JOEL 2 GENERATION

While praying today, I was reflecting on a movie currently in the theaters entitled A Great Awakening . This is a MUST-SEE movie. If you think you know about American History, I promise you, you probably don't know what this film reveals. Whether you see it in a theater or at home, just SEE IT! - Click here for more info:  LINK The film explores the relationship between the British Anglican minister, George Whitefield, and one of America's Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. They were, in fact, actual friends in the 18th Century. And the reviews I've seen of the film attest to its historical accuracy. The movie also narrates a time of spiritual renewal in the American colonies known as "The First Great Awakening" (1730s-1770s), which  began under the ministry of the Reverend Jonathan Edwards, a Congregationalist minister in Massachusetts.  While Edwards' ministry may have been the initial catalyst of The First Great Awakening, the biggest part of it was the o...

I learned early on in my Christian life that there were some bad guys in New Testament, namely the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day, the worst being the Pharisees.  Being called a "Pharisee" is not something anybody wants to be called. In common Christian usage it is entirely derogatory with connotations of being judgmental, hypocritical and self-righteous. As I grew a bit more, I realized that in many ways the Pharisees were the well-meaning conservatives. The Sadducees were more like liberals who compromised with the culture and didn't take the Bible nearly as seriously as the Pharisees. I began to read the passages with the Pharisees a bit more carefully.  I realized that as a conservative Christian, I was a lot more like the Pharisees than I had originally thought. And as I was involved (and still am involved) in Christian leadership, I should probably consider Jesus' interactions with them as important to the way He would interact with me! In Romans 15:4 , the Ap...

We are now in the final days of Lent and today we consider the event when Jesus cleansed the temple. Yes, He did so in history. But He continues to do so today. He is doing it in the Church at large in this hour (think of those who have been and are being exposed) but of course, most importantly, He would have us assess our own personal lives. What part of His Temple, which we have become as followers of Christ, is He cleansing?  What part needs cleansing? Purification?  Holy Week historically became the most important week in the Christian calendar. As I have recounted, the final week before Easter is where Lent began. It was historically a week that all Christians fasted, if not the beginning, most definitely at the end. There are still churches that take this fasting seriously, while sadly, most have departed from a practice that began in the 2nd century. Christians sought to enter into the emotions of this week. Palm Sunday’s optimistic expectancy quickly gives way to the ...

I repost this annually on St. Patrick’s Day, updating it from time to time and this year I've added some thoughts about revival and cultural/societal change in America.   Countless Americans will be donning something green and getting drunk in St. Patrick’s honor today, who obviously know NOTHING about who St. Patrick really was. If they did, they would realize they are actually dishonoring him and his remarkable legacy.   In fact, most of what Christians have heard about St. Patrick amounts to Fake ‘Theological’ News.   Different Christian traditions all want to claim Patrick as their own, the Roman Catholic Church being the loudest voice. Modern-day Charismatics also like to reference his prophetic gifting and miracles.   There has been a growing number of other Christians in recent years claiming to be “Celtic” and/or seeking to recover Celtic roots or Celtic ‘spirituality’. Sadly, much of that is distorted and often infused with New Age beliefs and ideas. Ironica...

There is a “tradition” that St. Patrick rid the island of Ireland of snakes. Why do I say a “tradition”? Because the evidence is that Ireland NEVER had snakes to begin with. Most scholars are skeptics and unbelievers anyway, and so they dismiss anything claimed about St. Patrick’s miracles. But I am a believer. I aspire to the supernatural. I personally have seen and continue to see God move in supernatural ways, and Patrick is one of my models, one of my heroes. I have a Celtic Cross tattooed on my wrist, and I wear a Celtic Cross around my neck. I am an ordained priest in a Charismatic, Evangelical Diocese called ‘The Diocese of St. Patrick’. So, I am a firm believer that St. Patrick moved in genuine Apostolic power in his incredible ministry. A ministry that included remarkable, undeniable acts of God to prove to the pagan Druids that Christ’s Kingdom was superior to the powers of their false god/s. So, now we go back to the issue of the snakes and Patrick’s so-called miracle of ban...

This morning, I listened to a powerful message from Ron Cantor.  Note : I am grateful to Ron Cantor for he is doing what so many of our charismatic leaders were NEVER willing to do. He had to call out one of his own mentors, Dr. Michael Brown, whose clergy abuse of a young woman came to light. And now Ron Cantor is calling out Che Ahn. Because our "apostles" wouldn't do it, God has raised up men such as Ron Cantor and Mike Winger to expose the darkness that has resided in our charismatic movement.  The title of the video – “#CheAhn Where is the Accountability? Where are the Apostle and Elders” – LINK The charismatic movement that I have been a part of for many years is under severe discipline/judgment. For what? To name a few things: Fake prophecies, financial abuse/fraud, sexual immorality, clergy sexual abuse (even of minors), false teachings, and then the covering up of these things by leaders (being called “Cover Up Culture”). What can now be added to these things wo...

Lent has begun and many Christians are incorporating changes to their way of eating as they seek the Lord. I know that many will not be fasting, but Lent historically was a time Christians fasted. Nearly 10 years ago, I changed the way I was eating. I believe God was offering me a rescue plan from a future of massive health problems related to the toxic diet I had been eating all of my life. After following a body builder into a low carb diet that was totally unlivable (basically a form of starvation) but that produced incredible results where I lost 30+ pounds. I soon discovered that there were other low carb approaches that were far more livable. The first stop was Ketogenic (Keto). It is a great place to start a low carb lifestyle. For some, it is a great long term approach but for me it ended up leading to too much cheating/non-compliance.  One of the influencers I began to follow was Dr. Ken Berry - see his video below. He too had started Ketogenic and migrated to a Carnivore ...

MSDA — Make Self Dead Again 2.0 For nearly all of Church history, mass media was not the means by which the Gospel spread or ministries grew. Quite simply, it didn’t exist. That changed dramatically in the last 125 years. Modern media technologies—radio (first public broadcast in 1906), television (1920s), and most recently the internet (publicly accessible in the 1990s)—have revolutionized how the Gospel is communicated. Radio and television enabled millions to hear and even watch the Gospel being preached and the Scriptures taught. The internet then expanded that reach to billions , across hundreds of languages. The good that has come from these advances for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom is undeniable. And yet, at the very same time, these same developments have produced unprecedented crises within the Church. Access to deception, false teaching, and moral corruption is unlike anything in human history. Few would deny that these dangers have destroyed the faith and lives of cou...