readers in the important truths of Christ’s deity and the gospel, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World strives to help believers understand how to share these truths in a postmodern society. As readers begin to apply the lessons from this book, they will gain a practical, biblical vision of ministry for the twenty-first century.

This book is based on messages given at our 2006 national conference.

Read this book online (2.9MB PDF).

BUY THIS BOOK FOR $5.00 FROM Desiring God

All Narnia, All the Time - Mark Sommer (Hollywood Jesus)

Unless you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, I'm sure you know that Disney has decided to continue the Chronicles of Narnia movies. Prince Caspian is scheduled for release May 16, 2008 in the United States. For release dates in other countries go here.

The Disney Pictures site has its own Production Blog with information on the making of the film, including pictures of some of the armor and weapons being created by the Weta Workshop.

Here at HJ, I'm taking up the baton handed off by Greg and Jenn Wright, who hosted the LWW news blog for over eighteen months!

Visit the HJ Narnia News Blog for near-daily updates on all things Narnia.

Latest news:

• Douglas Gresham Interview at NarniaFans
• New Concept Art from Disney
• News Tidbits from the Heartland Film Festival

Hollywood Jesus

Free Downloads - Christianaudio.com

Each month christianaudio.com gives away a premium audiobook download for free. The way our Free Audiobook of the Month program works is like this: we give away one audiobook download each month totally free. The audiobook we give away is available for free only once - ever.

Use the coupon code NOV2007 to redeem this month's free audiobook download from christianaudio.com (goto download)

The Associated Press: Pagan Holidays Added to Excused Absences

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — When George Fain visits a grave to mark a pagan holiday, she won't have to worry about the work she's missing in her classes at Marshall University.

That's because her absence Thursday on the Samhain holiday has been approved by the Huntington school, which for the first time is recognizing pagan students' desire to be excused from class for religious holidays and festivals. (More)